Christmas spell is an opportunity and danger time

CLOUGH KNOWS THE TABLE COULD BE MUCH DIFFERENT

NIGEL Clough knows how different the League One table could look after the busy Christmas period - for better or worse.

Clough’s Burton Albion are currently 16th after 19 matches - one fewer than the majority of teams in the division - leaving them 10 points adrift of the play-off places and seven clear of the bottom four.

That is a situation the Brewers are keen to improve over the coming weeks and there are 18 points available in the next four weeks, beginning with tomorrow’s home game against Shrewsbury Town.

They have struggled for consistency this season, though, having won back-to-back games only twice and losing nine matches so far.

Clough wants his side to put together an eye-catching run in December to move them back into play-off contention - but he knows a few more slip-ups could leave them in a very different battle as 2019 begins.

“You can do, easily, with the games in the next four weeks,” he said when asked about Burton moving themselves into a promising position over Christmas.

“That’s what we are hoping to do. You look at the fixtures in January and February as well, there are some winnable games there.

“So I think it’s going to be the middle or end of February when we’re really going to know if we’re in with a chance or not of making that top six.

“We are talking about looking up, we’ve certainly got to keep an eye on looking down as well because everybody is picking up points down there and it’s such an even League that if we were to lose a few, you’re looking over your shoulder the wrong way.

“That’s the nature of the League. “Before the Blackpool game, we were thinking that if we could get something from those next two games, we’re going to be close to the play-offs.

“Then all of a sudden we are looking the other way. That’s how tight it is.”

Burton were on their best run of form before the 3-0 loss at Blackpool on November 24, having won four of their previous six League matches.

They then followed their dismal result at Bloomfield Road with a 2-1 home defeat to Charlton Athletic.

But Clough has been impressed with his players’ response in training to those setbacks after a mini-break over FA Cup second round weekend.

“They have come back in training this week and we’ve had two brilliant days of training,” he added on Wednesday.

“The attitude, effort and how much hard work they’ve put in has been top notch.

“But I think that has been the case in the majority of games, I don’t think it’s been lack of effort or what we’re putting in.

“It’s very simple, it’s just the mistakes we’re making and that final ball in and around that penalty area.”

You look at the fixtures in January and February as well, there are some winnable games there Brewers manager Nigel Clough