Jake: We have to pick up points going into January
CRUCIAL THREE GAMES ON THE CARDS FOR BREWERS
THIS season’s Christmas fixtures look more like normal in terms of the schedule than in most years – but, as usual, they assume a particular importance for most teams, with Burton Albion no exception.
The Brewers will play SaturdayTuesday-Saturday, as they might usually, since Boxing Day falls on a Saturday this year.
But after slipping back from their run of four unbeaten matches with two defeats in a week, Albion go into the three festive games in danger of being cut adrift from the teams sitting just outside the relegation places in League One.
The Brewers are bottom on 13 points, while four teams are on 19 points just above the relegation places.
While their immediate concern is a tough-looking Boxing Day game away to second-placed Lincoln City, Burton then have home games against the team immediately above them, Wigan Athletic, and one of the teams currently on 19 points, Oxford United.
Manager Jake Buxton accepts how crucial it will be to claim some points from those matches.
“We know what we have to achieve. We need results and we cannot allow that gap to get any bigger – we can’t get detached from the clubs on 19 points,” said Buxton.
“We should be in that cluster of teams but the fact is that we are not and we have to get back in touch with them.
“Every game we go into is important. But these next three games are crucial and we have to pick up points going into January.”
After a run of a win and three draws, Buxton felt his team did not do too much wrong in the 2-1 defeat away to Ipswich Town – but they let their heads drop in Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at home to Doncaster Rovers.
“We had had an upturn in results but the last two have not gone as planned,” he said.
“Against Ipswich, the performance was good but we didn’t get the point we probably deserved.
“On Saturday, in the first half, we were very good and to find ourselves going in at half-time 2-1 down was disappointing.
“We started the second half brightly but the last 30 minutes was not what we want and you did see players’ heads drop.
“Against the run of play, we conceded to go 3-1 down and heads dropped. We had not been doing a great deal wrong at times but we are losing games and conceding goals.
“I’ve spoken to the players about that. It’s important that we keep going.”
Predicting how the game might go against Lincoln is not easy.
While they are second on goal difference to Portsmouth with a game in hand, Lincoln have lost their last two League matches at Sincil Bank, including a 4-0 hammering against Sunderland.
But they bounced back to thrash Northampton Town 4-0 away on Saturday and manager Michael Appleton has fashioned a free-flowing young side.
“Lincoln have lost three of their last four games at home. They have the youngest squad in the division, a young team full of energy,” said Buxton.
“They have a manager who’se worked a lot on the under-23 scene. He knows a lot about that level and he’s brought players in from that
level.
“We know what to expect from them. They have either won the most penalties, or scored the most penalties in the League.
“And they have one of the best strikers in the division in Tom Hopper. He’s a handful and we’re fully aware of what their threats are.
“They have had a good start to the season and have had a little wobble. We just hope that we bring our A game and that we’re at it on Boxing Day.”