Nigel: It’s worth it if the players can learn from that
NIGEL Clough says Burton Albion’s Carabao Cup semi-final humbling at the hands of Manchester City will be worth it if his players learn from what they came up against.
Gabriel Jesus’s four goals were added to by efforts from Kevin De Bruyne, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and Riyad Mahrez as a star-studded City side triumphed 9-0.
Clough said heading into the game that he wanted his side to develop from the experience they would gain at the Etihad Stadium – and what a steep learning curve it turned out to be for a largely young Brewers outfit.
Emerging from the dressing rooms after the game, Clough said: “What we just said to them in there was, if Manchester City get to the semi-finals of the Champions League, they could well play those front five – De Bruyne, David Silva, Leroy Sane, Jesus and Mahrez.
“They could be playing in the Champions League semi-final this season.
“So it’s no disgrace when we can’t get near them. Most of the Premier League can’t get near them, so halfway up League One, we’re not expected to.
“If they take a little bit out of the quality of people like David Silva, just what they do and how they receive the ball, the movement and things like that, then it’ll be worth it.”
The Brewers finished with five academy graduates on the field: Reece Hutchinson, Marcus Harness, Ben Fox, Joe Sbarra and John Brayford, who began his career with the club.
“We can’t buy that sort of experience, we can’t give them that,” added Clough.
“For those young players who have come through our academy to get on the pitch, just to get an idea of what the top players are like and the atmosphere of playing in front of whatever the crowd was, in a magnificent stadium, that will help them more than anything we can do for them. “So we were very pleased to get the youngsters on and for them to get a little taste of it.
“We tried to pass it around a little bit when we could.
“We weren’t physical, we didn’t kick City, I don’t think we got a booking, did we? Maybe we should have done.
“It wasn’t that sort of night. I think our experienced defenders could have done better on two or three.
“I don’t think Brad Collins did a lot wrong and he’s conceded nine goals.
“It’s not pleasant for him and not pleasant for us at times. But it’s the bigger picture.” Nigel Clough NIGEL Clough said Burton Albion’s players were “pretty much wideeyed” at the quality they faced against Manchester City.
The Brewers were thrashed 9-0 in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at the Etihad Stadium, as four goals from Brazilian Gabriel Jesus spearheaded the star-studded EFL Cup holders and reigning Premier League champions’ surge to victory.
Albion are 51 places below City in the football pyramid and in the last four of a major domestic knockout competition for the first time, so this was always a David and Goliath clash of the highest order.
They joined a long list of top-flight sides in being outclassed by Pep Guardiola’s outfit.
“It’s not very pleasant when you’re losing by that scoreline but nothing more than we expected, really,” said Brewers boss Clough.
“It’s nothing more than you’d expect from the sort of quality Manchester City had out there.
“The only thing we can make the players aware of is the sort of runs they make.
“But actually making them aware and then stopping them, with the quality of the runs and the delivery of the ball (are two different things).
“Premier League teams and the best teams in Europe can’t stop them.
“So I don’t know what Burton Albion are going to do to stop it.
“We knew we could play the game of our lives and be on the end of a hammering, which we were.
“We didn’t play brilliantly and a couple of the goals we’re disappointed with.
“I thought the lads in front of the back four did well but we should have defended them better on occasions.
“The first goal was a prime example. It was a free header in our penalty area that you wouldn’t expect our centre-halves to give up.
“I hope they don’t give up too many of those against Gillingham on Saturday.
“But the gulf in quality: the players came in and they were pretty much wide-eyed about what they’d played against.”
It’s no disgrace we can’t get near them. Most of the Premier League can’t get near them.