Former Huddersfield Town goalkeeper Matt Glennon is confident the Terriers can beat Luton Town in the Sky Bet Championship play-off semi-finals.
Glennon, who had a 22-year career and played for Town between 2006 and 2010, believes the Terriers are heading for another play-off final at Wembley on May 29.
The Terriers finished 3rd in the Championship this campaign and secured that spot by beating Bristol City 2-0 on the final day of the season. A late Hull City equaliser against fellow promotion rivals Nottingham Forest meant Town would be left to face Luton who would eventually finish 6th.
The first play-off leg takes place on Friday night under the bright lights at Kenilworth Road and then it’s back to the John Smith’s Stadium on Monday night for part two.
Glennon, who sees most Town games as a BBC Radio Leeds pundit, told Huddersfield Hub he’s confident about the team coming through the tie with a victory.
He said: “It’s not a tie anyone would have picked before the start of the season but I am confident about Huddersfield Town. It’s not arrogance, it’s a deserved confidence because of how we’ve done this season.
“It’s about who can handle pressure on the night that’s a big part of it. Who will take the game by the scruff of the neck and say: ‘Right, today is my day to succeed’?
“The players will undoubtedly have butterflies in their stomach because it’s a huge game but come the first whistle I am confident they will be ready.”
Glennon said Luton were the play-off opponents he would have chosen despite the “inconvenience” of a Friday night away trip.
“I just think while it’s been Luton’s fairytale season too and they have done fantastic, Luton have got a few injuries at the moment and did lose 7-0 to Fulham recently. However, more importantly, I think if our Town play at their best we can beat them.
“I think both Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest have just that little bit more firepower than both us and Luton. Anything can happen over one game so I’m glad we are playing Luton in the semi-finals.
“I’m not worried about Town playing anyone but if you look at percentages, which coaches like to do, Luton is the team you want to face.
“I don’t think being at home in the second leg means that much, you have to get the job done over the two legs and really that’s all that matters. There will be lots of questions still to be answered after Friday night.”
The former Town stopper gave his views on what his team selection would be for the first leg at Luton and said: “At the back it’s so tricky because Naby Sarr has come in and been superb.
“I think if Matty Pearson isn’t fit I’d play Levi Colwill, Tom Lees and Ollie Turton. The thing with Sarr is if you put him in the middle of the three you have to move Lees to the right and is that his best position? It’s such a tricky call and one where Carlos will just have to see who is fit and available.
“You then need to decide if you can trust Pipa in a game like this, it’s a massive game where defending will be so key.
“For me Jonathan Hogg must play in the middle with Lewis O’Brien. Jon Russell is a good player but I want to see a bit more from him.
“Whilst I love Jordan Rhodes, he’s a great guy and I’ve played with him, Danny Ward has to start up front for me and then Jordan can come on and make an impact.
“Tino Anjorin has shown a bit more and he can come off the bench and produce a bit of magic when needed.”
Whatever happens this season Glennon has been impressed with Carlos Corberan and his team.
He said: “I think the season has been fantastic. The signings the club made were the right characters. The players they got out needed to go, so overall the summer business was just brilliant.
“The budget had to be lowered and players who didn’t want to be at the club for whatever reason had to be shipped out. Then you have to bring the right characters in and Carlos this year has got that blend right.
“I think one of the best things this season has been seeing Carlos grow. He made mistakes last year with players, training regimes, subs and how to handle opponents.
“Whereas this year you can tell he and his staff have learned and he has to be given lots of credit for that. Those lessons learned have translated to performances on the pitch.
“I don’t think Carlos plays the same way in any game, he’s so unpredictable that’s why he’s so good. Take the Middlesbrough away performance. He sat back and played on the break with Jordan leading the line up front.
“Contrast that to Fulham away where he pushed Lewis O’Brien up top and he pressed their backline and we really went at them. He has made top, top decisions this season and we are seeing a talented young coach develop in front of our eyes.”
