I’ve seen lots of talk about Birmingham’s XI this weekend, about Stansfield being out, for example.
The mainstream media might not all realise it, but tomorrow, there’s a second team in the game, the Imps. We won’t be there to make up the numbers, we’re going to give it a good go and who knows, perhaps come out with three points.
One thing is for certain: the ground will be rocking, and the XI we do put out will be backed by potentially our best attendance of the season. Who will play, though? We know Tom Bayliss is out, Adam Jackson is doubtful, and Reeco is unlikely to start. Tyler Walker won’t be a part of the team, but who will be in for City?
Last time I did a predicted XI, somehow, I got full marks. This time?
I’ll let you be the judge.
Provided by https://www.lineup-builder.co.uk/
I think much of this is self-explanatory. George Wickens will play in goal, and with Jacko out, it’s likely we’ll see Tom Hamer drop into the side, along with Roughan and O’Connor. That’s a solid back three, and it’s likely to mean a place on the bench for Lewis Montsma as well.
At wing back, Darikwa is surely a shoo-in, and while we have options on the left, it’s unlikely we’ll see Reeco starting. Dylan Duffy is still out, so it’s between Saxon Earley, Dom Jeffries and Erik Ring. I think we’ll go with Jeffries again, and look to inject some pace into the game around 70 minutes with Ring coming off the bench.
Some of the midfield is obvious; Erhahon will play, and it’s likely McGrandles will as well. That leaves Bayliss’s spot up for grabs, with three players likely to be contesting the spot – JJ McKiernan, Jack Moylan and Etham Hamilton. The obvious pick here is Moylan, a player who gets on the ball an excites, but part of me wonders if he might be the player with pace we bring on towards the latter stages of the game. Instead, we could go with Ethan Hamilton in a starting berth, a hard-working player who perhaps does a better job of tracking and scrapping.
I suspect JJ might be introduced later on as well, depending on what the game looks like. One thing is for sure – if we’re 1-0 down with 15 minutes to go, we’ll go for a goal and a point, meaning JJ and Jack are weapons we’ll be able to deploy.
There’s a huge question up top, isn’t there? If Ben House is fit and ready to go, he’ll start. I have zero doubt about that in my mind. He’s a tireless worker, and I can see us looking to win the ball back high, disrupt their possession game and leave them unsettled. It’s a fair assumption, I feel, that we’ll not let them have their rhythm, we’re one of the best out of possession teams in the business and we like to see the game played high up the pitch.
The question is his partner. Jovon would be the obvious shout, more mobile perhaps than Freddie and fresh off the back of his new deal. Bailey Cadamarteri will be gunning for a start as well, and he looked hungry in training the other day. However, I’m backing Freddie for a start. Freddie beats defenders up, fights and scraps and is always looking to use his physicality. They’re without a first-choice centre half, which may introduce a little uncertainty. Also, after 60 minutes of Freddie, bringing on someone like Bailey or Makama, a completely different threat against tiring legs, might be a good tactic.
Do you agree? Who would you pick? Let us know in the social media comments.
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