Town defender Damien Delaney believes his partnership with Tommy Smith is improving all the time as they develop a better understanding.
But Smith, who turned 22 at the weekend, is out of contract in the summer and has yet to open discussions with the club about a new deal.
Delaney, at 30 very much the senior member of the double act, has been studying the statistics since the pair first teamed up in February.
The Irishman said: "I was looking at it the other day. Tommy and I got together for the game at Portsmouth and that was 11 games ago.
"In that time we have conceded 11 goals. That’s a stat that isn’t bad going. It’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but it averages out at a goal per game.
"If you went through the season like that you’d end up conceding 46 goals, which wouldn’t be the worst record in the world.
"Look at the top six sides in the Championship and they’ll end up with between 45 and 50 goals against. The promoted sides will probably concede less than a goal per game.
"So to ship 11 goals in 11 games — and you also have to remember that we’re a team that tends to play with all guns blazing and believe the best form of defence is attack — isn’t a bad record.”
Delaney feels Town are now benefiting from the fact that he and Smith have played together for almost a quarter of the league campaign.
He added: "It’s an important factor. At the start of the season, in the first 10 games or so, I must have had about six different partners.
"That was tough because there is a lot of emphasis in the middle of the defence on helping each other out. If someone makes a mistake you are looking for a bit of help and I don’t think that was there earlier in the season.
"If you look at a lot of the goals that went in back then you would see a lot of players with hands on hips, looking at each other as if to say ‘That was your fault’ as opposed to having people help you out.
"I remember an occasion just before half-time at Watford recently when I slipped and the ball went through to their fella. I was thinking it was going to lead to a goal but Tommy was right round on the cover to put in a block that led to a corner.
"Earlier in the year, when someone slipped, it almost always led to a goal but now there definitely seems to be cohesion — that’s the word I’m looking for!”
Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk