Burton Albion continue to win with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink at the helm. Hasselbaink took control of the managerial reins on New Year’s Day, with the Brewers winning nine out of 12 games under his stewardship.
Burton Albion Were Six Points Away From Safety Before Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink Rejoined
Hasselbaink Has Already Taken Burton Out of the Relegation Zone
Burton Albion are in fine form by winning six games on the bounce in League One. Sitting rock bottom when Hasselbaink rejoined, the Brewers are now pushing themselves to safety. The turnaround is especially enjoyable for Burton fans as Hasselbaink once again is proving his worth to the club.
Jake Buxton, the former Albion manager, was struggling in his role, picking up just two wins in 21 games. Speaking in a club statement, Chairman Ben Robinson spoke regrettably of the decision: “I am extremely disappointed as everyone at the club was rooting for Jake and wanted him to succeed in his first opportunity as a manager. Sadly, it has not worked out.”. The move is proving to be an immense success as the Brewers are seven points clear of the drop.
As reported on Sky Sports News, Hasselbaink laid down his targets when re-signing: “We are coming in to try as quickly as possible to get us up the league and keep ourselves in League One – that’s our aim and first and foremost that’s what we will be trying to do.”
New Players and New Tactics Are Proving to Be a Hit
Burton are employing a simple, yet effective, direct playing style that favours quick counter-attacks over keeping possession. Burton often finish games with less than 40 per cent possession but can also be at their best without the ball. In a 4-2-3-1 system, their players aim to deny the opposition chances with intense pressing play and break quickly as they gain possession.
Striker, Kane Hemmings is responding well to this change. Hemmings went on to score his first-ever hat-trick against Crewe Alexandra in Burton’s last outing. In the post-match interview, Hasselbaink praised Hemming’s improvement. He said: “He was sharp. He is one of those that with the long throw-ins he will anticipate where the ball is going to drop. He did that really, really well. We capitalised on the mistake they made, we forced them into making mistakes and we were ready to punish them.”
Alongside the tactics, Hasselbaink’s recruitment in the January transfer market significantly improved the team. As reported on Burton’s official website, Hasselbaink spoke of signing so many players: “Bringing in so many players is a big risk – but one we had to take. Normally in January, you bring in two or three maximum but we needed to make the team more balanced and more competitive, with more energy”.
Hayden Carter, 21, a young on-loan centre back, is playing some of his best football with the Brewers. Carter scored the winning goal on his debut for Burton against Gillingham and also kept a clean sheet.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink Has Been Nominated for Manager of the Month
The Brewers won four out of five games in February, including a win against league leaders Hull City. Although Hasselbaink’s focus will be on Burton’s next opponent, Blackpool are the next challengers looking to halt the winning streak.
The Seasiders are defensively solid and very hard to beat but also struggle to score goals. However, they have lost just one of their last 11 games and remain unbeaten at home since October. Blackpool’s manager, Neil Critchley, is also competing against Hasselbaink for the manager of the month award.
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