Out-of-form Birmingham will be tough says Carlos

BIRMINGHAM City will arrive in Huddersfield tonight with the pressure mounting with their form having deserted them, prompting a slide down the Championship table.

Town boss Carlos Corberan, on the other hand, expects nothing less than a stern test of his side’s play-off credentials as he points to the type of dangerous threat Lee Bowyer’s men poses.

Three wins and a draw from their opening five matches of the season got the Blues off to a great start, but without a win in seven games and on the back of three successive defeats, it will be a different type of Birmingham side that arrive at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Nevertheless, it’s one Corberan is expecting will provide a real threat.

“They don’t need to attack a lot to create chances because they have combative strikers who can create advantages for them quickly,” explained the Town manager.

“You have to be alert and have the right mentality to face these situations.

“The more we have the ball the less option they have to attack so our concentration depends on us.

“Every opponent demands something different and Birmingham are going to make us defend high balls and second balls.”

Town have a good defensive record this season of just 14 goals conceded so far in their 12 games, five of those coming in one match against Fulham.

With the Cottagers’ impressive result taken out the equation, a record of nine goals shipped in 11 matches is one of a promotion contender.

IT would be fair to say Duane Holmes’ return to Huddersfield Town has not quite gone how he might have wished it to.

We have written several articles and made several caveats for this and we always come back to the same conclusion – it’s not his fault that he has rarely, if ever, actually played in his normal position.

Last season, in a campaign with the biggest bench ever allowed in Football League history the Terriers still needed him to cover at (deep breath) right-back, left-back, wingback, defensive midfield, central