ICEMAN JUST WARMIN’ UP
Birkir to build on good start
IPSWICH manager Paul Hurst has no plans to play his kids at Exeter – as he desperately wants his first win as Tractor Boys boss.
The Suffolk side are without a victory so far and the ex-Shrewsbury manager will resist the chance to rotate in the Carabao Cup first round as he is in need of a pick-me-up.
Hurst said: “The team that I put out, I’d have no qualms about playing in a Championship game.
“That’s where I’m at. We’re not suddenly throwing any youth team players in or taking this game lightly
– I want to win it.
“Whether we do or not, we’ll see. The team, I certainly believe, will be good enough to win the game. That’s what we’ll be looking to do.
“We’ve only just started the season so I’m not going to start complaining about the schedule. I want to win games of football.
“We’ve played two games and haven’t won one yet.
“Let’s try and get that first win on the board, no matter what competition it is, and get that feeling that everyone will be wanting.” HULL boss Nigel Adkins has saluted his Sheffield United successor Chris Wilder and backed his old club to push for promotion.
Adkins was axed by the Blades in 2016 after only 11 months in charge. Wilder succeeded where Adkins failed in winning promotion in his first season
Adkins, who makes a first return to Bramall Lane tonight, said: “Things didn’t work out as I would have liked at Sheffield United.
“It’s a great club with passionate supporters. They’d been in League One for several seasons and things weren’t working out and it was a shame.
“Chrissy Wilder has done a great job to get them back into the Championship and, who knows?
“They might be knocking on that door, after a really good season last year.’’
BIRKIR BJARNASON says Aston Villa are only just firing up after getting over their summer of turmoil.
Villa were facing up to a cash crisis before a takeover deal was struck last month.
And the feel-good factor has continued with star man Jack Grealish staying put and Villa winning back-to-back games in the Championship.
They go to Yeovil tonight in the Carabao Cup with boss Steve Bruce expected to ring the changes.
But Iceland World Cup star Bjarnason, 30, does not want their good start to be derailed by a shock result in Somerset and said: “It’s a great start but performance-wise it’s not been the best.
“But I think that will come. We just have to build confidence and we’ll get that from winning games. It’ll come sooner rather than later.
Beating
“As you have seen, we have a great squad. We want to win every game. Now it is time to move on.”
Bruce made six changes for Saturday’s 3-2 win at home to Wigan, despite his side beating Hull in their opening game.
And he insists he plans to make full use of his squad, including at Huish Park.
Bruce said: “I’ve freshened it up already but the one thing I did feel last year was that we didn’t do that enough.
“It’s early but the squad need to get games under their belt. It is always nice to get off to a decent start. We’ve had to work really hard for it.
“We’ve now scored six goals but we have to be better defensively, that’s for sure.”
Yeovil boss Darren Way has warned Villa to expect a fight in the first-ever clash between the sides.
He said: “I feel my team are growing.
“It’s probably the first time as a manager that I’ve seen a real good hunger, a real good fighting spirit.”
Glovers striker Diallang Jaiyesimi, 20, believes a good performance tonight will make his parent club Norwich sit up and take notice.
He said: “I’m really looking forward to it, as are all the boys, so it’s going to be good.
“It’s a chance for us to impress against a side of Championship quality.”