Huddersfield Town have endured a topsy-turvy opening half to the 2014-15 season, with a change of manager failing to see them improve on last season's displays so far.
The Terriers took the unprecedented move to sack Mark Robins after just one game, entrusting caretaker boss Mark Lillis with the reins for the next three weeks.
Chris Powell was eventually appointed as the new permanent manager but, having not taken part in any of the summer preparations, was left to deal largely with someone else's tools.
Results have been mixed since the former Charlton boss arrived at the club, but they do have a five-point cushion between themselves and the relegation zone.
August
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It is hard to imagine how Huddersfield's season could have got off to a more turbulent start. They welcomed Bournemouth to the John Smith's Stadium on the opening day and were behind inside one minute. They went on to lose 4-0 to the Cherries but, even with the emphatic nature of the defeat, the decision to part company with Robins after one game seemed extreme.
Lillis took over for the League Cup second-round clash with Chesterfield, and there was no shortage of drama in his opening match. Huddersfield scored twice in the final 10 minutes to force extra time against their League One opposition, before another two goals in the additional period saw them through as 5-3 winners.
They shipped three more goals in defeat to Cardiff City in the league that weekend, but picked up their first win of the campaign away to Reading three days later. That was to be something of a false dawn, however, as they would not earn maximum points again for more than a month.
A draw with Charlton followed as the Addicks netted an injury-time equaliser against the 10 men of the Terriers, while they were eliminated from the League Cup in the second round at the hands of Nottingham Forest. A match against Watford capped off a difficult month, and Town fell to a 4-2 defeat despite having a man extra for the final 25 minutes.
September
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The club's long search for a successor to Robins came to an end at the start of September with the appointment of Powell, but the new boss saw his side concede a 92nd-minute goal to fall to a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough in his first match at the helm.
A goalless draw with Wigan Athletic represented a slight improvement, but the low point of their season came four days later in a Yorkshire derby. Huddersfield made the short trip across to Leeds United but, despite the hosts having a man sent off at Elland Road, Neil Redfearn's side still cruised to a 3-0 victory over their rivals.
The only way was up from that point, and Huddersfield got a number of monkeys off their back with a 2-1 victory over Millwall in the final match of the month. Not only was it Powell's first win in charge, but it also gave the Terriers a maiden home success and ended a six-game winless streak in all competitions.
October
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They then made it back-to-back wins for the first time since the previous December with an impressive 3-1 victory away to Wolverhampton Wanderers, before a goalless draw with playoff hopefuls Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park continued their ascent up the table.
The Terriers were three goals to the good within 16 minutes in their next match against Blackpool, going on to prevent a fightback and win 4-2 against the struggling Tangerines. Brighton & Hove Albion held Powell's side to a 1-1 draw three days later, but the Terriers ended the month in positive fashion as Nahki Wells scored twice in the final 20 minutes to rescue a draw away to high-flying Ipswich Town.
November
An unbeaten October was followed by a flying start to November as Huddersfield avenged their earlier League Cup loss to Nottingham Forest with a 3-0 victory over Stuart Pearce's side. That made it seven matches unbeaten for the Terriers, their longest run without defeat since promotion to the Championship in 2012.
They would not extend the streak any further, however, claiming just one more point throughout the remainder of the month. Derby County were the team to end the run with a 3-2 triumph at the iPro Stadium, while Fulham ran out 3-1 winners at Craven Cottage in their next outing.
A Yorkshire derby with Sheffield Wednesday may have been what Powell needed to turn his side's fortunes around, but the two teams could not be separated in a goalless draw at the John Smith's Stadium. Huddersfield then ended the month with defeat at the hands of Bolton Wanderers.
December
The Terriers put an end to their four-match winless streak with an unexpected result against an in-form Brentford side, beating the playoff hopefuls 2-1 in West Yorkshire. Any hopes of a sustained return to form were abruptly halted in the next match, however, as Norwich City made the most of a man advantage to score five goals in the second half on their way to hammering Powell's men.
Huddersfield drew another blank in a 1-0 home defeat to Birmingham City in their final match before Christmas, while Yorkshire rivals Rotherham United scored in both the 88th and 90th minutes to rescue a dramatic 2-2 draw on Boxing Day. They benefited from a late goal themselves to end the year on a high, however, with Wells scoring five minutes from time to seal a 2-1 win against Bolton.
Star man: Sean Scannell
Must do better: James Vaughan
Where to strengthen in January: Defence
Position at start of 2015: 18th
Mid-season grade: C-
To see Huddersfield's remaining fixtures in 2014-15, click here.
