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Town Could Be Unchanged at Blackburn
Friday, 4th Apr 2014 12:12

Mick McCarthy could name an unchanged side when the Blues take on Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Saturday with Jonny Williams having extended his loan from Crystal Palace earlier in the week.

The 20-year-old, who had seemed set to return to Selhurst Park after the final game of his initial month last week, looks set to continue in his role behind main striker Daryl Murphy and ahead of central midfielders Cole Skuse and Luke Hyam.

If McCarthy is looking at making changes of personnel, wide men Paul Anderson and Stephen Hunt could be the ones to drop out. Anderson could make way for Paul Green on the right, while Jay Tabb may come in for Hunt on the left.

The Town boss will stick with his usual back four of skipper Luke Chambers at right-back, Aaron Cresswell on the left and Christophe Berra and Tommy Smith in the centre. Dean Gerken will continue in goal.

Frank Nouble and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake are again likely to play a part from the bench having impressed their manager in the last two games.

Aside from striker David McGoldrick, who is out for the rest of the season with knee ligament damage, Town have a fully fit senior squad.

McCarthy says play-off outsiders Blackburn, who are 11th, five points behind the eighth-placed Blues, have become more stable since Gary Bowyer took over as boss initially on a caretaker basis a year ago: “They’ve got good players, they’ve got a good squad of players.

“We know they’ve had trials and tribulations over the last couple of years but I think Gary Bowyer’s settled all that down and he’s got a nice, steady team that maybe if he’d had it for longer and not had all the problems that have gone on in the past might be better placed and be in the top six.

“It’ll be a hard game, a really tough game. I’ve not had an easy one at Blackburn. I thought they played well down here. I know we beat them [3-1], but I thought they were a good side down here.”

The Blues boss believes that if his side performs as they have done in recent matches then they are well capable of gaining a positive result: “We’re doing OK. I can talk about the opposition all day long until I’m blue in the face, but we’re doing OK and it’s more important to me how we’re doing.


“We always have a look at the opposition, how we can play against them, how they’ll try and play against us. But the reality is that if we play like we did in our last three games, we’ll be OK.”

With a trip to Huddersfield on Tuesday, he says he did consider staying in the north for a few days between the matches before opting against the idea.

“I think it’s counterproductive,” he added. “If you win, Saturday night we can all sit down and have a beer and a chat and then have a cool down the following day and everybody’s feeling good about themselves, it’s not so bad.

“But if you get beaten and you have to stay up there, you’re in the hotel and you’re all looking at each other with sour faces. People miss their kids, they want to come back.

“I think sometimes it can be counterproductive. We’d be away for four nights. I did think about it but we’ll come back.”

Rovers manager Bowyer is frustrated that his side has drawn their last four games: "We've said it a few times now, we aren't far off.

“We ran the league leaders [Leicester] very close, we had the away performance against a Watford side who were in the play-off final last year. Brighton [who they drew 3-3 with on Tuesday] are challenging up there as well.

"So the manner of the performance is almost very pleasing. So we've got to keep that going and channel that frustration straight at Ipswich."

Midfielders Corry Evans and Lee Williamson are expected to be fit despite having picked up knocks against Brighton but Jason Lowe, Ben Marshall and Adam Henley are all out with ankle injuries.

Centre-half and captain Grant Hanley is available having had his red card against Millwall overturned.

Town have had the upper hand on Rovers over the years, winning 17 games (14 in the league), losing 12 (11) and drawing 15 (14).

However, the Blues are without a win at Ewood Park since the 1-0 FA Cup replay victory over the then Premier League champions in 1996. In the league, the Blues haven’t won on Blackburn soil since winning 2-1 in the early stages of the 1991/92 Second Division championship campaign.

In December at Portman Road, Luke Hyam, Carlos Edwards and Frank Nouble were on target as Town beat Blackburn 3-1.

Hyam netted in the fourth minute but former Blue Jordan Rhodes equalised on the half hour, however, Edwards scored three minutes after the break and Nouble added the third four minutes from the end.

Last time the sides met, at Ewood Park in February last year, Rhodes netted his inevitable goal in his first game against his old club just after the hour to see Town to a 1-0 defeat in a scrappy affair.

There was little between the teams in a poor game with the only goal somewhat fortunate, Aaron Cresswell clearing off the line from Grant Hanley and Rhodes stabbing it over the line off Blues keeper Stephen Henderson.

Rhodes, the son of former Town keeper-coach Andy, came through the academy ranks at Playford Road.

The striker made 10 sub appearances and scored one goal for the Blues first team before being controversially sold to Huddersfield by then-manager Roy Keane in the summer of 2009 for a fee which, after top-ups and a sell-on following his £8 million move to Rovers in August 2012, climbed to just over £1 million.

Former Town loanee DJ Campbell joined the Lancashire club on a permanent basis in the summer having been on loan there during the second half of last season but is currently on loan at Millwall.

Another ex-Blues loan player, Bradley Orr, is also still a Blackburn player but is currently on loan at Toronto FC. No one in the current Town squad has played for Rovers.

Saturday’s referee is Keith Stroud from Hampshire, who has shown 144 yellow cards and seven red in 33 games so far this season. Stroud’s most recent Town match was the 1-0 home victory over Birmingham last month.

Squad from: Gerken, Loach, Chambers, Richardson, Cresswell, Mings, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Wordsworth, Hyam, Anderson, Green, Hunt, Tabb, Williams, Murphy, Nouble, Ebanks-Blake, Taylor.


Photo: Action Images



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battyblue added 12:34 - Apr 4
I still want Taylor and different class Wordsworth to be involved he did himself and the team proud and then got dropped for it so what does that tell you.
6

Bown added 12:49 - Apr 4
any links for tomorrow
0

boysinblue added 12:50 - Apr 4
Bring Wordsworth in for Skuse or Hyam. Also, i'd like to make an apology to Nouble, whom I have slated this season, but his last few games have proved me wrong! I'd switch Ando to the left, and replace Hunt with Nouble on the right. We'd like to see a positive team start and really go at them in the first half! Not wait till the second as we did against Forest
14

GerkensBeard added 12:51 - Apr 4
Won't be too bothered if we start with the same team as we did a week ago, but ideally I would love to see us go 4-3-3. I don't rate their full backs too highly and with our wingers running at them we could cause them a lot of problems. If you put Frank in his current form against Todd Kane tomorrow he would destroy him, I would still quite happily have Anderson on he right for defensive cover for this away fixture. I would ideally see this team tomorrow.

Gerken
Chambo, Berra, Smith, Cressy
Hyam, Wordsworth
Williams,
Anderson, Murphy, Nouble

4

gibbo added 12:57 - Apr 4
I hope Mick gives his half time team talk before the first half
7

PavlovsCat added 12:58 - Apr 4
He'll not drop Skuse, and he'll not bring in Taylor. Unless he has no choice.

For whatever reason, MM can prove a stubborn guy.
12

smithy91 added 13:01 - Apr 4
If wordsworth isnt in the team again and is fit then it simply is awful man management from Mick. Sorry for the neg but its happened too many times this season
13

martin12120137 added 13:04 - Apr 4
Gerken
Chambers Berra Smith Cresswell

Skuse Wordsworth

Williams

Nouble Murphy Blake
5

Big_Jase added 13:08 - Apr 4
PavlovsCat

Where do you propose bringing in Taylor when we have Jonny Williams who is a far better player, playing in his position?
1

theobald1985 added 13:34 - Apr 4
wordswoth has to start really should never have been dropped i hope we are not going to set up for a bore draw yet again-i shudder when i read of tabb and green coming back in-lets get at them
12

muhrensleftfoot added 13:48 - Apr 4
It will be a mistake to start with the same lineup as we did at home to Derby & Forest. In both these games we were poor, until Frank and SEB came on. Don't leave Murph all on his own up front. I'd start 4-4-2, Murph up front with SEB, and bring Frank on from the bench to chase them down in the 2nd half.
4

GoldieBlue added 13:58 - Apr 4
Would like to see Taylor and Williams play in the same side although perhaps to much flair for Mickma. Hunt seems to have lost his way a bit and was very poor against forest . Nouble has also proved me wrong and deserves a start after a fantastic second half on Saturday. Like to see Mick go for it against a side who now have very little to play for

Gerken

Chambers, Berra, Smith, Cresswell

Skuse Wordsworth
Taylor Williams Nouble
Murphy
2

OldClactonBlue added 14:00 - Apr 4
Big Jase,
What if Williams gets injured? You'd rather have Tabb or Green get off the bench and make an impact? If Taylor has been out of order and hence there is a reason for his exclusion, let's hear it. Otherwise pick the best team and bench to win the game.
Please don't come on here making excuses if MM starts negative again and we fail to secure all three points.
5

ericclacton added 14:05 - Apr 4
Kick the balls feetballers.
-1

oldelsworthyfan added 14:18 - Apr 4
YES MM, BRING IN WORDSWORTH!

Even Williams is much more effective with Wordsworth playing (if you were watching down at Brighton as well as at home against Derby you will know what I mean) and I was aghast when he was dropped for the Notts Forest match (and so were all the supporters sitting around me!).
10

Big_Jase added 14:28 - Apr 4
I never said that there should not be a place for him on the bench, I was simply addressing the point made by Pavlovs Cat. However we already have two strikers on the bench, we do not have room for a third.
0

Michael11 added 14:30 - Apr 4
Why? We've been out played in both first halfs, it's only when we've made changes that we've got back into it. I'd like Wordsworth back in for Hyam as he's more creative and Skuse is better defensively.
1

Fat_Boy_Tim added 14:34 - Apr 4
We need to be soliud for a while against Blackburn and they will lose confidence. Not a lot for them to play for really so if we hang in and then go for it in the 2nd half, it will give us the best chance of winning.
Bearing in mind they are only 5 points behind us and we are away from home we cannot expect to stick 6 or 7 attacking players on the field and win, it's harder than that. I'm positive though, I think we can do em 2-0! COYB
2

PavlovsCat added 15:01 - Apr 4
Big_Jase Not suggesting he does replace Williams with Taylor, and I agree with you. My point, however, is that he wouldn't play Taylor in that position even before Williams arrived, unless he had no choice. It seems that Wordsworth will suffer a similar fate in relation to Skuse. And in this instance I think Wordsworth is the better of the two. At least Wordsworth may make the bench. Taylor? I doubt it.
5

oscarwhiting added 15:45 - Apr 4
for me its got to be:
Gerken
Chambers smith berra cresswel
wordsworth hyam/skuse
williams
Nouble SEB Murphy

Still be 433 but will williams as the man behind the front three. And for me you can only have one of skuse or hyam, you cant have both in the same team.
2

bluefeast added 15:47 - Apr 4
I dont get all the Taylor hype. What exactly has he done for us when he has had a chance. I see a head down selfish non team player who contributes very little. Still its all opinion question is how many of you would be absolutely gutted if he was sold . None i would suggest.
-1

JohnB13 added 15:53 - Apr 4
I think the surprise package between now and the end of the season could be SEB.

He proved himself as a star in this division in a team that went on to be champions - Leicester like. He's getting more and more game time as the season progresses so if his sharpness gets back to what it was back then, he could have a big say in our remaining games.

Here's hoping anyway!
4

Fat_Boy_Tim added 16:50 - Apr 4
I love it that so many people are calling for big Frank to be included from the start, how clever is it that MM stuck with him and is starting to get the best out of him? Go on big Frank!! COYB
5

Surco72 added 17:16 - Apr 4
Personally I don't think MM would have split up Skuse and Hyam apart from injury forcing his hand . Wordsworth had two very good games in which we got 6 points against better opposition than we drew with at home last Saturday . Why would you stick with the same team that played so poorly for the first half last week ?
Sends a very poor message to those not in the team that whatever they play like when they get a chance they will dropped when his favourites are fit .
Need Wordsworth and Williams playing as one creative player is a lot easier to shut down as proved all season when Dids man marked
9

Keaneish added 17:47 - Apr 4
If Blackburn shipped 3 goals to a toothless Brighton side the obvious strategy is to attack from the outset with a 4-3-3, after all, it's the formation getting us the points, not 4-4-1-1.

Every player to a man looks better in the 4-3-3 but there's a constant fear of us being carved open although that has happened once playing that system this season.

Anyone expand on that? Even in must win games we wait to the last possible opportunities to go for a result, we rarely win comfortably. For what reason?
4


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