THE BREWERS SEASON SO FAR...
Keeper Kieran O’hara is set for his first appearance in tonight’s EFL Trophy match, while we try to keep some perspective on the Brewers’ first four results of the season
FOUR games into the season and Burton Albion and Derby County have almost identical, mediocre records – one win from the four games, while the Rams have a worse goal difference, minus six to minus four.
It’s not anything for either side to be proud of at this stage but how different was the mood of the respective supporters on Saturday night.
Rams fans were jubilant after a solid performance and a clean sheet was topped off by Wayne Rooney doing what he still does as well as any Englishman in the game, slotting a free kick into the top corner to give them a 1-0 win away to Norwich City.
Burton fans were despondent after a second successive 4-2 defeat, this one coming from a winning position against Portsmouth, whereas they had been 3-0 down against Swindon Town in the first one.
“Buxton’s inexperience showing… bring back Clough… get the Cowley brothers in...” were among the comments from the minority of supporters on social media who wait to pounce on any setback.
It all emphasises just how much the most recent result influences opinion, whereas, of course, a little bit of perspective is needed.
“Lose a couple of games and you’re in trouble, win a couple and you’re Mourinho!” as manager Jake Buxton had noted after the win over Accrington Stanley a fortnight ago. The comment would have looked even more appropriate after Tottenham Hotspur’s remarkable 6-1 win over Manchester United at the weekend.
Here’s some perspective. The score was 4-2 in Burton’s fourth match of last season, too. On that occasion, Scott Fraser’s hat-trick had ripped Oxford United to shreds at the Kassam Stadium.
Oxford were in the middle of a run of three defeats, part of a start which brought them one win in the first seven games. They conceded 10 goals in three games, starting with the four Burton put past them.
But Burton were to go on to finish 12th in the table, while Oxford went to Wembley for the play-off final after finishing fourth.
After ending the run of one win in seven, they kept clean sheets in six of their next eight matches, four of which they won 3-0 and another 6-0.
I am not suggesting that Burton are about to effect such an exceptional turnaround in form. They do not, after all, have a squad quite as expensively assembled as Oxford’s routinely are. Any improvement is likely to be gradual.
But the point, obviously enough, is that no season stands or falls based on a couple of bad results in a row.
It feels unnecessary, but I will do it anyway, to remind everyone that this is going to be a season like no other.
Burton are not traditionally extravagant in the transfer market but the chances of much of a splurge at this time, or in January, to reinforce are fairly slim, especially given the postponement of the return of supporters.
The club have a new manager making his way in an unprecedented season.
There are going to be setbacks like those the Brewers have suffered in the last two Saturdays but they are not going to happen every week.
What Buxton and Albion need most right now is a gritty clean sheet, preferably away to Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.
If they can summon up a goal to top it off, as Derby did on Saturday, so much the better.