Luke Turner picks out a few things ahead of tonight’s game…
The game tonight could prove to make or break Birmingham City`s season but they will be looking for success against a tough opponent in Hull City.
I am expecting a bit more of a different approach than usual from Blues as I think Rowett will really want his side to go for the win.
This could mean the return of Jon Toral in place of Diego Fabbrini who wasn’t quite at the races on Saturday at Loftus Road.
Toral`s ability to pick up the ball and create chances for both himself and teammates will certainly be important against a Hull side who boast the joint best defensive record in the league.
I have been surprised that he has been left out of the starting line up in the last two games as he is, on his day, our best player.
Rowett has another decision to make in terms of who starts at right back. A lot of Blues fans are calling for Paul Caddis to return following Ryan Shotton’s poor performance and lack of attacking ability.
I am sure the manager will be giving it a lot of thought as both players provide different qualities.
Caddis is very attacking and by having him in the team we definitely have more chance of scoring goals and getting in behind our opponents on the right hand side.
However, Rowett will also not want to lose the game and Shotton might provide him that solidity defensively. His performance on Saturday was far from solid and so I am hoping for a Caddis return.
There may well be a change in midfield due to Stephen Gleeson being doubtful for the fixture. I would expect it would be a straight swap with David Davis who will work very hard in midfield but does lack the control of play that Gleeson has.
In that sense, we may struggle to keep hold of the ball when we need to and Davis is known for giving needless balls away.
In terms of the visitors, Hull City, their squad is full of Premier League class and that might prove to be the difference in what could be a tight encounter.
The likes of Jake Livermore, Mo Diame, Abel Hernandez and Robert Snodgrass all have the ability to win a game on their own and the Blues defence must not allow these players to have much space.
17-goal striker Hernandez is a handful with his pace and power so will prove to be a danger to our defence from the outset.
One thing that worries me a little is the attacking threat of their full backs, Moses Odubajo and Andrew Robertson.
Both are very quick and love to get forward. This can be backed up by their one goal and five assists between them this season.
So the defensive input of our wingers will be huge and losing track of either two could be very costly indeed.
The Tigers haven’t conceded a single goal in their last five games in all competitions and that includes a clean sheet at Arsenal in the FA Cup.
The defensive duo of Michael Dawson and former Blues man Curtis Davies have formed a very strong partnership at the heart of their defence.
Blues must keep plugging away, playing to our strengths and, hopefully, eventually we will get our reward.
There is no doubt that if we play like we did on Saturday, we could get turned over by quite a few goals.
This is the time for the players to step up and show that they are ready for the battle from now until the first week of May.