BURTON ALBION REPORT- "EVERY CLOUD"

So, after the disappointment of losing to Brum on Saturday, it was back off to the Cottage. A beautiful hot day, and meet a couple of old mates in the Railway. Didn't help that I had gout in my right foot, when we walked to the match. Or in my case, I hobbled down to the ground. "Time to bounce back" seemed to be the theme of the day, against a Burton side who had started the season reasonably well. It is amazing that our expectations are exaggeratedly high after our impressive start to the season. In the first 10 minutes Burton looked threatening, but that was all it was, as we took control. A 70% possession statistic looks impressive on paper, but we hardly threatened their goal. I, for one, was disappointed that we found it hard to find a way through against a side who were much less defensively sound than the solid looking Brummies on Saturday. The hope at half time was that we would wear them down and an early goal would open them up. But, it didn't work out like that, as Burton scored, what can only be described as a soft goal. The ball was shielded in the area and laid back to an unmarked player who had way too much time to pick his spot past Button. From there on in, the script was obvious with more Whites' possession, and Burton spoiling. Their keeper should have been booked after about 65 minutes as he had only one thing on his mind, wasting time. A ref with more bottle should have shown the yellow card early, but this ref seemed to be more interested in socializing with the Burton players. When Ayite went off injured, it seemed that we would lose again, but Sessegnon popped up in the right place to fire home. A disappointment, yes, but for those fans who moaned constantly "We can't win every game".

Team report-
We, all, must remember that this is a totally new team, with only 1 or 2 players from last season. We are still a work in progress, and the little nuances of each individual player have to be understood by their fellow team mates. For example, if Aluko naturally comes short, or doesn't move towards the ball when picked out, then the passing player needs time to understand how he plays. There are so many complex intricacies to how each player naturally plays, that it will, over time, become second nature to those players around him. But, I repeat, this all takes time. Against Birmingham, and against Burton, we could see passes falling short or being hit too hard. Some of that is down to bad play, and some of that is down to players getting used to each other. One thing to remember, is that we can see the ideas and style of play developing and once it becomes natural, we will start to control games with much more effectiveness. How many Whites' fans would have foreseen us with a record of W3 D3 L1, after 7 games, and how many of us would have taken that before a ball had been kicked? Last night, I though Cairney, although being adequate and moving around a lot, was ineffective. In fact, when he was presented with a clear shot on goal, in the second half, he took an extra touch and lost out. Odoi played well, getting forward, but never really getting to the byline. Martin and Aluko, didn't create enough space up front, with Martin being the worst offender. Sessegnon had a good game, although he kept trying to cut in, rather than hitting the byline, and I didn't see him beat one player. To be honest, in my humble opinion, none of our players played to their true potential, with the exception of the outstanding Kalas. Composed and confident at all times, he was a rock at the back, and was the first player to decide, that if Burton were going to sit in shape, then he should run with the ball. Kalas is Premier league quality, and you can see why Chelsea won't loan him to another Prem. league club. By far and above our best player on the night and has to be MOM.
So, that was it, a feeling of disappointment as we sat in the pub, but in the cold light of day, we have still only lost once in seven.
IN SLAVISA WE TRUST
COYWs.

© Nic Smith