Town defender Tommy Smith has admitted he was stunned to be axed from the starting line-up for the recent home defeat by Brentford.
It came as a surprise to supporters when they learned the central defender had been relegated to the bench and Smith admitted: "It shocked me as well to be honest but the manager is there to make those decisions on who he picks in the team.
"I knew I just had to sit there and bide my time and make sure that when I got my chance again I was ready.
"It was the manager’s decision and as players we all accept what he decides to do. A lot of players have been in and out of the side all season and we mustn’t forget that he has hard decisions to make all the time in terms of team selection.
"He said he wanted to play a right-footed and a left-footed centre-half to try to play out from the back a bit more. That was fair enough, I thought.”
Boss Mick McCarthy opted to switch captain Luke Chambers from right-back to partner Christophe Berra in the middle of the back four and Smith, an unused substitute in Town’s 3-1 defeat, explained how he learned of the manager’s decision.
He said: "The day before the game the gaffer named the team and he called me in beforehand to tell me personally, which I appreciated.
"I just had to get on with it. He explained his decision and I accepted it at the time, but obviously we have moved on since then because I was back in the team at the weekend.
"We had a discussion about it — there wasn’t anything heated or anything like that. At the end of the day he’s the manager and it’s his decision to make.
"I just have to take it on the chin and bide my time. You hope you don’t have to wait too long for your chance to come round again so I was glad he put me back in the team on Saturday and I think I did a good job.”
Asked if he felt he had a point to prove at Hillsborough, Smith replied: "I believe I’ve shown throughout the season that I’ve been quite solid and I knew if I got my chance again I would just do the same job I had been doing.”
After the defeat by Brentford the central defender attended the annual Supporters Club Player of the Year event to learn he had come third in the voting behind Freddie Sears and winner Bartosz Bialkowski. Smith said: "That was a massive accomplishment for me and I appreciate the fans’ support. Hopefully I can carry on repaying the faith they’ve shown in me.
"It is probably my most consistent season because in previous years I’ve probably been a bit more up and down at times. I’m really happy with my form this season and I think I’ve found that consistency that centre-backs need to have, so long may that continue.
"As a defender experience is a lot more important than a lot of other positions because if you make mistakes at the back it usually results in a goal against you. If you’re a striker and you miss a chance the next one is just around the corner.
"It’s all about application and not letting the downs affect you too much. Plus, I’ve had good people around me to support me along the way.”
Smith will tonight have to deal with Fulham and Scotland star Ross McCormack, who has netted 23 league and cup goals this season, and he added: "
He added: "He’s obviously a top player. You don’t pay £11 million for a player and not expect quality. He’s produced the goods in a Fulham side who haven’t been doing particularly well this season, which shows his quality all the more.
"I thought Fulham would be doing better this season but I think you could say that about a lot of teams this season.
"There are a lot who started the season looking to be in and around the top six but for one reason or another it hasn’t worked out that way. That’s the Championship for you — it’s a tough league that gets better and better every season in terms of quality.”