Cardiff relentless on their play-off charge
In-form Cardiff City host Derby County in the Welsh capital as part of the packed midweek Championship schedule. The Bluebirds have racked up 16 points from their last six games, putting them in eighth and within touching distance of the play-off places.
Mick McCarthy has enjoyed an unbeaten start to life in the hotseat, but will be wary of the visitors' own resurgence under Wayne Rooney. The Rams had been mired in the relegation zone in the not too distant past, but their progress might be checked by one of the two most on-song teams in the league. Read our preview here:
Moore than a feeling
One of the very best features of McCarthy's reign to date has been his utilisation of Kieffer Moore, and how the striker has been responded in kind. The international target man has been the star performer thus far, hitting seven goals during his new manager's tenure.
Someone as strong in the air as he is always has a chance when the movement and positioning can match their aerial prowess, and it helps when he has a partner in Sheyi Ojo who can get close to him quickly with his pace and passing range. Far from just lumping in crosses to the tallest forward however, there is a craft to their approach play.
Harry Wilson links the duo up top with the runners from midfield whilst operating in the hole, and he too has seen a far greater output in recent games. The defensive unit, whilst previously individually impressive, have tightened up as a unit noticeably, and the combination of these two factors is reaping dividends.
The Coca-Cola 'kid' retains his fizz
The Manchester United legend took over a side that seemed destined to participate in the third tier of English football for the first time in over three decades, but he has gradually managed to first steady the ship, and then turn it around to face the right direction.
A paucity of goals was chiefly to blame for their desperate start to 2020/2021, and even though this has markedly improved since, they still rank amongst the worst in the league, with only three teams scoring fewer. On the whole, the defence has rarely been a problem, and they can actually boast a tighter one than Brentford in second or their opponents on Tuesday.
The fact remains though that only a single player has troubled the net on more than three occasions in a white shirt in the Championship, and that is journeyman forward Colin Kazim-Richards. The Turkish 34 year old's late equaliser against rivals Nottingham Forest was extremely timely, and he too has seen an uptick in his own form of late. New loanee Patrick Roberts has yet to impress on the left of the attacking midfield three behind him, but should still start the game.
Smiling Irish eyes
The head coaches in both dugouts have enjoyed more than the typical 'bounce' associated with new appointments. In McCarthy's case, he has rarely had a truly poor spell in charge of any club, putting aside his all too brief sojourn at Cypriot side APOEL. His style doesn't always draw the plaudits, but it tends to be effective, as Cardiff fans are finding out currently. Rooney of course is new to the management gig, and has a young backroom staff to support him, many of whom operated at the highest level in their playing careers.
The recovery should continue for the visitors, but they're unlikely to have the answer to Cardiff, especially if their opponents can score twice. bet365 are offering odds of 5.00 for a home win and both teams to get at least a goal.
