MATCHWATCH : Burton Albion (a) sponsored by points mean prizes

[Sutekh]

When : Tuesday, 30th January, 7.45pm
Where : Pirelli Stadium, Burton, DE13 0AR
Capacity : 6,912
Away Stand : Coors East Stand Terrace and 400 seats in the main stand
What might I see in the area : A home team with a bit of fight about them


This is it. It starts NOW. Any thoughts of promotion and the play offs have long since departed, closed the door and turned the lights off. Now the club sits in the dark looking for a way out of the mess that a combination of cr@p mananagement and cr@p playing decisions have dropped it right into. And it doesn't look good.

The vast majority of fans want Stam gone and perceive the club to be utterly clueless, pathetic and going nowhere but downwards quicker than a legless dead ostrich bolted to a metal plate hurtling down the Cresta Run. Worst of all the perception is that the club is spineless and unable to fight their way out of a wet paper bag let alone put up resistance to any of the battles that are expected to come.

So prove everyone wrong please boys. Get out there at Burton and prove you have what it takes. Get out there and fight like the lives of your mothers, fathers, wives, girlfriends, partners, sons, daughters, etc. depend on it. and that goes for the management as well. No more of this poncey cobblers it won't work in a scrap. To continue with it will be a bit like that bit in Indiana Jones where that bloke comes at Indy waving all his swords about and being, well, poncey and Indy just shoots him.

And in order to start turning things around let's start at the bottom. Literally. Burton are bottom of the table. Burton are struggling. Burton are not very good. Burton lost 6-0 at Fulham last time out. Burton have a home record that makes Reading's home record look like one of invincibility - see the trends section below.

That said Burton have added Martin Samuelsen and Darren Bent to their squad and are expecting to add a third new face before Reading turn up on Tuesday. On top of that their record signing, striker Liam Boyce, has recently started training after missing all the season due to a serious injury in preseason just after joining. On the other side of things they will be missing influential midfielder Will Miller who suffered a serious knee injury in their last home game v QPR while Matty Lund and Stephen Warnock have been loaned out to Bradford City.

In he Reading camp, despite a few rumours, realistically no new signings are expected before the game (and quite probably not before the window closes either). On the injury front McShane, Richards, Swift (all hamstring injures) and all the long term casualties; Harriott, Quinn, Obita etc. will all be missing. Fear not though as the chances are both Berg and Aluko will be restored to the team as Stam attempts to perm another solution. It needs to be a good one Jaap.

Trends

Burton

1. Last home win; 2-1 v Fulham on 16 September 2017
2. Current home form : P10 | W0 | D1 | L9 | F7 | A26

Reading

1. Current league form : P8 | W0 | D3 | L5 | F4 | A12
2. Reading have played 292 minutes since last scoring a league goal
3. When conceding first in a league game Reading have lost 12, drawn 3 and won 0
4. When scoring first in a league game Reading have lost 1, drawn 3 and won 7
5. Reading have managed just 1 win from 23 away league games played on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening, a run stretching back to the 4-2 win at Leeds on 11 March 2014 (however the one win in 23 did turn up on the last game in January last year away in the midlands at a team beginning with "B").

Comparison form over the last 13 league games

Burton : P13 | W4 | D2 | L7 | F13 | A20 | Pts 14
Reading : P13 | W2 | D5 | L6 | F12 | A17 | Pts 11

So if this was the 14th game of the season Reading would be 3 points above Reading

Referee

Another newbie. In his second season on the league list Merseyside's Robert Jones will be running his first Reading game in his eighth appearance at Championship level.



Historically

One previous visit to Burton and one previous win by 4-2 on the last day of last season.

How to follow the game

1. Get a ticket and travel
2. Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
3. Ring/text a mate for updates
4. Use an iFollow subscription
5. BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)
   

[Forest Gump]

1-0 and burton go on a run that manages to just get them out of relegation and dropping Reading at least one further place.

[AthleticoSpizz]

I like to see small teams like Burton sticking around for a bit, but cannot see it happening this season.

Something like a 3-0 to Reading, Jaap giving the 442 thing another airing.

[Hound]

I like to see small teams like Burton sticking around for a bit, but cannot see it happening this season.

Something like a 3-0 to Reading, Jaap giving the 442 thing another airing.

Did 4-4-2 get an outing then? Thought it was 3-5-2

Such a ridiculously huge game in context of our season. If we can’t beat this lot then can’t see where a win will come from

[Elm Park Kid]

From the Twitter posts I get the impression that they've given Stam an ultimatum with this game. Result or you're gone.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Dunno.....just usurping BBCB’s commentary.

[Delboy]

Bring in Rednapp until end of season then Murty to give us back our mojo

[windermereROYAL]

From the Twitter posts I get the impression that they've given Stam an ultimatum with this game. Result or you're gone.

Probably a fair assumption, Burton and Millwall are must win games given the horrendous February (and first game in March) we have coming up.

[TiagoIlori]

Feels strange to call this a big game but it is how it is. I’m lost for words that a few people are willing to lose such a big game just so Stam gets sacked

[Old Man Andrews]

Sums it all up perfectly.

Can see a draw.

[Snowflake Royal]

Bring in Rednapp until end of season then Murty to give us back our mojo

How is Redknapp going to spend his way out of trouble and us to bankruptcy in half a week when we already have no money?

I'd be cheering for our relegation if we employed that kunt.

[CountryRoyal]

This time has no bottle and no fight in it. We will lose at a canter. Darren Bent will score.

[Royal_jimmy]

Burton 1-0 Reading

HT 0-0

Stam finally sacked on Wednesday on the same day that we sign Tommy Elphick on loan

[Snowflake Royal]

Worst result possible 1-1, or 0-0

Not even remotely enough to give hope of any up turn in fortunes, but possibly enough to keep Stam employed for another match.

[JoeyJoeJoeJnrShabadoo]

thanks

[Hound]

Worst result possible 1-1, or 0-0

Not even remotely enough to give hope of any up turn in fortunes, but possibly enough to keep Stam employed for another match.

Which is what I’m fully expecting to happen

[genome]

Worst result possible 1-1, or 0-0

Not even remotely enough to give hope of any up turn in fortunes, but possibly enough to keep Stam employed for another match.

Which is what I’m fully expecting to happen

Rodgers was sacked after a draw

[John Smith]

We will win this game.

The FA Cup on Friday was a free shot with a new system and it didn't work. We are a better team than Burton and we will make it show. We displayed signs of improvement against Brentford and our quality will prevail on the night. I have slight concerns about the ref so we might concede a cheap pen in a 3-1 win.

[NewCorkSeth]

Hard to call. Were making a habit of losing. I reckon it'll continue.

3-0 Burton.

[Theroyalbox]

I also think/hope/want us to win tomorrow - and against Millwall, and its both very realistic but I feel 3 more wins and our season is pretty much over. (is that good or bad)