Huddersfield Town v Millwall – predicted Town XI, opposition preview and guessing the score

Must-win is an overused term in football these days but I think Huddersfield Town’s match against Millwall today is one that has potential to define their season. Victory could set them on course for survival and anything else leaves them with a very tricky task with five games remaining. It probably isn’t over for Town if they lose but negative results elsewhere and the morale sapping impact a home defeat to a fellow struggler could mean League One would beckon. On a positive note, victory would give Town a decent chance of pulling out of the relegation zone given Birmingham face Leicester today and either way it will leave them with a more achievable points target from the remaining fixtures in the season, not to mention the fact it keeps Millwall within touching distance too. 

Ahead of today’s game, I’m going to have a go at predicting the likely Town lineup, take a look at Millwall’s team and have a guess at the score. Enjoy!

Predicted Huddersfield Town XI to take on Millwall 

One change we already know about is Jack Rudoni dropping out of the match day squad with a hamstring issue, which it sounds like he has been suffering with in silence for a few weeks now. Andre Breitenreiter sounded pretty annoyed about Rudoni’s secrecy about the strain he has been carrying but apparently it’s been getting gradually worse so now needs to be rested. I’d guess Ben Wiles is the obvious deputy to bring in as a straight swap, even if he’s a downgrade based on performances this season. However, I feel that Wiles has a lot more to offer than we’ve seen so far and now would be a perfect time for him to prove he was worth the transfer fee we paid for him.

Elsewhere, I can see Pat Jones dropping to the bench after a fairly quiet game against Stoke after impressing in his brief cameo on Good Friday. I think his electric pace and direct running are better suited to tired defences and the late stages of games where things are a bit more open, as he wasn’t finding the opportunities to run at his full back on Monday.

It’s a toss up between Burgzorg and Koroma for who to pick on the wing in place of Jones. I’d go with Koroma, purely because Burgzorg’s greedy has proved costly in recent matches and it seems like his teammates are fed up with playing alongside him. Such an individual kind of player works if they are banging them in but if he’s not scoring loads of goals it’s a bit tiresome to see him constantly turning up opportunities to play in colleagues and running down blind alleys. Having said that, Koroma isn’t in blistering form either but at least he can be deployed in the left wing and Sorba can be switched back to the right flank where he can more easily cross with his best foot without having to constantly check back inside and slow down the play. Koroma is right footed too, but he’s a winger with an instinct to cut inside and shoot, so he is suited to playing on the left.

Midfield injuries mean that Matos and Kasumi pick themselves. With a midweek trip to Preston on the cards, they will have to be careful to avoid picking up injuries or suspensions as we’re very thin in this area of the field. I would expect youngsters on the bench to give them a rest in the late stages if the outcome looks settled in either team’s favour (hopefully a thumping Town victory – you never know!).

In defence, it’s the same story with centre backs, Pearson and Helik pick themselves with Balker, Lees and Nakayama all injured. Spencer continues to impress at right back despite his youth and relative inexperience. At left back, I’ve been less convinced by Jaheim Hadley, so would probably give Ben Jackson a go. That would also free Headley up as a potential winger off the bench too if we need different options.

I’m the striking position, I’d probably prefer Healey to Radulovic but the former is apparently still only fit enough for half an hour or so off the bench, so it’s another position where we’ve only really one fit option, as Danny Ward has also only just returned to training after his most recent injury niggle.

Predicted lineup: Nicholls, Jackson, Helik, Pearson, Spencer, Matos, Kasumu, Koroma, Wiles, Thomas, Radulovic

Millwall: opposition preview 

A little while ago, Millwall were in absolute freefall and seemed to be tumbling down the league towards relegation. Sacking their manager and bringing back Neil Harris has arrested that slump, after he got three wins and a draw from his first four games.

Recently they’ve gone off the boil again, with defeat to Leeds, a draw against West Brom and an unexpected loss to Rotherham on Easter Monday. So after a promising start, the shine has worn off Neil Harris’s return in recent games.

In terms of players to watch, it’s perhaps not a huge surprise that this Millwall team isn’t packed with talented players but they’re most dangerous player is probably Zian Fleming, who is their top scorer with seven goals (fewer than Helik’s tally for us) and he’s likely to line up either behind the main striker or as an attacking midfielder. 

As with most Championships teams, Millwall have an ex Town player on their books, this time it’s Murray Wallace. He was a bit like Bambi on ice at times under Lee Clark and didn’t get enough chances to establish himself at Town but since leaving has been a consistent performer for Millwall in the second tier and has built a good career for himself. Probably not a player many Town fans feel misty eyed about or regret letting slip through our fingers but only a handful of ex players have consistently played at a higher level than Wallace after leaving the club.

Match prediction – Huddersfield Town 1 – 1 Millwall 

Seeing as though most of our games seem to end in 1-1 draws, I think this one will too. I think Millwall will be smarting after their defeat to Rotherham on Monday and will set up to not lose. Against a team that doesn’t want to concede, Town don’t have many answers to unlock defences, so I can see a tight cagey affair where both teams struggle to break the other down. 

If this game produces goals, I’d expect mistakes, set pieces and pieces of individual magic to be the sources as I’m not convinced either team has the ability to create a great deal from open play. Sorry for the gloomy assessment, I hope I don’t put off anyone who was planning on coming to watch a festival of free-flowing, attacking football. Breitenreiter literally said he would be happy with a “dirty win” in this match, so it’s clear he’s prioritising the result above everything else in this game. I fear a similar gritty approach from Millwall will produce a stalemate.

I hope I’m wrong and Town can find a little bit extra in this match. I feel like we’re waiting for someone in the team to step up and be the hero that keeps us up. As yet, it’s not happened but today could be the day we see someone emerge. If that happens we may get the victory we need to kickstart our survival campaign.

What do you think the score will be? Make your prediction in the comments.