What I would say is some have short memories. It wasn't that long ago that we were also 8th in the league under NP and having put in excellent performances away at Hull and Swansea, as well as mauling Plymouth at home. And then all the injuries piled up and inevitably the results and league position began to suffer, but not to drastic proportions.
Fair play to LM, but I fully believe that if NP was still here we wouldn't be too far away from where we are currently. It was his squad that he built and now LM is carrying on the good work and long may it continue.