The Football League Paper says...

Cheers to the brilliant Brewers...

AMID the hoo-ha over Jose Mourinho’s sacking by Manchester United and higher profile Carabao Cup quarterfinals, Burton’s victory at Middlesbrough escaped the attention of many.

But there is no doubting the Brewers have done something sensational by reaching the semi-finals as a League One side. The fact the other three sides still standing are Manchester City, their next opponents, Chelsea and Tottenham highlights just how far Burton have come.

And, let’s not forget, it wasn’t until 2009 that the Staffordshire outfit won their place in the Football League. In the intervening decade, they’ve climbed as high as the Championship, where they mixed it with some of football’s heavyweights for a couple of seasons before slipping back to League One at the end of last season.

While they haven’t hit the heights on their return to the third tier so far this term – they lie 16th following yesterday’s 2-0 defeat at high-flying Luton – their run to the last four of the Carabao Cup has been spectacular.

After disposing of fellow League One outfit Shrewsbury in round one, Nigel Clough’s men have since proved a thorn in the side of higher level opponents.

They beat Aston Villa 1-0, top-flight Burnley 2-1 and Nottingham Forest 3-2. Those three victories all came at the Pirelli Stadium, but beating Boro 1-0 in the northeast in midweek showed they can also do it on the road.

In all honesty, Burton haven’t received the credit they deserve for their exploits in league and cup over the last decade or so. They are a small club with a big heart, and stability and continuity under the watchful eye of chairman Ben Robinson has served them well.

Of course, Manchester City will be a tough nut to crack in the semi-finals in the New Year, especially as it is over two legs. But Burton have already proved they can rise to the occasion and shown that nothing is impossible.