The tweaks Steve Cotterill should make ahead of Cardiff

Steve Cotterill takes charge of his first game as Birmingham City manager on Friday evening.

The team face league leaders Cardiff City in front of the Sky Sports cameras, but how should the new boss approach the game?

Start Isaac Vassell

At present, Vassell is our most hungry and driven player. He looks the only player that is going to force the issue and make things happen for us.

His style of play certainly seems to be more useful off the bench, but let’s give him a go from the start and get him harassing that Cardiff back line.

With either Lukas Jutkiewicz or Sam Gallagher leading the line we lack that pace up top and Vassell is someone who has it in abundance.

We’ve got to set the tempo right from the off and I just feel that we need players that are willing to close down, willing to chase and determined to make something happen for the team.

It would be a very wise decision to include the 24-year-old in the starting 11 on Friday.

Balance up the back four

After conceding six goals away at Hull in our last game, you’ve got to look at where it’s going wrong in the defence.

As good as Maxime Colin is as a player, I’m not a fan of playing a right footed player at left-back.

Therefore, I’d bring Jonathan Grounds back into the team at the expense of Emilio Nsue – who I feel isn’t reliable enough – and move Colin to right-back.

A lot of fans treat Grounds as the scapegoat of the team, but he’d provide us with balance and solidity in the side.

The back line would have a more natural feel to it and Grounds would do his job without doing anything spectacular.

The return of Dutch Mike

We all thought we’d seen the end of Maikel Kieftenbeld at Blues but, lucky for us, his transfer to Derby County fell through and he’s available for selection.

With Cotterill coming in, it gives the midfielder a new lease of life and the opportunity to make his way back into the team.

And it would make sense for Kieftenbeld to be given that chance. Our current midfielders have hardly lit up the pitch this season and his tenacious attitude could work wonders in a game that we really need to hit the ground running in.

We all saw that picture of Cotterill and the Dutchman sharing a smile on the manager’s first day – there’s a bond there from last season and I think that Kieftenbeld could well come straight back into the mix.

Blues fans, what would you change ahead of Friday’s game? Let us know in the comment section below!