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The Three Pointer Vs. Cardiff City

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Overview

Birmingham City welcome Championship leaders Cardiff City to St. Andrew`s this evening as Steve Cotterill takes charge of his first game at the club since replacing Harry Redknapp as manager.

The 6-1 defeat at Hull before the international break may still be fresh in the mind of some, but we need to make it a distant memory.

Every single player will be given a clean slate under Cotterill and it`s up to them to impress him and take their chance should they get it.

Games don`t come much tougher than against the team that are currently leading the pack at the top of the league – but the opportunity is there for the players to prove the doubters wrong and put 110% into the game.

Not many would`ve expected Neil Warnock`s side to have made as good a start as they have and Blues have a tough job on their hands.

Approach

Given the level of humiliation and the heaviness of the defeat at Hull, it would no surprise at all to see a number of changes to the side.

For me, starting Isaac Vassell would be an obvious change. His pace is enough to terrify any defence, but more importantly for me: he looks determined.

A lot of the players at the club need to step up their game and show that they care. Vassell has looked like the only one busting a gut to try and make anything happen in recent weeks.

The defence needs balancing and I`d guess that Jonathan Grounds could well be set for a recall to the starting 11, with Maxime Colin shuffling over to right-back.

Could Marc Roberts also return to the team? He`s definitely got a chance because neither Harlee Dean nor Michael Morrison have hit the levels we expect of them.

Cotterill will no doubt be looking to get us back to basics again but with the attacking options we have available, the scope is there to cause Cardiff problems.

The likes of Che Adams and Jota are both returning to the squad and although they probably won`t start, they`re both outstanding options to have on the bench.

Exploit

Having lost just once in the league this season, it`s hard to look at ways in which we can exploit Cardiff.

However, I think tonight needs to be all about the team working hard as a unit and getting right in the faces of our opponents.

Lets unsettle them early on and use the St. Andrew`s crowd to our advantage. Blues have got the attacking players that can hurt the Cardiff backline and we`ve got to start being ruthless in front of goal.

Cotterill will most likely set up the team not to lose and then hope to grab a goal that we can hold onto and see out, potentially getting a second on the break.

I don`t think we`ve got the players that can make us dictate play and control possession for the majority of the game, so if we get the ball in behind the Cardiff defence quickly, that could well work in our favour.

I think it`s more important that we don`t lose tomorrow. If we pick up a point then it will be a very good one.

With Millwall away and then the derby against Villa coming up, it`s crucial for Cotterill to get off the mark points wise tomorrow.

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