Burton H

[Teammoo]

Well Burton up next later today. We welcome back former plyers Ben Garratt, John Brayford and Luke Varney.
The Brewers are on a run of 5 successive wins and have certainly improved under the stewardship of JFH.

Can we go one better than the reverse fixture that ended 1-1

Burton are reportedly playing "Hoof ball" in the first half of games and then piling on the pressure later on when the opponents start to tire.
Hoping for a 3-1 win today. Mandron, Kirk and Beccles to score.

[AstonAlex]

I notice their excellent run of form has generally been against teams towards the bottom of the league, but I’m sure Dave won’t contemplate any sign of complacency.

I guess not losing is their first rule, but we have found teams running out of steam against us rather than the other way around. Our home form and style means we should have too much for them and I was going to go for a comfortable win, but the weather favours them rather than us (a great leveller is the usual expression/excuse!). Even so, 2-0 to the Alex, Mandron and Dale.

[gazan]

We struggle against teams below us, especially those who have set out a clear plan. 1-1 Dale to score and Garrett to play the conventional role of turning it on against us.

[Teammoo]

Gillingham 3-1 up and above us in the table at the moment.

[gazan]

Let's hope that someone in management remembers how crap Garrett was with shots from distance.

[gazan]

It's bad enough giving an average team a 3 goal start but to see absolutely no response at all is unforgivable. It seems that we can give away a 3 goals lead easily enough but are totally unable to claw one back ourselves.
I am beginning to lose patience with the dogmatic approach to the style of play. The third goal was a symptom of the looking backwards or sideways approach. Adebisi was in acres of space and didn't even need to play the ball but, obviously, there is a dictat that says we must channel the ball into the middle (and then to the left) that made Rio nervous about keeping the ball.
It was good to see Ainley reintroduced but after a promising start he obviously realised he wasn't getting any support and so faded away. I'm worried about Lowery's development as he works hard to create space but then cannot hit a five yard pass. Wintle is now anonymous in games. Time to drop him and let him get a club he's happy to play for. Charlie is not going anywhere career wise if he continues to faff about without getting some movement forward. Dale is slipping towards his form of last season, lots of industry and promise but no final product. Even Pickering is beginning to look quite ordinary. So, any positives? Mandron worked hard and realised he had to come and get the ball himself. Adebisi looked promising but got dragged down with the rest.
Some questions:
-How come, when we pull all 10 outfield players back into the box to defend a dead-ball, when the ball actually comes into the box it drops into spaces where there are no red shirts?
- Why is it that when we attack down the wing, despite the amount of time taken to get to the point of crossing, there's only one player in the box?
- I know we are 'stronger' down the left but why, on numerous occasions, do we have 3 players within two yards of each other? Once or twice, yes, but most opposition teams expect it now and todays game where we continued to do it and Burton just closed us down into a small area we cannot get out of.
-Can we introduce some variety into goal kicks. Today, as the move became increasingly predictable, we were penned into our left corner.
-Why is it Beckles who brings the ball out?
Finally, I'd just like to say that, despite another horror show in defence, my bigger worry is the lack of goals. We have a lot of the ball but it is usually just outside our own penalty area. Someone should tell management that the goals are at the other end.

[lukcour]

Sounds like Gazan is not a happy chappy. Can completely understand his response. DA that was not awful, that was totally unacceptable. In a short space of time we faced two teams that loaded up their midfield, competed, and pressed constantly. Our management and players were absolutely clueless in how to offset these quite normal tactics in league1. Our team was hopeless for the whole game, and looked like we could have played for a week and not scored.

Same point once again. Did we actually watch Burton recently? Oh dear someone got it wrong again. Team selection, woefully wrong. To play Dale, Kirk, and Lowery against a solid packed midfield. Come on, even a 12 year old supporter would know that was wrong. Not one of those three are competitive midfielders. It must have been the easiest game Burton have had in ages, and as a Alex supporter it was so painful to watch.

[RedandWhiteSpartan]

Hmmm, it was bad, but not that bad.
Credit to Burton who are on a great run of form at the minute. I remember Burton outplaying us in the EFL Trophy at Gresty Road back in September '19. It was 1-3 that day.
If we hadn't gifted them the 3 goals yesterday, then the game could have turned out differently, but Ben Garratt looked like he wasn't going to let anything past him, and goodness the rest of the Burton team worked their socks off.
We don"t have a consistent deadly striker, and are still prone to catastrophic defensive errors.
Hey ho, we are Crewe!

[AstonAlex]

After much reflection on a dreadful defensive show I ten to agree with Spartan. They worked harder than us yet still created very little that we didn’t gift them one way or another.. so good luck to them - if only the appalling Maamria hadn’t been in the dugout I’d be more fulsome in my praise!!

As to us, the only fellas that seemed to be up for the match were Mandron, as always worked his socks off, and Lowery who seemed to be the only midfielder or forward with any energy, although not always to good effect admittedly. As to the others, well their get up and go got up and left!

I imagine the same 11 won’t run out at Sixfields. Hopefully Daniels will be fit (nothing against Rio but he may benefit from a rest after that trauma!) and Evans may be worth a start. Ainley looked as though he needs a bit longer before a start but who knows? The only certainties are that Mandron starts and Omar can’t play that badly twice in a row.

[Teammoo]

I wish you hadn't put that last remark in.