GO GET ‘EM
Clough’s call ahead of two big games:
NIGEL Clough is calling on his Burton Albion players to use their upcoming Carabao Cup quarterfinal as an incentive for the League One clash with Fleetwood Town.
The Brewers travel to Highbury tomorrow (3pm) for a clash with their mid-table rivals, three days before the trip to face Championship side Middlesbrough for a historic League Cup tie.
It is the furthest Albion have been in one of England’s two premier cup competitions and they are one win away from an eye-catching two-legged semi-final meeting with one of Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City or Bournemouth - all of them Premier League clubs.
That prospect could be seen as a distraction from League duties, with Burton looking to build on last weekend’s win over Shrewsbury Town.
But instead, Clough wants the quarter-final to be in his players’ minds against the Cod Army.
“We had a little chat this week about it when it came up in one of our meetings,” he said.
“No, I want them to think about it, I want them to look forward it and to go into Saturday’s game at Fleetwood with the attitude of ‘come on, let’s not lose, let’s get a point or three at Fleetwood and we’ll go to Middlesbrough and have a real go at them on Tuesday.’
“So I want it there in their minds, to be used as an incentive, and for the players to say ‘if I play well at Fleetwood, I’ve got a chance to play in the quarter-finals of the League Cup.’
“That should be every player’s ambition.”
Ahead of a high-profile quarterfinal in which every member of the Albion squad will be keen to play, does Clough feel players would ever change their game to make sure they get through another contest unscathed beforehand?
“I think once you’re in a game, all that goes,” he added.
“And if they’ve got any sense, if they are actually thinking about it to that degree and you’re backing out of a 50-50, then you’re not going to play at Boro on Tuesday.
“There are going to be plenty of 50-50s and it’s very difficult for us to then judge and say ‘I can understand why he’s done that but he won’t do that on Tuesday.’
“I want to see it on Saturday as well, so as important as Tuesday is, we want to go there and get something on Saturday.”
Burton have beaten Shrewsbury Town, Aston Villa, Burnley and Nottingham Forest to reach the quarterfinals, having lost three of their four League matches immediately before those games.
They lost 3-1 at Gillingham before the first round tie at Shrewsbury and fell to defeat against Oxford United
ahead of a 1-0 triumph over Villa in the second round.
A 2-1 home win against Sunderland preceded a victory by the same scoreline against Burnley in round three but they were back to losing 2-1 at home to Peterborough United - before the memorable fourth round win at home to Nottingham Forest.