This is it! The big one! The most important game of the season so far for Carlos Corberán and his (occasionally) tricky Terriers. Today’s game against Rotherham is a chance for Town to put some breathing space between us and the bottom three. But Rotherham will be desperate to get the three points themselves, to help with their survival struggle and to pull Town back into the scrap at the bottom.
There’s additional significance to this game due to the fact Town are coming off the back of their worst defeat for decades after Tuesday’s 7-0 spanking from Norwich. The team selection for that game was seen as a major part of why it went so wrong. Here’s the lineup I think Carlos will go for today…
Goalkeeper: Ryan Schofield
Illness ruled Schofield out at the last minute against Norwich and he is a doubt for today’s game. While I wouldn’t want to put Schofield in a position where his tummy troubles risk him desecrating the hallowed John Smith’s Stadium turf, we should play him if at all possible. Joel Pereira wasn’t actually the chief culprit for any of Norwich’s goals on Tuesdays night but a record of played two, conceded eleven doesn’t inspire confidence.
Defence: Edmonds-Green, Vallejo, Sarr
Both Stearman and Keogh were run ragged on Tuesday night, so I’d drop them both for this game and go with the more spritely Edmonds-Green and the composed ball carrying ability of Vallejo. If the game pans out in a similar way to the reverse fixture we’ll need out defenders to be able to play the ball forward intelligently and accurately to probe for weaknesses in Rotherham’s back line and to play high up the field, so these changes should support that way of playing.
Naby Sarr probably deserves to be dropped after having a stinker on Tuesday too but the options to replace him are limited to Crichlow or Elphick and both are too much of a risk to bring in for a decisive game. Sarr has proven he can bounce back from poor games regularly this season and he’ll be needed to fend off the aerial assault we’re likely to see from the Millers.
Midfield: Pipa, Hogg, O’Brien, Bacuna, Rowe
It’s hard to know if Pipa is properly injured or just carrying a knock but I have a suspicion we’ll see him this afternoon regardless. Duhaney doesn’t look ready for this level yet and unlike Rowe and some of our other youngsters, I’m not seeing that much potential for improvement either. It’s also worth remembering that Duhaney’s only three months younger than Pipa, so is getting to the stage where he should be playing regular first team football.
Replacing Harry Toffolo in the starting eleven has been a real problem since he picked up his back injury. Rowe isn’t the perfect solution, as he’s right footed and more or a winger than a fullback. However, he’s been the best of a bad bunch in my eyes and can do a job for the team on that side. He’s also more willing to use his weaker foot when the situation demands it, which makes him more effective.
Jonathan Hogg’s face looked ashen at times on Tuesday night, he seemed unable to comprehend what was going on around him. While he wasn’t the worst Town player, he also wasn’t able to organise those around him enough to withstand the constant barrages of attacks from Norwich. Knowing the kind of person he is, I’m pretty sure he’ll go into this game desperate to turn things around and will put in a good performance.
Lewis O’Brien was pretty poor on Tuesday but the main reason for that was being played in a position that everyone already knows he isn’t suited to. Last weekend he had one of his best games in a Town shirt against Brentford, so hopefully he can recapture that form from the central midfield area.
While I’m not Bacuna’s biggest fan, I think he’s the best option for the more attacking of the three central midfielder slots. Holmes was even worse than Bacuna on Tuesday and Mbenza doesn’t deserve to start either, so Bacuna is needed for set pieces and creative flair. Scott High could be preferred to him but I’ve not yet seen enough from him to think he should be starting games for us but would like to see him given more minutes from the bench.
Attack: Campbell, Sanogo
Danny Ward had a chance to force himself into contention when he started against Norwich but was almost anonymous for 90 minutes so must surely drop to the bench.
I’m not sure Fraizer Campbell and Yaya Sanogo is the dream strike force that will solve all our problems but they’re the best we’ve got and each brings something useful to the team.
Rotherham are likely to sit deep today, so having Sanogo as a target in the box will be useful if tippy tappy football isn’t producing goals for us. Campbell should be fresh and ready to buzz about and cause a nuisance. I also have a feeling that he could be a bit more of a threat in front of goal when he’s alongside a target-man striker as he doesn’t have to be the one bashing into defenders all game.
TerrierSpirit.com score prediction
Bottom end of the table matches rarely produce entertaining football and I can’t see this one being any different. It’s likely to be tense, nervy and hard-fought. I’m just hoping that our defence can avoid any silly mistakes and we can nick it by a single goal.
It’s easy to be despondent about our thumping on Tuesday night but Rotherham aren’t Norwich, we’re much better at home than away and the players must surely be desperate to show a reaction today. It won’t be easy or pretty but I think we’ll do enough to get the win.
There’s normally something in your pieces to cheer me up, to give me some optimism for what lies ahead in about 7hrs time. But not today.
Describing this shell-shocked bunch of players, some carrying injuries and maybe ill, but there they are in your starting XI. I realise it’s because there are no better options in the squad; that’s either through injury or just because they are even more crap! Town is managing to plumb new depths.
Of course I’ll watch the match; well at least the start of it. I turned off at 4-0 on Tuesday so I don’t think I made the 30 minute mark. I’ll be turning off today at 0-2. Will I make it to half time?
One of your regular contributors will start having a go with a lot of “UTT” and “call yourself a supporter” but sometimes we supporters run out of resilience and my dial is on empty.
I fear I’ll be back around 5.00pm saying “Carlos must go.” This is just a bit of reverse psychology to make me believe again. It sometimes works.
Superfan status revoked! 😂
In all seriousness, we’re all football fans because we enjoy watching the game. When it’s not fun I don’t see why you should carry on watching. I did stay tuned in til the bitter end on Tuesday night but not for any reason I can sensibly explain. A good run and shot straight at the keeper from Sorba Thomas was the only consolation and doesn’t justify the time I spent watching.
I can tell you that living as I do about 20 miles south of Norwich where there’s only 2 teams of note (Norwich & Ipswich), it made Tuesday very very tough! Even after I’d turned off, I was receiving WhatsApps from ‘friends’ just saying a number – 5, then 6, then 7. Or expressions of gratitude for rolling over. Or “thanks, we’d found goals a bit thin on the ground recently so it’s been a great confidence booster.”
The one thing that’s worried me all season is that Carlos came with the tag of “good tactician”. However his game plans are always flawed and seems unable to react to different situations within a game. So, is he the man for us?. Regarding Tuesday he decided to lose the game before picking the team in order to save some players for today. The downside of rolling over is that the fear of the players today could be a real problem. In summary, he couldn’t manage a Sunday morning team!
I’m not sure about Carlos. A bit like the team more generally, he’s very inconsistent. We’ve seen that he can get a team of limited footballers playing decent football but it only worked when we had most of our first choice players available. Since injuries kicked in we’ve rarely played with any flair or fluency.
The club are committed to the “Champagne football on beer money’ strategy so Carlos isn’t the biggest problem. If we got rid of him without changing anything else we’d only get in a similar coach trying to get a tune out of players that mostly aren’t up to the job.
If we win today I think we’ll all feel more positive but anything less and questions have to asked. I’d like us to stick with Carlos but I can’t say I’ve been too impressed with how he’s done things since Christmas.
You have to look at the players we have available and play to their strengths. It is like asking me to play with flair when you know full well I can’t even kick a ball – it is doomed to fail. The thing Carlos has struggled with is transitioning the team from sows ear to silk purse.
I’m too still feeling all doom and gloom after Tuesday & I watched the whole game but as you say terrier this is it today, we can put it right & put a little distance between us & relegation, management, players & supporters know nothing but a win will do today, I’ve a feeling CC if all players are fit (which miraculously I think will be) will start with the same system as started against Brentford, Mbenza in for Holmes for his dead ball abilities & Stearman for Keogh with sanogo up top & Campbell behind in a three, slightly more negative then your team but we will have a lot of ball today & with Vallejo in midfield could unlock that defence with his passing, got to be 3-0 Towns
One of the best and worst things about supporting Town is that you never know what you’re going to get. So your 3-0 prediction could well be true, at least I hope it is as our goal difference could do with a boost.
Your suggested XI makes a lot if sense. Mbenza hadn’t been playing well lately but his dead ball deliveries have brought us a lot of goals this season so there’s logic in picking him.