Livewire Ryan showed what Albion might have missed
FORMER LOANEE BROOM SO IMPRESSIVE FOR PLYMOUTH
I WONDER how many Burton Albion supporters were thinking after Saturday that it would have been good to have been able to keep hold of Ryan Broom?
The thought certainly crossed my mind, even before he joined the lengthening list of former Brewers who have scored against their old club.
Broom is one of those players who really looks like he is enjoying the game and he is full of energy.
He is not, or does not appear to be, as full of tricks as a player like Harry Chapman but he is more in the mould of Charlie Lakin, who Jimmy Floyd Ha s s e l b a i n k hopes is going to have a big part to play for the Brewers, having handed him a three-year deal.
So far, we have seen flashes from Lakin as the Brewers struggle to settle to a lineup and pattern of play that will suit their personnel.
I think we have seen enough to hope that he might turn out to be at least as influential as Broom was for Plymouth on Saturday.
In an impressive Plymouth team, Luke Jephcott is seen as the rising star but he was away on international duty on Saturday, while Ryan Hardie is a livewire striker and they had wingers Conor Grant and Kieran Agard causing problems from the start.
But Broom just kept popping up everywhere, down the wings and through the middle being available, rarely wasting the ball.
Then, when Argyle broke rapidly in the 43rd minute, keeper Michael Cooper catching Tom Hamer’s cross and hurling it 70 yards to send Hardie running at Burton, it was Broom who caught up first, making himself available for Hardie’s cut back and sweeping the ball into the net.
It was reminiscent, in terms of getting himself in the right place at the right time, of the two goals he scored for Burton in his loan spell last season.
Both saved points in 1-1 draws at the Pirelli Stadium and the first of them was against Plymouth, the second coming against Gillingham, along with a booking for whipping his shirt off in delight after scoring.
His celebration pictures were some of the best of their type in the season.
Broom is still on loan now with Argyle. Born in Wales, he started his career with three unproductive years with Bristol Rovers and had loans with Bath City and Eastleigh before joining Cheltenham Town on a free.
There, he came into his own and was popular in a two-year spell that yielded 12 goals in 88 appearances and attracted the attention of Peterborough United’s cheque book.
The trouble with going to Peterborough at that time, last season, was that there was huge competition for places at a club determined to get out of League One after being denied by the pandemic the season before.
Broom was signed before Posh realised they could get hold of Sam
He steps up to the mark and that’s what he is, he gives you everything. Ryan Lowe talks about Ryan Broom
mie Szmodics on a permanent deal and Szmodics was the favoured man.
Broom replaced Szmodics after 75 minutes of the 2-2 draw against Burton in October last year and made, in total, eight starts and 10 substitute appearances before being allowed to come to Burton on loan in January, with manager Darren Ferguson admitting the player had been unlucky not to get a better crack of the whip.
For Burton he started three and came off the bench eight times but his willingness was always apparent.
It was unlikely that he would get more chances with Peterborough once they had been promoted to the Championship and a season-long loan was agreed with Plymouth.
There, he has been a hit, getting into the side regularly when Danny Mayor was injured.
“He steps up to the mark and that’s what he is, he gives you everything,” said Plymouth manager Ryan Lowe in September.
“He has come in and got used to how we play and what we want from him.
“The only critical side to him now is I’m challenging him to get goals. If he gets goals then great.
“He’s doing a great job, along with the rest of the lads.”
On Saturday, Broom provided his first goal for the club.
I would not mind betting there will be more.
I think it’s a bit of a shame we did not see more of Broom at Burton but that’s just sometimes how the game goes.