Complete game is a glimpse of Maddox’s potential
JACOB Maddox completed 90 minutes in League One for Burton Albion for the first time against Crewe Alexandra on Saturday – and that may prove to be significant.
Not only did he play the whole game but Maddox was man of the match in some people’s view, on a day when there were a few contenders.
It was heartening news for manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, for the Brewers and, hopefully, for the player, too.
He buzzed around midfield, won the ball back plenty of times and sparked attacks with quick running.
It was a performance which incorporated much of what Hasselbaink hoped to see when he brought Maddox back to England on a season-long loan from Portuguese club Vitoria Guimares, hinting that the then 22-year-old had found it difficult to settle.
Vitoria, currently eighth in the Portuguese Liga, the top flight, have a very large squad and Maddox had made only one start and two substitute appearances after joining them from Chelsea.
His only previous substantial experience had been to clock up 44 appearances on loan with Cheltenham Town in League Two in the 2018-19 season.
Further half-season loans to Tranmere Rovers and then Southampton had not yielded any matches before his move to Portugal.
Hasselbaink knew Maddox from his own time helping out with coaching at Chelsea and he would have preferred to sign him from Vitoria rather than just loan him. “He was a big prospect. It hasn’t worked out for him yet. His agent got him a big move to Portugal and that didn’t work out,” said Hasselbaink when Maddox arrived in July. “Hopefully, he can get his career kick-started here with some big performances, some assists and goals. “He’s still young. I don’t know if he was really homesick but he went from Chelsea to Vitoria and didn’t play that much with the team.
“He was in a different country by himself and that’s sometimes difficult for a young boy. He wanted to come back and we took the opportunity. “We were lucky that he was available and wanted to come on loan. We wanted to do it on a permanent but his club didn’t want to let him go.”
Maddox gave a glimpse of what he can offer in a lively half-hour of the first game of the season, the 1-0 win away to Shrewsbury Town, but went
When we press, he goes all the way and that’s what I really like about players. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
down with an ankle injury in the first half and was sidelined for six weeks.
So early in the season, that virtually required a second pre-season as he recovered.
When he did, there were three short substitute appearances, then a start and 90 minutes in the Papa John’s Trophy, when the Brewers lost 4-2 to Aston Villa.
I thought Maddox had played well but Hasselbaink was livid afterwards about the manner of Villa’s goals, feeling they all stemmed from midfielders not tracking back as they should, so the manager was not in the mood to concede any positives about Maddox.
His next start was away to MK Dons, when he was replaced after 47 minutes by Kane Hemmings and Burton lost 1-0. It did not look promising.
But Hasselbaink clearly has faith in Maddox and he was much happier to talk about the positives in his performance on Saturday.
“For once, I have been able to get Jacob Maddox on the pitch for 90, 96 minutes. He had cramp at the end but that was very encouraging,” said Hasselbaink.
“He’s very good at (winning back possession). When we press, he goes all the way and that’s what I really like about players.
“When you press, go all the way and don’t give them space, because good players can always find a pass if you do, then you have done all that running for nothing.
“We knew their midfield was very strong, if you let them play but Jacob goes all the way and wins a lot of balls. He tackles, and tackles fairly.”
Maddox, relatively slightly built, was perhaps not seen as being in midfield predominantly for his tackling when he first arrived but Hasselbaink always saw him as having more than one role.
“He’s a very exciting young player who can play in four positions,” he said in the summer. “He can play central midfield, on the right or the left, or as a number 10, so he’s very versatile.”
On Saturday, the manager’s selection may have been dictated somewhat by who was fittest after the Covid outbreak but Maddox grasped his chance with a very good display.
Now he has to stay in the side and repeat it.