In the 12th of a series of pre-season reports, HarryfromBath assesses the mood around the Championship clubs by delving into their forums, looking here at how Burton have fared under Nigel Clough this summer. All of the teams in the division will be reported on by the start of the season.
"What a season we have just had”, "It’s not possible to do it two years running. I mean, is it?”, "If we stay up this season and become a regular Championship club, it would be a ludicrous achievement”, "I’m just going to enjoy it again this season playing all of these big clubs and ruffling a few feathers.”
"Achieve safety with a game to go.” Having survived last season with the odds against them, Brewers fully know what they are up against. "It will be a relegation fight but the team is a work in progress. With no infrastructure, a small fanbase and very limited income, we have been living in a dream.”
"Sound and stable management are at the heart of the club and it is filled with enthusiasm from top to bottom. This gives us a head start”, "The same level of fight as we have seen last season and we will be fine”, "Enjoy today and stop worrying. Life as a Brewer these days is absolutely wonderful.”
"The pressure on Nigel to maintain this position must be immense”, "Anyone who has followed his career in football can only admire the man”, "He has done it his way with football coming first and last.” Brewers adore their manager both for who he is and for what he has achieved at the club.
"I sometimes think ‘Hang on a minute, Nigel, you have got that wrong’, but then you look back and in hindsight he’s almost invariably spot on”, "I could listen to him all day and night. He has so much understanding of the game, from working at grassroots level to playing at international standard.”
"Nigel is more like his dad than he gets credit for. Brian Clough would be full of wit and humour. Nigel is calm and considered, but his tactical judgement and understanding of players is on the same level”, "He has a basic, straightforward and honest approach to his job and he doesn’t suffer fools.”
Brewers are delighted and relieve to see that Australia international midfielder Jackson Irvine has not been lured away from the club. A number of fringe players, including goalkeeper and club stalwart Jon McLaughlin, who reportedly has been on trial at Hull City, have been let go by Clough.
Bury have signed midfielder Callum Reilly and right-back Phil Edwards while Port Vale have recruited keeper Sam Hornby. The Valiants have also taken 21-year-old winger Marcus Harness on a season-long loan. Veteran and one-time Blackburn midfielder Lee Williamson has also been released.
"I wouldn’t bet against Nigel being shrewd in the transfer market again. There are plenty of good surplus players around that aren’t always on the radar. Luckily for us we have one of the best in the business at finding them.”
Brewers are confident that their manager will unearth the best players he can find. "By hook or by crook Clough will improve the playing squad, not in the easy way by splashing the cash, but the hard way of finding gems on the cheap, good loan signings and doing a balancing act with the budget.”
Clough has strengthened his defence with the acquisition of two experienced players from Wigan, 35-year-old Stephen Warnock and Jake Buxton, 32, who returns to the Pirelli Stadium having played for the Brewers in the 2008/09 campaign. One-time Town loan keeper Stephen Bywater has also agreed a new contract.
In midfield, Luke Murphy has returned from Leeds on a second season-long loan, having previously switched to Burton on loan in January and 25-year-old Hope Akpan has joined after being released by Blackburn this summer. Northern Ireland international Matty Lund, 26, has signed from Rochdale.
The second Northern Ireland international to be added to the squad is 26-year-old Liam Boyce on a three-year deal from Ross County, while one-time Hornet Marvin Sordell has also penned new a three-year deal to remain at the Pirelli Stadium.
Burton’s pre-season fixtures have mostly been comfortable wins against local non-league outfits. At the time of writing they still have to play Shrewsbury and Leicester, but their two friendlies against league opposition have yielded two losses, 3-0 to AFC Wimbledon and 1-0 to a late goal against West Brom.
"Nigel clearly needs to add a few to his squad”, "I have been very impressed with the quality of our play, but we obviously need to strengthen the right side of defence and add an additional striker and winger, but we more then held our own against Premier League West Brom as we were.”
The team which started against West Brom (above) was set out in Clough’s preferred 3-5-2 system and is the side most Brewers expect to see starting when the campaign properly begins. The team which finished the game (below) contained several youth players who impressed the watching fans.
"The West Brom game was a good workout and a proper test. The goal [a late Jay Rodriguez header] only went in after we had made five changes. It could have gone either way”, "A good workout, with lots of sublime passing and moving. We edged possession, they perhaps edged likeliness to score.”
"A good practice for the yellow brick wall”, "We seem to have a few leaders in defence. Stephen Warnock looks assured and commanding”, "Ben Fox looks confident for a 19-year-old. He looks a real unit, but he’s an industrious central midfielder who can do the defensive and attacking jobs.”
"Looking at our young players, I would say young Joe Sbarra left the biggest impression on me. He looks promising”, "He looks at ease in men’s football. Considering his size, he’s very difficult to knock off the ball”, "He’s tricky and full of confidence, causing panic running at West Brom’s defenders.”
Having survived against all the odds last season, Brewers are starting to wonder how their story might end. "Can history repeat itself at a higher level? I can’t help looking at the parallels. Wimbledon and Wigan did it, Brighton were at the bottom of League Two not long ago, ditto Hull and Swansea”.
"Nigel has achieved success at a similar scale to his dad and achieved his own football miracles. He took over a tiny Southern League club on crowds of 700 and is now four divisions above that level. It really is fairytale stuff for those who have witnessed it”, "It has been a privilege watching it unfold.”
The most active Brewers’ message-board is the polite and friendly Brewers Talk.