“I think Danny Cowley was a fantastic appointment by the club but will need time” - Birmingham City Preview
Brady Frost, Feature Writer
Twitter: @brady0894
Source for image above: HTAFC
James Jenkinson from Birmingham Fan TV highlights the threat of Scott Hogan, how Town can take advantage of their opponents and why everyone can’t stop talking about Jude Bellingham.
The restart of football isn’t really working out for Town, is it? Although the game against Forest started brightly, the disappointing 3-1 defeat has left The Terriers in the relegation zone with seven matches of the season to go. Following the game, Danny Cowley said: “While we are down and disappointed at the moment, we are not out.”
With the target being to get eight points to hit the magic 50 point mark which is deemed safe from relegation, Town will have to get up and running quickly with the games coming thick and fast. One potential positive for Huddersfield is that they can’t dwell on the match too much as Wednesday’s visit to St Andrew’s comes just three days after the Forest defeat.
On paper, it looks like Birmingham don’t have much to play for the rest of the season, sat in 16th place without the threat of relegation and too far away to challenge for the playoffs. Following two games against a fellow relegation struggler and playoff chaser, Huddersfield will be hoping that they can take advantage of a team that doesn’t have much on the line. To find out, we spoke to James Jenkinson from Birmingham Fan TV to learn more.
Birmingham have picked up two points since football restarted. Photo source: Birmingham City
How do you feel about football returning and Birmingham’s form since the restart?
I feel the start back has been very indifferent. A fantastic point away to West Brom and a clean sheet in the process was very encouraging and showed that on our day we can match most teams in this league. However, any optimism we may have felt about finishing the season strongly brought us back down to earth with a woeful first-half performance against Hull which saw us two goals down at the break. A much better second half in which Blues managed to salvage a point right at the death showed that it was definitely two points dropped rather than a point gained.
How would you rate Birmingham’s season prior to lockdown?
Prior to lockdown, it’s been a rather underwhelming and transitional season for the club in which we were never expected to do much but a change in the recruitment strategy has seen the club sign some very exciting young players in Jeremie Bela, Dan Crowley and Ivan Sunjic. The emergence of Jude Bellingham being the highlight of the season which over has been nothing to shout about. 5/10.
In your opinion, what needs to be done to have a successful end to the season?
I think it will be really difficult to motivate not only the players but the entire club to finish the season strongly with very little worry and a manager who is departing at the end of the season it seems to find that extra 10% will prove difficult. I believe appointing a new manager before the end of play will help players to prove a point for the new boss and stake a claim in the team for next season.
Huddersfield drew 1-1 with Birmingham City at home earlier in the season. Photo source: HTAFC
Who’s going to be your key player in these last games?
Certainly after the restart, we have seen Dan Crowley rise above the rest and show his quality. A player whose ability on the ball and intelligence has been evident in an injury-hit season. However a good display at West Brom and a goal and assist on Saturday again Hull shows he could be vital in the final third. Another player a one who has really lit up the league since his arrival in November is Jeremie Bela. A player who was picked up on a free form Albacete has shown he has more than enough to make it at the top. A player rested at West Brom due to illness came off the bench on Saturday when Blues found themselves 0-2 down and to the game by the scruff. Two assists and a constant threat to Hull in the second half highlighted his importance to the way we play.
What did you think of Huddersfield when they played against Birmingham earlier this season?
I saw a team who were certainly in transition after the appointment of Danny Cowley a month earlier. A team with some very talented players but maybe lacked a little resilience and quality in key areas were clear to see. Huddersfield have always been a team who have always had good forwards and that’s no different this season with Karlan Grant and Fraizer Campbell (who always seems to score against us) and this is something Blues must be wary of on Wednesday night.
What have been Birmingham’s weaknesses, is there anything Huddersfield can take advantage of?
I think on Saturday the backline was caught out a few times holding a high line and a ball in behind was Hull’s main threat to Blues and it certainly worked effectively on Saturday. I think if Huddersfield are to hurt us it would be getting in behind the two centre-halves and finding themselves in 1-1 positions.
Jude Bellingham lives up to the hype this season according to James from Birmingham Fan TV. Photo source: Birmingham City
Who has been the standout performer this season?
Jude Bellingham is someone I’ve found myself speaking about constantly this season but with good reason. As of writing this he has just turned 17 and has really shown no fear when thrust into the heart of a Championship midfield. A player with so much ability on the ball, a bag of tricks but also a lad with incredible maturity for his age has found himself on the brink a £25 million summer move to Borussia Dortmund.
Which players have performed well but gone under the radar to other clubs in the league?
Possibly Kristian Pedersen. The Danish left who was signed from Union Berlin last season has proved an astute signing. A left-back with real athleticism, Pedersen found himself subject to numerous bids from Watford in January which were subsequently turned down. He’s a real leader but also a consistent performer this season for the club and a real asset to the club.
Is there anything Huddersfield need to be on the lookout for in this game?
I think the newly found form of Scott Hogan would be something I would highlight. After his January move from rivals Aston Villa, Hogan scored 7 goals in 8 games before the football season was halted in early March. Hogan hasn’t found the net in the first two games back after lockdown but is a constant threat to defences with his paces and intelligent runs he is a real handful when partnered with Lukas Jutkiewicz up front.
Birmingham, like many other clubs in the Championship are using cardboard cutout fans. Photo source: Birmingham City
What do you think of Huddersfield so far this season?
I’m hazarding a guess that it would be the same as most Huddersfield fans when I say probably quite poor. A team which has clearly felt the full force of last season’s relegation from the Premier League. Most teams find it difficult when dropping down from the top fight but Huddersfield were a team I certainly couldn’t see in the bottom half of the table at the start of the season. I think Danny Cowley was a fantastic appointment by the club but will need time and resources to implement his philosophy at the club. I would expect Huddersfield to be in the top half next season if they are able to recruit smartly next season and of course, avoid the drop this season.
What’s your score prediction for the game?
I think Blues will be looking to make amends for a poor result against Hull City while Huddersfield will be licking their wounds from Sunday’s convincing defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Blues have more than enough quality in their ranks to pick up all three points but Huddersfield a team fighting for every point and a team not to be taken lightly. 2-1 home win but I’m expecting a very tight game.
What’s your end of season prediction?
I’m expecting the club to pick up 6/7 more points and try to finish the season comfortably and with one eye on next season with a few youngsters getting a run out before the season closes. While Huddersfield are a team who I expect will be playing for every point right up until the end, I think thankfully for Huddersfield there are three teams worse than them this season so all bar a catastrophic end to the season I would expect them to beat the drop.
How do you think Huddersfield will get on against Forest? Let us know in the comments!
