Ten matches in and results not as Jake would have hoped for
ONLY ONE WIN – BUT SOME MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES
IT IS often said that 10 games into a season is when to judge how things are shaping up for a team and if that is the case, things are not looking ideal for Burton Albion.
Ten League One games have yielded only six points and they sit joint bottom of the table along with tonight’s opponents, Shrewsbury Town, and Oxford United.
It was hardly the start new manager Jake Buxton would have envisaged.
There has been one win, at home to Accrington Stanley, and draws in which they have arguably deserved better, against Bristol Rovers, AFC Wimbledon and Peterborough United.
It is one of those strange quirks of football that, against Peterborough, the Brewers looked the better side and could have won the game, when Ryan Edwards hit the bar late on, yet Posh had been on a run of five straight wins before that 2-2 draw and went to the top of the table on Saturday when they thrashed Shrewsbury 5-1.
Based on those results, they probably had an off day against Burton but there was no doubt Albion showed that they can compete in League One through those 90 minutes.
They have shown it in spells in most games. Only Swindon Town thoroughly outplayed them.
The summer signings all made sense at the point they joined: Buxton was praised for his decisive moves and chairman Ben Robinson for backing them up.
Here’s a quick run down of five things that have gone wrong for Buxton and Burton so far – and five reasons why they could get better.
THE MINUSES: INJURIES
At various times, Burton have been without John Brayford, Michael Bostwick, Neal Eardley, Ryan Edwards, Luke Varney and Charles Vernam for spells. Others have missed single matches and Reece Hutchinson is still fighting back from a broken foot sustained in the summer. That is a hefty number for any squad to cope with, let along a small one, and each of the main absentees have been out for more than a month at a time. No season passes without injuries but Buxton could reasonably expect a bit better luck from here on.
JOE POWELL
There was a lot of expectation on Powell’s young shoulders at the start of the season. Dynamic since arriving in January last season, he was expected to become the midfield kingpin this time around and started well with a good goal in the win over Accrington Stanley and two fine strikes in the EFL Trophy against Peterborough United.
But we must remember that this is Powell’s first pro contract and his form will have its ups and downs.
He has dipped at the moment.
How he battles back from that will be important.
JOHN-JOE O’TOOLE
The defender is having a torrid time. He can look imperious for much of a game, anticipating what forwards will do, getting a foot in, winning headers. Unfortunately, the red mist never seems far away and even when he is not booked or not making a mistake, there are too many times when he is berating referees and their assistants. He might often have a point but it just does not help to make the officials so aware of you.
He has cost Burton too many free kicks in dangerous areas, as well as penalties, this season and has already served one supsension for a rash red card.
STEVEN LAWLESS
There have been signs in the last couple of games that Lawless is starting to get to grips with the English game but, like Scott Fraser before him, he has struggled to make an early impact after coming down from Scotland. In Burton’s early games, he has been too often isolated on the touchline, back to goal, with defenders around him.
Facing them, running at them, he looks better. Burton need more from him.
KANE HEMMINGS
It was a difficult start for Hem
mings, signed in the hope that he could be the main goalscoring striker for this season’s team. After scoring freely in pre-season, he found chances were not coming his way when the real thing started and you could see his frustration growing, although suggestions that he was not putting in the effort were wide of the mark. Ten games in before he got off the mark was not the ideal start to his time with his home-town club.
THE PLUSSES: HEMMINGS, AGAIN
As soon as the chances started falling for him, Hemmings has shown himself to be the goal poacher Buxton knew he could be. There were four goals in four games since that first one went in against Bristol Rovers, including a lovely finish against Peterborough United and a tricky one, expertly converted, also against Posh, after Lawless’s shot had hit the bar. Hemmings drew a blank again on Saturday, when he had four presentable chances – but at least he is now getting chances.
NIALL ENNIS
Early days for the loanee from Wolves but he has looked threatening against both Peterborough and Blackpool. He showed great determination to win the ball and create chances against Blackpool and might reasonably have expected Hemmings to score from two of them, while the way he glided past two defenders to make a shooting position for himself against Blackpool, before losing his footing as he shot, was eye-opening. He made it look easy.
SAM HUGHES
The centre-half on loan from Leicester City has looked strong and commanding, with the ability to run the ball out of defence in comfort. He has strengthened the defence considerably. Unfortunately, that has yet to result in the clean sheet the Brewers crave, nor has it, yet, got the average number of goals conceded below two per game. But quite clearly, you would rather see him in the team than not.
KIERAN O’HARA
See above. O’hara will be busting to record a clean sheet but, in general, he has looked the goalkeeper hs promised to be in the earlier stages of his loan spell with Burton last season, not least with his assured catching of high balls. There were times last season when he allowed opposition supporters to wind him up – word plainly got around – but he will not have that problem for a good while to come and has a real chance now to build a Football League career after his release from Manchester United.
CIARAN GILLIGAN
Had Kane Hemmings put away the chance he and Gilligan created between them against Blackpool on Saturday, it would have been the October goal of the month and in the running for goal of the season. Hemmings won the ball, fed Gilligan and his purposeful run at the heart of Blackpool’s defence was followed by an impudent flick to return the ball into Hemmings’ path. It was a measure of Gilligan’s growing confidence and while he is not yet dominating games, his emergence at 18 after being with the club since the under-nines, is exciting. The fierce collision which left Blackpool’s Sulley Kaikai in a heap on Saturday also showed Gilligan can look after himself.