Huddersfield Town entertain Bristol City at the John Smiths’ Stadium this evening in a match where the hosts are the bookies’ favourites and the visitors haven’t won in five matches. The omens for this match seem to be in Town’s favour but we always seem to falter at the point we are hitting our stride so I wouldn’t pay too much attention to the omens.
Regardless of the outcome at least we can now expect to see this Town team work their socks off in every match and that’s been one of the real differences we’ve seen under Corberán. We might not always win games but 100% effort is put in by every player and that’s something that makes this team extremely likeable to watch.
Here’s who I think will line up for Town tonight…
Goalkeeper: Ben Hamer
I thought Ben Hamer’s Millwall performance was among the best I’ve seen from him at Town and he deserved his place in the Championship team of the week. He commanded his area well and pulled off some important saves too. It’s now going to be tough for Ryan Schofield to force his way into the team now he’s recovered from injury after seeming like this could have been his season to become our number one.
Defence: Duhaney, Schindler, Sarr, Brown
Carlos said that he would be calling upon more of his squad in the coming games as fatigue sets in from this intense run of games we’re currently on. For that reason, I think Harry Toffolo will be rested for the first time in 101 games. I suspect, had he not been approaching this milestone last weekend, he may have already been rotated out of the team but he was allowed to keep playing so he could hit 100 consecutive games.
Jaden Brown has found his opportunities limited since Toffolo’s arrival but around this time last year he was doing a pretty good job for us at left back so I think he’ll be OK if he gets a chance tonight. The emphasis on getting forward and attacking should suit him and Naby Sarr is able to fill in behind him when he ventures forward.
Sarr and Schindler proved to be a great pairing at the weekend and I would keep them playing if both are fit enough to start. Richard Stearman has been brilliant at times this season but I’d feel more confident with Schindler on the right side of defence and Sarr’s ability in the air and with the ball at his feet makes him a key player too.
Duhaney had a solid 90 minutes against Millwall and I’d like to see him given another chance tonight. I felt like he was playing with the brakes on at times to make sure he didn’t make a mistake but if he plays again he can maybe take a few more risks and try to contribute more in attack. He’s not going to impress his boss by hanging back and defending solidly as this system thrives on attacking wingbacks that bomb forward.
Midfield: Eiting, O’Brien, Bacuna
Hogg had a great game on Saturday but has played a lot of minutes lately and most likely needs a rest. Luton will be a physical game that we’ll need him for, so I’d have him sit out this game so he’s fresh and firing on all cylinders at the weekend.
As Vallejo is still getting up to speed after his quarantine, there isn’t a like-for-like replacement for Hogg but Eiting is the closest thing we have unless Austerfield is brought in from the B Team. I think the Ajax man will get the nod for this game as he was an unused sub against Millwall and came off early in the second-half of the Birmingham game so will be fresh.
O’Brien has been slowly working his way back up to match fitness and showed glimmers of his best football at the weekend. He looked like the fittest player on the pitch when he sprinted forward for his goal in the dying moments of the match so I expect he’ll be able to start tonight.
Bacuna can consider himself lucky to have had an opportunity to redeem himself after being dropped following the Birmingham game. He had one of his best 45 minute spells when he replaced the injured Pritchard, who misses out tonight through the same injury as he waits on results of a scan on his ankle.
Forwards: Koroma, Campbell, Pipa
I was pleased for Koroma scoring his second of the season at the weekend and I thought he was the most convincing of the front three as the central striker despite it not being a position that’s suited to his skills. I hope that Campbell will return to the starting lineup and Koroma can then play out on the wings, where he’s most able to take on defenders and find openings.
Fraizer Campbell only played the final few minutes of our last game so is most likely fresh enough to play. With Danny Ward returning to training and likely to be in contention for a starting place after the international break, I can imagine Campbell will want to put down a marker over this next few games to establish himself as the first-choice striker ahead of Ward.
I was really impressed with Pipa and his stepovers when he played on the left wing on Saturday. Bristol City have Jack “The Helmet” Hunt at right back and Town fans who remember him playing for us will know he likes to get forward (he’s scored two already this season) so having Pipa on the wings will give us something going forward but also mean we’ve a bit more defensive cover if Hunt tries to overlap down our left side.
He wont start liability bacuna or Brown imo
Hoggy will play
I almost choked on my cuppa reading your team for tonight. All I can say is I sincerely hope you’ve got it wrong.
We’re coming up to an international break; the players can rest then, not this week when getting points is the number one priority.
What’s the point of playing a right-footed full back at left wing?! If Pipa is to play, then play him in his proper position.
Who has been our most dangerous player? Toffolo. Play him!
Eiting like Hogg? I don’t think so and it would be a gamble. I’m prepared to risk that one in the interests of being positive.
If we get your XI, I’m not sure it will be worth paying my £10 to iFollow.
After a 3-0 win I can’t see us making that many changes, I could potentially see Stearman coming in alongside Schindler and Sarr, Pipa reinstated at Right Wing Back and possibly Jaden Brown on the left. But most likely it will be the same formation. Carlos has said how important he feels Hoggy is and so unless he’s injured I would say Hogg is a starter, in which case it’ll only be four at the back. I could see the front three being Diakhaby, Campbell and Koroma. Many still won’t like the idea of Diakhaby playing, but his assist and the slow improvement he’s been making warrants to see if he can go further still in this game.
I can appreciate your thinking in playing Pipa in a position to help nullify Hunt moving forward. Toffolo needs to play until the international break unless his physical stats state otherwise. Bacuna is nearly always best coming off the bench.
If we want total comitment from the start, then Bacuna has to come off the bench, thats when he has been at is very best, and Pipa is showing himself to be a player who can play anywhere and do a job, so please lets not put a label on him saying “Fullback”, the Millwall defenders could not figure him, and he made them pay with his first Town goal, a player like that is priceless to a team, Hogg is best playing that two yards further forward as Aaron Mooy was, it stops all the mind numbing sideways and backwards passing, think that we have found another gem in Naby Saar, we are playing another team who will try to bully us so we need to give them the cold blow lane treatment. UTT
Can’t see much in the way of changes, other than a forced change with Eiting for Pritchard. Maybe Stearman in for Diakahby if he goes for more of a defensive set up. If any of the start line up look like their running out of steam there is a good bench and players such as Pipa can always be used elsewhere on the pitch.
I think you might have the front three right, but I don’t think he’ll touch the back four or drop Hogg. But one of the great things about CC is, you never know what he’s going to do. Roll on 7pm…