Blues assistant manager Chris Hutchings says he and boss Paul Jewell want Town to be flexible and to be comfortable lining up in various formations. Against Bristol Rovers in the Capital One Cup last week they started in a 4-4-2, while on Saturday they returned to playing Michael Chopra as a lone striker with Lee Martin behind him, the set-up which became so familiar in the final months of last season.
Hutchings said: "We’re not just going to play in one way. Whoever’s fit, what we think is the best formation to beat whoever we’re playing next, that’s what we’ll be doing.
"All the lads know that if we want to play 4-3-3 we can play that, if we want to play 4-4-2, 4-4-1-1, whatever way we want to look at it. We always look at it so that we can adapt our formation without making any substitutions.”
Jason Scotland’s contribution from the bench on Saturday and when starting against Bristol Rovers sees him knocking at the door for a return to the XI at Watford.
"When he’s started games he’s done very well and when he’s come on he’s certainly made an impact in all the games,” Hutchings says. "It’s something to think about because he’s straining at the leash, to say the least.
"The rest of the boys have done very well as well. In the last three or four pre-season games, we had a little bit of a settled side. As the games go on you make lots of substitutions, but the nucleus has been there.
"Also with Andy Drury coming back, he could go into midfield, it’s something which is in our thoughts.”