Oli McBurnie has been named Championship Player of the Month for September – but he’ll have a Tigers team-mate to thank
The link-up between Ryan Giles and Oli McBurnie has become a problem Hull City’s Championship rivals.
Paul Heckingbottom admitted as much after earlier this month seeing his side pegged back from 2-0 to settle for a 2-2 draw.
“We’ve allowed Ryan Giles to get in behind us, which we spoke about,” the Preston North End manager admitted afterwards.
Heckingbottom won’t be the only Championship boss wondering how to stem a supply line that is more prolific than any other the division.
To be fair the former Sheffield United manager was right to bemoan his team’s defending because Giles ran Thierry Small ragged when he forced North End’s man of the moment to ‘go the other way’.
Birmingham City’s Chris Davies will be the next to consider the issue, and he could end up having to do so with a third choice right back at his disposal, with Ethan Laird out and doubts over the fitness of Bright Osayi-Samuel.
Giles’ impact is obvious, he has five assists so far this season, no-one in the league has more, only Coventry City’s Milan van Ewijk has as many.
Unusually though, they have all been for McBurnie. Two put on a plate against North End, another in the 3-1 win over Southampton – a pinpoint free kick that begged to be headed in.
The sliderule daisy cutter in the 2-2 draw with Swansea was the pick of the bunch, top class vision of a seemingly nonexistent angle. The one in injury time for the winner at Oxford was more timely than clean.
However they come Giles has put McBurnie top of the Championship scoring charts and seen him named as Player of the Month for September.
Former striker and EFL pundit Don Goodman claimed: “He was the standout player in the Championship in September, scoring in all four of his games.”
The pair’s partnership will be crucial to City’s prospects this season – in the entire division no other pairing has linked up more than twice.
But managers across the country are discovering identifying the danger is one thing, stopping it entirely another.
Is Giles the best left back in the league? Have your say here
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