Burton game is huge and must go well

[Jimmy the Jock]

As long as we are chugging along and competitive, I don't care what we are like until around February.

If we are claiming 1st games of the season are must wins we are going to be complaining none stop, as we are guaranteed to have periods when we are awful.

Burton were one of the worst teams I have seen live though when we played them at home.

They were pretty bad away, we were worse that day though.

They are not a very professional outfit , one of the players had his child in the dugout at our home game with them, apparently they turned up wearing whatever they likes as well. Not that stops you being a good football player.
They are a very workman like side.

I expect us to win with a decent performance.

[LordKenwyne]

They were pretty bad away, we were worse that day though.

They are not a very professional outfit , one of the players had his child in the dugout at our home game with them, apparently they turned up wearing whatever they likes as well. Not that stops you being a good football player.
They are a very workman like side.

I expect us to win with a decent performance.

Ye would should win, no doubt about that.

Lloyd dyer was the only one who resembled a championship footballer from what I saw.

[Rjk]

Burton will have played 2 premier league teams in ore season by the time we play them, whereas we haven't played anyone close to being as good as Shrewsbury, who are in the division below us.

It'll interesting to see who starts the sharpest.

[J R Hartley]

Please explain how my argument is one sided? I'll go through it again.

Some people are suggesting Burton are a side we should beat. I can understand why - they are likely to be one of the weaker sides in the Championship while we have ambitions of being one of the better teams at this level.

Beating Burton away will not guarantee promotion or a top 6 finish. You say if we have ambition to go up we should be winning at Burton. That's just one club. That's just one club that will be likely to struggle this season. If we lose to them then it's not the end of the world, neither does it show a lack of ambition. If we kept losing away to the divisional strugglers, then we're not likely to go up.

I'd expect a team with promotion ambitions to win a good percentage of games away at the teams close to the bottom. If we lost to Burton but then won at teams like Millwall, Bolton, Forest, Sheffield Utd, Birmingham, Bristol City etc, then the result against one team won't make any difference.

You happily mention that all of the top 5 won at Burton. Given that they finished above Nottingham Forest, shouldn't teams that had promotion ambitions also expected (to a greater extent) to have won at Forest? Interestingly none of the top 6 won there; only Fulham and Sheff Wed got draws there, the rest lost. Did defeats suffered by Newcastle, Brighton, Reading and Huddersfield mean they had no promotion ambitions? Of course not. Funnily, Forest beat the three promoted teams at home, possibly the only Championship team to do so, though I haven't checked.

Arguing about how teams got on against Burton is as pointless and futile as arguing about how teams got on against Forest, or Rotherham, or Wigan etc, which is my point. It's how we get on overall against the Championship strugglers. We won't win every game against teams near the bottom. Not even promotion winning teams win all their games at the division's weakest sides. That's why measuring promotion ambition against the result of one football match against one team is utter nonsense.

Really? Where did I say that then? I think youll find I said it wasn’t remiss of those saying it but I actually said a point wouldn’t be a bad result.

YOU were the one who brought Burtons home form and results against individual teams into it, mentioning their impressive wins against Sheff Weds, Leeds, Norwich, Derby.etc. However you conveniently choose to leave out the fact the top 5 all won there hence me pointing out your argument about Burtons home form was one sided.

I have no doubt you went and checked their results in the hope they had pulled off a few shocks against the teams finishing 1st to 6th but couldn’t so had to adjust your argument accordingly. You’ve then gone and searched the other teams down there to suit your argument and struck gold with Forest. However Forest is clearly a tougher place to go than Burton. They are an established Championship side and had the 10th best home record last season. It was only their appalling away record which meant they just scraped safety and were 1 point below Burton.

Finally, please don’t patronise me and explain for a 4th time what your argument is, I understood it first time, and have not argued any different. Im fully aware football is played on grass, not paper and not all the top 6 will win every game against the bottom teams. However, I really do think Burton could be this seasons Rotherham and we should going there to win. Some away games you go for a point and anything else is bonus. This is not one of them so I can fully understand why people are expecting 3 points even though myself personally I wont be too downbeat if we only get a point.

[SuisseBluebird]

All I know is iFollow better work on Saturday whilst I am sat out on a terrace soaking up the sun in Spain with a fresh bottle of Estrella.

If pre season is anything to go by, Neil Warnock has his heart set on Tomlin, Zohore, Mandaz-Laing/Hoilett/Harris being creative up front and looking to open up space. I did not want to read too much into the Livingston performance, but it was good to see players like Gunnarsson looking to burst forward and break into space created by the movement of the aforementioned front men.

And to add to the discussions in this thread, Burton Albion despite getting some decent results at home last season should be a team Cardiff look to do a number on. They have one of the smallest most depleted squads in the division and are missing many key players that made up part of their starting 11 from last season. Cardiff on the other hand have strengthened, i am not anticipating Cardiff to run riot this season, but to at least impose a consistent attacking threat to any opposition they face. First stop of 46 is at Burton and it would be great to witness not only a win but a good performance to go along with it.

[LordKenwyne]

Burton are playing at the start of this season in last years kits as they didn't give themselves enough time to design and produce new ones.

[Tandy]

A draw is the best we can hope for considering the quality of teams we've played pre-season.

[Jimmy the Jock]

A draw is the best we can hope for considering the quality of teams we've played pre-season.

How will that affect the performance on Saturday?

[Rjk]

A draw is the best we can hope for considering the quality of teams we've played pre-season.

Is playing weaker or stronger teams better in pre season?
Or is there no correlation at all?

[Jimmy the Jock]

Is playing weaker or stronger teams better in pre season?
Or is there no correlation at all?

Correct

I have never know pre season to decide a league.

EVER.....

[Thoth]

What date is the Burton game?

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Finally, please don’t patronise me and explain for a 4th time what your argument is, I understood it first time

You just wanted to be an arse. I understand.

[Sgt. Pepper]

We took one point from our first two away games the season we went up as Champions. Including a defeat to the wurzels who finished bottom that season.

Peterborough who were also relegated did the double over us. Trying to read too much into the result of a single game, let alone the first game of the season is a bit daft.

It is very much 'a bit daft'.

Let's see how we are doing over first six games or so.

[J R Hartley]

You just wanted to be an arse. I understand.

Nope, not at all. You raised two seperate arguments in your initial post. One was Burtons home form last season, which you were economical with the truth, so I argued your point. The other was the top teams wont always win against the bottom teams, which I never disputed

As you were.

[Rjk]

It is very much 'a bit daft'.

Let's see how we are doing over first six games or so.

I'm basing everything from the pre match warm up in the first game. If I don't like what I see them that's it for me for another season

[jon1959]

Burton's record signing Liam Boyce confirmed out for most of the season following a freak accident in their friendly against Shrewsbury.

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/sport/fo...yce-set-263472

[Michael Morris]

What date is the Burton game?

This Saturday, August 5th. ko 3:00pm.

[Michael Morris]

That's tough on him, and Burton.

I believe they are playing Leicester tonight in their final pre-season game.

[BlueToujours]

That's tough on him, and Burton.

I believe they are playing Leicester tonight in their final pre-season game.

They are 2-0 up at half time.

[Former Labour leader]

Yes, Burton won 2-1. Decent win. Surprused only a few days from start of season but they may be sharper than us. Despite their issues I can see them winning Saturday.
Ps expect them to play 1 up top so game may be a bit dour.

[Sgt. Pepper]

Correct

I have never know pre season to decide a league.

EVER.....

Indeed, not "decide" but I do remember a season under Jones - sometime mid '00's(?) where the pre went absolutely magnificently and the spirit, style and substance carried on into the season.
Came to nothing eventually of course.

[life on mars]

I tend to think we need a win ,we could be bottom if we lose that and then home to Villa ,eeeeek

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Indeed, not "decide" but I do remember a season under Jones - sometime mid '00's(?) where the pre went absolutely magnificently and the spirit, style and substance carried on into the season.
Came to nothing eventually of course.

Then I also remember a pre season where we got thumped 6-4 somewhere, can't remember where but recall Pilkington scoring against us. We made the FA cup final that season...

[Michael Morris]

Burton are playing at the start of this season in last years kits as they didn't give themselves enough time to design and produce new ones.

Not true.
They wore their new kit last night.

https://www.burtonalbionfc.co.uk/new...july/2707-kit/

burtonkit.jpg