Use of subs another way JFH has set a benchmark for Brewers
THE strength of Burton Albion’s bench since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink concluded his January – and early February – wheelings and dealings has had a big impact on the Brewers’ Great Escape.
It is one of many factors in the plan put together rapidly by Hasselbaink and his assistant Dino Maamria since they arrived in January.
There were almost as many departures – not all permanent, as yet – as there were arrivals in January which is why Hasselbaink has been able to balance the budget.
After all, five of the arrivals were loan players and the first five loan players of the season had, by then, all returned to their parent clubs.
The figure tipped towards the arrivals in February, when the manager also added three free agents – Danny Rowe, Mike Fondop and Michael Mancienne – to bring his signings to 12.
But the overall result has meant the manager largely achieved his ideal of having competition for every position – at least once the versatility of players like Tom Hamer, John Brayford and Ryan Edwards was taken into consideration.
On top of that, he has had real options among the substitutes and they have frequently made a significant impact.
It has been tough on some of the club’s younger players, like Ben Fox, Reece Hutchinson and Ciaran Gilligan, who have been playing a full role in training but rarely had a look in on match day.
But that was a case of needs must. Hasselbaink and Maamria’s brief appeared to be close to Mission Impossible, to sneak in another film reference.
With League One safety secured, they can look in the summer at the chances for younger players to challenge again for first team squad places.
Football is a ruthless business but if those players can prove they can compete, the chance will be there.
Meanwhile, let’s take a quick look at some of the big contributions substitutes have made for the Brewers since Hasselbaink arrived. There was a gap from January 16 and the 1-0 home defeat to Ipswich Town until high-flying Hull City arrived at the Pirelli Stadium on February 6.
By then, Hasselbaink had had a week in training with his deadline day signings and one of them, Jonny Smith, came off the bench for his first appearance after 63 minutes.
Smith had already looked lively and had Burton’s first shop on target before he scored the 90th-minute winner from Josh Parker’s path.
Rowe came off the bench for his third substitute appearance against Charlton Athletic on February 23.
Hasselbaink was being careful with the former Ipswich Town winger, who had been out of action through first injury and then the curtailing of the previous season, for eight months.
But Kieran Wallace’s unlucky cruciate ligament injury, after 38 minutes, brought Rowe off the bench sooner than might have been expected and he, to all intents and purposes, scored the winner after 53 minutes when he drove forward strongly and his long-range shot flicked off defender Ben Watson for what is still officially counted as an own goal.
Much bigger deflections have been credited to the attacker than that one and Rowe’s contribution to the win was a big one all-round, too.
Joe Powell had had to settle for a lot of time on the bench since Hasselbaink’s arrival but the 22-year-old was often being used to add attacking impetus later in games.
Against Swindon Town on April 5, a real must-win in the survival battle, he came off the bench after 67 minutes and delivered an immaculate free kick from deep and wide on the left with seven minutes left.
It arced away from goalkeeper Lee Camp and John Brayford raced in to meet it with a header to win the game 2-1 for Burton.
Next it was Ryan Broom’s turn, for the first of his two goal-scoring substitute appearances.
The on-loan Peterborough United forward was sent on in the 85th minute and showed his ability to be in the right place at the right time, anticipating a possible save by goalkeeper Michael Cooper from Kane Hemmings and sliding in to score a stoppage time equaliser and save a valuable point.
Substitutions led to three of the five goals Burton scored in the 5-2 win over Fleetwood Town which celebrated their League One safety.
Smith, recovering from a hamstring strain, was sent on after 70 minutes, along with Kane Hemmings, to pep up a Burton side under some pressure after seeing their 2-0 lead halved.
Smith had only been on the pitch two minutes when he had an assist to his name, making a nuisance of himself in the box and laying the ball into space for Tom Hamer to race in and bury a shot to make it 3-1.
Hemmings was not to be out-done and scored a fine solo goal to make it 4-1 after 85 minutes. He then wrapped up victory with his second and Burton’s fifth goal with virtually the last kick of the game.
That just left Broom to do the trick again, leaving the bench in the 84th minute to score in the 90th, again saving a point, against Gillingham on Saturday.
Like a lot of what Hasselbaink has achieved this season, the successes with substitutions have happened too often to be put down to luck.
Like a lot of what JFH has achieved, successes with substitutions have happened too often to be put down to luck.