Kevin Phillips’ Championship GW39 Predictions and Tips

Chris Rigg Starting Role

I would say he has earned a starting spot. He was one of the only positive players from the game at the weekend, and had a very good game. He’s Sunderland through and through, so it’s a game he will be desperate to play in and start in. I think for me, he will start the game. If Le Bris decides to leave him out there, there might be a bit of backlash from the fans after performing the way he did at the weekend.

He’s certainly a player for me that will start, and as I say, being a local lad, he will be desperate to play and perform, and hopefully perform in a side that gets a result.

Derby Preview

Newcastle have obviously got a tough game before against Barcelona, so they’ve got a bit of travelling to do, but they are in decent form. They’ve got good players, and it will be a tough game. It’s always a tough match. It’s always a tough place to go to St James’ in a derby. They’ll be desperate to obviously get the result after losing at the Stadium of Light. The way they performed, they’ll want payback.

So it’ll be a tough game. Nevertheless, Sunderland have stood up to most teams in the league this season, away from home and at home. So I think it’ll be a tight, tight game. I think I’m going to go for a draw. I see it as both teams scoring, so I’m going to go for a 1-1. I think it’ll be a very, very tight game.

Hull Loss to West Brom

At this stage of the season, what, eight games, nine games left. You don’t want to be dropping points. Even though West Brom have had a tough, tough season where they are in the league, it just shows you that if you go to places and you don’t perform, you’ll get turned over. And that’s what happened at the weekend. Great result for West Brom, but a kick in the teeth for Hull City, considering where they are in the league.

They’ve got an opportunity now, Sheffield Wednesday at home, a team that’s playing for nothing. So there’s no pressure on them, all the pressure’s on Hull. Now, how do they deal with it? I think nothing but six points is good enough.

They’re still in a good position. They’re sitting in the playoffs comfortably at 63 points. So, I think if they were to pick up six points in the next two games, that would set them up really nicely for the remaining fixtures and securing that place in the playoffs.

Oli McBurnie Form

I think, first and foremost, that the manager, I’m sure, will be talking to him. When I’ve had spells in my career where I haven’t scored, the manager is so, so important, putting an arm around you, just reminding you of the goals you have scored this season, what you bring to the team. And it’s really important that the manager talks to you in that way. He’s an important player. He’s got 13 goals this season, the joint top goal scorer for Hull. So, he needs to step up now, at this stage of the season.

He’s an experienced and very good player. So, maybe go and watch the goals that you’ve scored this season. Just remind yourself. Practise even harder on the training ground. So, it has to come from the player. So it wouldn’t surprise me if he steps up this weekend and gets a goal, and then he’s off and running again.

Kenny McLean’s Importance

I think he’s hugely important. I think it’s brilliant of the club to extend his contract. He’s an important figure at the football club on and off the pitch with his experience. He’s 30-plus years of age now. I think he’s 34 years old. Scored at the weekend as well, so he’s a hugely important player in that midfield for Norwich. Obviously, they’re not going to make the playoffs this season, but if they can recruit and add a few over the season, I think the new manager there, Clement, has already shown he can get performances out of the players.

I think they don’t need a major overhaul, I don’t think, but if they can add a few with Kenny in there and Mattson as well, if they can keep hold of him and Mattsson, I think they’ve got a good midfield there that can be very, very strong and challenge next season in the Championship.

Pelle Mattsson Future

Of course, Norwich will want to keep hold of him. He’s a young player, he’s very good, he’s talented. It just depends on what the player wants. If the manager and the club can sell to him that we’re going to spend money in the summer, we’re going to challenge for promotion, where Norwich should be, then I think they’ve got every opportunity of keeping the player. They don’t want a situation like what happened with Sargent earlier in the season.

He’ll probably want some security in terms of what they’re going to do over the summer, and I think they will strengthen. I think they’ll challenge next season for sure. He and McLean will be two important players in that midfield.

Handling Pressure at Home

Ipswich can definitely handle the pressure. They’ve been in this situation before, when they were challenging for promotion and when they got promoted, so they would have experienced games like this certainly at home. It’ll be noisy, the crowd will get behind them, and it’s a huge opportunity. Especially with Millwall coming off the back of, we all think, we were very surprised, Blackburn’s gone there and won the game 3-1. So great a result for them.

So big loss for Millwall, but you’ve got to respect them. They’re a good side. They’re both sat on 68 points, and I think Ipswich, if they can manage to get a win here, gives them that three-point lead, and they’ve got that game in hand as well, which could be huge. All of a sudden, they could find themselves six points clear of Millwall. So, hugely important game, but it’ll be very tight, and it’s going to be an exciting one, that’s for sure.

Jack Clarke’s Importance

I was a bit surprised when I saw him leave Sunderland. I watched him very closely over the years. Very talented player. Can create goals and score goals. And he’s shown that this season. One thing that’s probably labelled him a little bit of criticism is that he didn’t score enough goals. Well, this season, he’s sitting on 13 goals playing in that wide area. So now he’s chipping in with that.

He’s creating, he’s assisting. And he’s a bit more mature as well with playing games. So he’s a hugely important player, and he’s certainly one that, if you were to rebuild a squad, I’m not saying Ipswich need to, then he’s certainly a player that you would look to build around for sure.

Andy Robertson to Wrexham

If they manage to sign Andy Robertson, then what a coup that would be. It would be an unbelievable signing. I still think Andy Robertson is one of the best left-backs in the Premier League. He doesn’t play the minutes he would like to. So I think it would be a massive coup for Wrexham.

Do I see the player going to Wrexham? If I’m being completely honest, maybe not. I think there might be, and it’s no disrespect to Wrexham, I think there’d be other Premier League sides that would certainly have Andy Robertson in their team and potentially teams abroad as well.

So it just depends on what the player wants. But, just to be linked with that type of player just shows you how far Wrexham have come, from where they were being linked with a world-class left-back. So, it’ll be interesting to see what happens on that one for sure.

Marvin Ducksch Future

I haven’t thought about this one until I saw the rumours. I think they’d be better off keeping him. He’s got himself 10 goals this season. He’s a handful, he’s a threat, and it’s been new to him, the Championship, and he stood up to it, and I think he’ll only get better. So I think that type of player in the Championship, you need him. So I would be looking to keep him.

Leo Castledine Impact

It’s tough to, when you’ve got players in that midfield, Aidan Morris and Hackney, who have been outstanding this season, one of the best combinations in the league. Castledine comes in, he’s a talented footballer and gets the goal and as a manager, all you ever ask when you bring on subs is to make an impact, and he certainly did that.

So, he’s certainly a player who will be pushing, knocking on the manager’s door, asking for starts. He’s a valuable player for the team, and if he can continue doing what he did the other day, coming off the bench and scoring and making an impact, then yes, he’ll play a pivotal role in the running from the end of the season. He might start some games, he might not.

But if he does, he’s certainly a player that you can rely on for sure. I Hackney might have gone off with an injury at the weekend, so there might be an opening for him to get into the side. So, hopefully he’ll get an opportunity.

Anthony Patterson Replacing Rushworth

I think he can play in the Premier League. He proved himself in the Championship for Sunderland. But he hasn’t really been given the opportunity in the Premier League. I’ve been very disappointed that he hasn’t. So he decided to move on, and he showed he can play in the Championship comfortably, again. I see no reason why he couldn’t step up to the Premier League.

I think he would be a good replacement. Carl Rushworth has been outstanding this season, the goalkeeper of the season, but he potentially goes back to Brighton to that opening. I think Patterson needs to take his game to the next level, and I think he can. He’ll certainly get tested if Coventry come up, that’s for sure. But I think he’s a goalkeeper who’s got a good mentality and will definitely step up to the Premier League.