We’re a Team That Works Together - Notes for Burton Monday, 17th Oct 2016 11:30 by HarryFromBath HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Tuesday night’s game at Portman Road by delving into their forums. “Doesn’t the table look good?”, “There were some huge clubs in League One, but wherever you look in this league there’s a huge club. It’s amazing we’re even giving them a challenge given the money the majority have spent compared to us”, “Continue like this and we won’t be worrying come May.” “It’s more a case of ‘Bring ‘em all on’ now, rather than ‘Where are the points going to be gained and how?’” The Brewers go into Tuesday’s game on a three-match unbeaten run and level with Town on points. Saturday’s scoreless stalemate away to Wigan was a second consecutive clean sheet. Fans are delighted with their start. “If you look at the league table right now, I think any Brewers’ fan would have grabbed this position with both hands at the start of the season. Many teams with our resources and wage bill would be marooned at the bottom by now and struggling to get any points.” “We don’t look out of place in this division, yet!” There is agreement that low expectations can be turned to their advantage. “There are an increasing number of managers who have been sacked after a defeat to Burton Albion. Defeat to us becomes the straw that breaks the camel’s back, I’m afraid.” Nigel Clough“In Nigel, I’m certain that we have got the best man for the job”, “Our Nigel knows what he is doing. He knows what is required”, “He gives me confidence that he knows exactly what is required for this season. He knows a bit about the Championship and he had the best possible tutor with his father.” “Nigel went quietly about his business this summer.” Brewers are quick to praise the way in which the 50-year-old has augmented the squad this summer after last season’s promotion from League One. Clough has returned to the Pirelli Stadium after spells managing Derby and Sheffield United. “You have to admit, whether you agreed with all his decisions initially or not, our Nigel has done some brilliant business in his transfer dealings for our football club. He is the perfect fit for us. I don’t always agree with what he does, but as time goes by he invariably is seen to have got it right.” One highlight of this season’s campaign was last month’s historic 1-0 home triumph over the Rams in their first ever league derby. Departing Derby County fans were quick to praise their former boss. “Well done Nigel Clough. You are a credit to your dad”, “I found myself wanting Clough to come back.” Formation“Burton have a plan that works for them. It’s no fluke that they will survive to see another season in the Championship. Their passing and movement and their use of space is excellent. They gave us nightmares, especially in the first half and should have gone in at half-time two goals to the good.” The Wigan fans above were quick to praise the shape and balance of the visiting Brewers side when reflecting on Saturday’s draw. “Watching them before the game, they practised their passing triangles with intensity and they took this into the match. Burton’s midfield always had someone available.” McLaughlinBrayfordMcFadzeanTurnerAkinsNaylorPalmerIrvineDyerMillerO'Grady
“The strength of the Brewers is the reliability of our squad.” Saturday’s starting XI (above) at the DW Stadium was set out in the 3-5-2 shape which has served the Brewers faithfully this season. The side is built around a core of experienced Championship performers, especially their solid back three. “We have built our success on sound defence and a brilliant goalkeeper, so why shy away from what is proven to work? We will not be a gung-ho attacking side for a few years yet, until we have built up the fortunes required for two 15-goal-a-season strikers, so the plan is to use what works for now.” “We rely more on our defence that our attack”, “We have toughened up too. We play a high-tempo game, not giving opponents a moment’s rest when we lose possession. If we keep that up I have no worries, we will glean the points needed for another Championship season.” “We look lively on the counter, particularly with Lloyd Dyer and Lucas Akins in the wide areas.” The attacking balance has been provided by the wing-backs along with the strength and hold-up play of Chris O’Grady. The striker takes pressure off the defence and links play with breaking midfielders. McLaughlinIrvineMcCroryNaylorBrayfordWilliamsonPalmerChoudhuryDyerBeavonO'Grady
“Teamwork overcomes 11 individuals.” One rare occasion when Clough was forced to change the side’s formation (above) was last month’s 1-1 draw at Fulham. This was necessitated after losing first-choice defenders Ben Turner, Kyle McFadzean, John Mousinho as well as Akins on the right flank. “The one thing that has shocked me about the Championship is the physicality”, “We are a physical, big team now that will upset and mess up teams we face who won’t like the physicality”, “We are great at making the most of our set-pieces and worrying defences by getting crosses in the box.” Wigan 0 — 0 Burton“Well done, a difficult fixture negotiated”, “Just back. Not the most entertaining of games but a hard won point that might make a difference to the final table”, “That was a good result. Some clubs would be put off with a small crowd. One bonus for us was that 10,000 is a big crowd for our lads.” The Brewers also came away from Lancashire on Saturday having had the better of a scoreless encounter. The hosts were indebted to Dan Burn for two first-half goal-line clearances, although they took the game to Albion after the break with Adam Le Fondre twice coming close to scoring. “I felt it was perhaps a fair result in the end. Again we played well”, “We played well in the first half and had the better of things. O’Grady’s audacious lob was the highlight when he saw their keeper off his line. If we had gone in two or three ahead it would not have looked out of place at half-time.” “Wigan may have just edged the second half but we gave as good as they got, restricting them to just one clear-cut chance. All in all, it was a battling performance that the lads could be proud of, even if we were not at our fluent best”, “And, as Nigel says, another clean sheet.” Burton 2 — 0 Cardiff“A brilliant result, a good performance and we have moved up the table. I will go and wring myself out, happy days”, “That was a pretty comfortable win”, “We lack expensive so-called stars in the side but we have a very strong squad thanks to our manager”, “Wow, a feelgood factor for two weeks.” Burton had a comfortable win over the Bluebirds to send them into the international break in good heart. Jackson Irvine’s strike on 12 minutes put the hosts in front, while Akins’s header four minutes after the break sealed a victory which also led to Cardiff manager Paul Trollope’s dismissal. “The rain is hammering down”, “Two unspectacular but very satisfying goals and a clean sheet. The table looks a lot better tonight and there’s a nice little five-point gap to the bottom three”, “Cardiff have some players I wish we had but like Derby they had very little passion and weren’t up for it.” One Cardiff fan summed the game up: “Burton revelled in the conditions. They were so quick to the second ball and that early goal suited their game plan down to the ground”, “It was too easy for them”, “It’s a horrible mess to be 2-0 early in the second half to Burton. It can’t get any worse.” Burton 1 — 1 QPR“I suppose a draw is not an awful result against QPR. They are not a bad team, nobody is in this league”, “It amazes me how far we have come when I left the ground disappointed that we failed to beat QPR in the league. If we had a little more strength up top, they were there for the taking.” The points were shared on former Brewers’ boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s first competitive return to the Pirelli Stadium. Jamie Ward headed the hosts into the lead on 58 minutes but Sebastian Polter equalised for the Londoners 12 minutes later when he connected with a Massimo Luongo cross. McLaughlinMousinhoMcFadzeanTurnerWilliamsonNaylorPalmerIrvineDyerAkinsWard
“We were struggling to hold on playing looping high balls forward”, “We had next to nothing up front.” The Albion side (above) struggled to find a sustained threat without the injured O’Grady’s presence up front. “It wasn’t the best game of football we will see”, “Again the effort was there.” “Burton were basic and functional.” The QPR LoftForWords website match report confirmed that this was in no way a classic encounter. “I can’t recall a match where the ball flew all the way from one goalkeeper to the one at the other end untouched quite so often.” Goalkeepers and Defenders“What a goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin has been for us.” The 29-year-old former Bradford City man “has kept us in so many games with some fantastic saves”, “He’s a solid reliable keeper, he’s not a superstar but he does a reliable job”, “A very good goalkeeper and uber-important for our side.”  “McLaughlin was exceptional last season behind the meanest defence in League One”, “His save last December against Swindon was a good as Gordon Banks’s against Brazil”, “To paraphrase a great man, I wouldn’t say it was the greatest save I have ever seen live but it’s definitely in the top one.” “Kyle McFadzean is a lad who gives his all for the Albion.” The 29-year-old one-time Milton Keynes defender “throws himself at everything”, “He is a highly-rated big, strong centre-half”, “He makes skilful tackles and crucial blocks, throwing himself magnificently at shots”, “He is a big unit too.” “There’s no way McFadzean’s getting away with that.” He was handed a three-match ban for “an obvious elbow” thrown in last month’s game at Wolves. “It looked blatant and premeditated to me”, “Kyle is a little raw and needs to control his enthusiasm”, “He’s a defender who lives on the edge.” “John Mousinho is and has been a real inspiration as a leader but he now has to battle for a place in the side.” The 30-year-old ex-Preston man “playing at centre-half was one of the main reasons we had back-to-back promotions. He was out best player in the lower leagues in the past two seasons.” “The Moose is a real leader, a fantastic reader of the game but this season.” He missed a month with a hamstring problem. “Mousinho will find it impossible to play 46 games in the back three given how we play. No wonder his hamstring was hurt after four games. Those three work their wotsits off.” “John Brayford is back for a second spell at the Pirelli”, “Welcome home JB.” The 28-year-old right-sided defender has returned to his former club on loan from Sheffield United. “We look composed and calm with Brayford looking in charge and directing most of our players in an organised fashion.” “Brayford looks completely at home on the right side of our back three”, “Solid, good distribution, he’s a round peg in a round hole”, “His experience at the back has made us defensively tight”, “It was an understated and assured performance from a player of great character at home to Derby.” Ben Turner“I get plenty of enjoyment watching Ben Turner boss opposition centre forwards”, “He looks a real threat from set pieces and will get us half a dozen goals for sure”, “He’s an excellent commanding central defender”, “Another leader, a player with vast experience at this level which we need.” “A colossus at the back”, “The man is a unit.” The 28-year-old former Bluebird “is a great player but is always on a yellow card”, “He’s getting booked more often as he is isolated on the left of the back three where he is run at more often. He never had to do that in the centre of a back four at Cardiff.” “Turner was the best centre-half on the pitch against Cardiff and is better than any currently at our club”, “Ben and McFadzean always look for the Hollywood ball, when they need to play it simple”, “He is simply fantastic but I worry that the way he plays will hurt us in the future, suspension wise.” Central Midfielders“Hamza Choudhury is an outstanding prospect.” The 19-year-old holding player is on a season-long loan from Leicester. “His composure in possession and strength in the tackle could be well-suited to this level”, “For sure he’s naïve. He makes some rash challenges but he’s improving all the time.”  “When Choudhury gets his tackles right he’s first class and shows his football quality. It’s occasions when he’s too impetuous or enthusiastic which get him into trouble. It might be something he learns to curb or it might be a vital part of his game that one doesn’t want to curb”, “He’ll do fine.” “Lee Williamson is a very experienced campaigner at this level.” The 34-year-old ex-Blackburn man “offers hard work and solid performances like Jay Tabb [who was on trial with the Brewers in the summer]. This is something we will need this season”, “His composure and awareness are excellent, he has played well in an unfamiliar wing-back role.” “Matt Palmer is calm and assured, an old head on young shoulders.” The 21-year-old youth product “is much more comfortable giving and receiving the ball compared to our other players”, “We have to keep looking to give him the ball. He has a great eye for a pass”, “He adds something different.” “Palmer is doing some of the hard yards around the pitch that perhaps he has not in the past”, “He gets everywhere”, “He’s not comfortable out wide, he isn’t pacey or combative in the middle”, “Our most comfortable player on the ball, he gets moves started up picking passes and involving others,” “I think Tom Naylor will be our most highly sought-after and highest-valued player.” The 25-year-old one-time Ram “grafts his socks off. He brings an energy level and the threat of a goal from midfield”, “He takes charge on the pitch and gives us a dynamism in midfield getting through so much work.” “Naylor gives us more pace, physicality and a crisper range of passing, which allows flair players like Palmer and Akins time on the ball”, “He has covered in centre-back without weakening our defence at all”, “It’s good to see Naylor getting forward, he enjoys playing further up-field under Clough.” Jackson Irvine“I see the boy Irvine scored with a header again”, “I watched this fellow a couple of times last season playing for Ross County and thought he would be a perfect fit for us. I’m very happy he’s here”, “He is a really quick box-to-box midfielder who can put his foot in. He looks well-suited to this league.” “Irvine never stops, he’s the heartbeat of the team and has made a real name for himself already”, “He is steamrolling the midfield, giving it 100 per cent”, “He’s neat and tidy on the ball and he links well on the left with Dyer”, “An immense box-to-box player who filled in at the back at Fulham.” “Central midfield needs that presence in this division, as there are so many teams with a presence.” The 23-year-old arrived this summer from the Staggies. “This is the kind of signing that could not only help us stay up but become a big-money target from Premier League teams if he delivers.” Wide Midfielders“Marcus Harness seems a bit lightweight and too scared of getting stuck in. I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that.” The 20-year-old youth product has featured off the bench. “He could learn from Lloyd Dyer’s experience”, “He has bags of pace, but when he’s your Plan B on 70 minutes, it’s a big ask.” “Tom Flanagan needs to improve his speed of thought. He takes a touch and the chance is gone. Just put your foot through it.” The 24-year-old ex-Milton Keynes centre-back “is not the answer at right wing-back. It’s not his natural position, we need someone with more pace and experience there”. “Well done Tom Flanagan on your call-up to the Northern Ireland squad”, “The lad must be doing something good to impress. This is the same player who was jeered in our last home match”, “He was a revelation at wing-back in pre-season but he looked like a fish out of water against Cardiff.” “Lucas Akins has no air and few graces, but he has a power, a passion and a belief in himself and in his team-mates.” The 27-year-old ex-Stevenage winger or striker “has flourished under Clough after looking short of confidence in Hasselbaink’s final weeks”, “He’s lively and has a fair bit of pace.” “Akins to the rescue”, “He’s constantly threatening full-backs and offers a productive out-ball on the right”, “He runs opponents ragged and has a magnificent finish”, “Dangerous going forward, working tirelessly tracking back”, “Nigel said he would like two of him, one up front and one on the wing.” Lloyd Dyer“The rejuvenated Lloyd Dyer has been excellent in the 3-5-2 formation”, “He has pace and has been a canny signing”, “He stays tight to the touchline to stretch the defence widthways whenever he can”, “We know he is a match-winner and a player with experience of winning things”, “A real handful.”  The former Leicester left winger, who spent time on trial with Town in January, has won fans over with his flair and know-how. “When we signed Dyer I disapproved, having seen him throw a strop at Watford. The season has shown if Nigel thinks a player is worth having, I have to accept that it will be brilliant”, “Even at 34 he’s a good signing.” “Dyer effectively played as a left-back in the second half against Derby”, “He is very good going forward but can be less good defending, but he’s a live wire.” One Ram lamented after their defeat at the Pirelli: “I wish we’d got Dyer now. He’s better than any of our wingers and he’s in his thirties.” Strikers“Stuart Beavon should have a 99 stamina rating on FIFA Manager. His work rate is immense.” The 32-year-old ex-Preston man is a fringe player. “Beavon is well, just Beavon, closing down well and working his heart out”, “He works his heart out to create and assist but doesn’t quite it at this level.” “Consider yourself one of the Brewers’ family”, “Will Miller looks a decent player but needs to work on his strength.” The 20-year-old Spurs loan signing appeared in the BBC’s 2007 adaptation of Oliver Twist. “He does a lot of running and his strength will come, but for now it’s like men against boys.” “Jamie Ward is a constant menace.” The 30-year-old loan signing from Nottingham Forest “is a nasty experienced pain-in-the-backside player who scraps for everything”, “A good player who will being a battling edge to the team”, “Despite his hamstring issues he still averages over 20 games a season.” “The fact that Ward is a narky so-and-so will help as well, the kind of character we will need”, “The perfect foil for O’Grady but he can play the wing-back or number 10 roles”, “There’s a touch of the Dirty Dozen about Nigel’s signings, bringing out the best in players who have something to prove.” Chris O’Grady“What a brilliant player O’Grady is with his ability to hold the ball up under pressure, to win aerial battles, to bring others into play, the physical battles he engages in and invariably wins, his football intelligence and his general nuisance value”, “We don’t look like the same team without him.”  “Sometimes there’s a lot more to a striker that a goals to games ratio”, “He gives defences a torrid time”, “The Brighton press described him as a ‘disastrous signing’. That journalist needs to visit the Pirelli. The man is a colossus”, The one striker who can test the Championship’s giant defenders.” The 30-year-old former Barnsley striker is on a season-long loan from the Seagulls. “Chris has been pivotal to our style of play in these successful opening games. He shows for the ball and holds it up”, “O’Grady balances the team and takes pressure off the defence with his brilliant hold-up play.” He missed a couple of recent games with a calf injury. “We don’t look the same team without him. We are good until we have to play the ball to someone who will hold the it up while others come forward into position. Putting it bluntly, we haven’t got a ready-made replacement for O’Grady.” Brewers’ Views on ITFC and the Game“Isn’t the football fixture list scheduling so frustratingly stupid? An imminent Tuesday night away game for us is not neighbouring Wolves, Forest, Derby, Blues or Villa, but Ipswich Town”, “If you are travelling to this one you have my respect, I hope you have a great evening.” The scheduling has precluded many from making what would have been a popular trip. “This is one I would love to have gone to but again the scheduling by the FA does not take the fans into account, after finishing work at 5.30pm I reckon with a good run it would be about an 8.30 pm arrival.” The Albion forum is relatively small. They don’t run prediction competitions and there has been little discussion about the game or how our season is more widely going. If there is sufficient comment worth flagging up, I will post this on our forum and link it on my Twitter feed, One Burton fan did chip in with this observation: “I have been to Portman Road before and it is another good stadium for the Brewers to be playing in. The Tractor Boys are not that good this season so it may be an opportunity for us to come away with a decent result.” WebsitesThe busiest Brewers message board is the very friendly and knowledgeable BrewersTalks.
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