Is this likely to get called off ?

Assume tickets will be on sale this week ? 

Can someone post the Johnson inteview, can't find it anywhere.

3 minutes ago, waffer cup 07 said:

Can someone post the Johnson inteview, can't find it anywhere.

 

16 minutes ago, Rizlar said:

This 4-2-3-1 away from home doesn’t work we are being overrun in midfield we are way to open SS is an experienced manager and if he can’t see it well he’s in the wrong job as he not learned from IEs tenure from last season how bad it was and this having to score first is an excuse .

Again, I don’t think it’s that clear cut.

I listened to Bowyer’s interview mid-week and he was being quizzed as to how does he sort out Burtons home record, does he need to adopt a different approach at home than what he does away.

And he said, no, we’ll approach it in the same way.

Lose yesterday and he might start to look silly - but they didn’t. And his approach looks like a success.

I don’t think it’s black/white that 4-2-3-1 doesn’t work away from home. Is that the reason we’re not winning? Is it that clear cut that that is a problem?

I don’t even think we were 4-2-1-3 yesterday! 

I think you make a valid point about being overrun in midfield - but I think that’s more to do with us going 4-4-2 not 4-2-3-1! 

I think the general issues are more to do with inconsistency.

Specifically yesterday I think both fans, manager and captain tried to explain what went wrong and to their credit they went beyond just “having to score first”. I didn’t feel this or, long grass, or sprinklers were given as sole reasons to pass off a defeat - there was lots wrong, none of which was off the table when going through the post-mortem 

1 minute ago, Cheese said:

 

Cheers.

Its noticeable that the target seems to have gone from "promotion" to "play offs".  Nobody's talking about the gap to the top 2 any more, its the gap to 6th.  Next time we win someone will say we only need to win another 4 or whatever, but it feels like there's a sea-change which is a bit more realistic on where this team is, that play offs is now the target and not top 2.  I bet there aren't many fans now that wouldn't settle for the play offs.  Pre-Northampton I bet most of us felt justified in thinking we'd be challenging for 2nd place, not now.

3 minutes ago, waffer cup 07 said:

Cheers.

It you want the Bolton News one that mentioned the pitch, you'll have to listen to the podcast. About 24 mins in.

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/25536320.burton-albion-3-0-bolton-wanderers---last-word-podcast/

Edited October 12, 2025Oct 12 by Cheese

The season Plymouth went up we played them off the park 3 times although somehow we lost 1 and drew one playing Evatt ball, the Wembley performance from Plymouth was a shambles, based on those 3 games I’m not sure why Schumacher was the go to guy after Evatt, yes they got promoted but was the bulk of that team put together by Lowe. Results and performances have not been great since Schumacher arrived, 2 decent performances from memory Brum and Wigan at home other than those games slender pickings. He’s a lot to prove and not long to do it. I hope he shoves these words down my throat I’ll be delighted if he does. 

Edited October 12, 2025Oct 12 by Mounts Kipper

22 minutes ago, desperado said:

You’re acting as if the manager and captain have said the reason we lost is because of long grass and sprinklers.

There the ones mentioning it they could just say it’s the same for both teams it didnt have a bearing on the result when asked . 

The grass is long , the sprinklers didnt work , the pen was soft , dalby missed two good chances

SS even says if Dalby scores we win how can he say that there is  85 minutes left in the game ?  That’s  the best they can come up with Johnston no mention what he was playing at   for the second goal ?  SS that is tactics starting 11 and game management was poor they sound all a bit lost which is a worry and no idea how to put it right 

4 minutes ago, Farnywhite said:

they sound all a bit lost which is a worry and no idea how to put it right 

Well that’s a matter of opinion.

I’ve listened to all the post match interviews and view it differently. 

I think your view and opinion after a 3-0 defeat will be agreed with more openly than mine - folk will hear what they want to hear which after yesterday will be the stuff that you highlight that fits the opinion that SS and Johnston are coming up with excuses.

I’m offering a more balanced opinion, where Ive pointed out the context of the whole interview and highlighted other aspects where reasonable answers and explanations were discussed.

Difficult after losing 3-0.

Talk is cheap though - the proof will be in the pudding in the next set of games as to whether they can address/arrest these problems we have.

We've had defeats but it's a long time since I've felt this despondent after one. I've seen the post match interviews put up on SM and I can't be arsed watching them because I know the same lines will be spouted out. I did see SS record since he came here and it surprised me how bog standard it is. Ok, he had to work with what he had early on. But in the summer he was given the go-ahead to get rid and get in his players. He's done that. Everything is now on him and his staff. There's no Evatt fallout anymore. At times it's all right. But it's been average and awful a lot more. Everything about yesterday was dreadful.

The majority got their wish and wanted to see an end of Evatt-Ball. Be careful what you wish for. IE downfall was his stubbornness. SS needs to sit his staff and himself down and have an honest assessment about themselves and look at their approach and faults. An orchestra is only as good as the conductor. 

I'm a patient man and willing to give folk more time than they probably deserve. But the line in the sand got a lot closer after yesterday.

Mcatee did ok when he came on….

6 minutes ago, Underpants said:

We've had defeats but it's a long time since I've felt this despondent after one. I've seen the post match interviews put up on SM and I can't be arsed watching them because I know the same lines will be spouted out. I did see SS record since he came here and it surprised me how bog standard it is. Ok, he had to work with what he had early on. But in the summer he was given the go-ahead to get rid and get in his players. He's done that. Everything is now on him and his staff. There's no Evatt fallout anymore. At times it's all right. But it's been average and awful a lot more. Everything about yesterday was dreadful.

The majority got their wish and wanted to see an end of Evatt-Ball. Be careful what you wish for. IE downfall was his stubbornness. SS needs to sit his staff and himself down and have an honest assessment about themselves and look at their approach and faults. An orchestra is only as good as the conductor. 

I'm a patient man and willing to give folk more time than they probably deserve. But the line in the sand got a lot closer after yesterday.

Word for word my thoughts.

4 hours ago, ianofcleveleys said:

The anticipation when SS joined was for him bringing the blueprint from Plymouth, the team that could score goals but also defend and, if need be, shithouse their way to a result, as in that 0-0 when Evatt's side put in one of its best performances that season but couldn't score.

What we've got is a side displaying too many of Evatt's side's bad traits, just in a different set of players, and an approach to recruitment and shape that's not as advertised in SS's talk over Summer and isnt delivering results, certainly away from home.

It has a whiff of Evatt's first season about it and another window of tweaking may be necessary to set us up for a sustained challenge from Feb onwards

More recruitment won't make a difference, as the issue is the tactics, pure and simple.

People keep calling it 4231 or 442 etc...that's just 1 facet of the tactics. 

Our tactics right now is every attacking play must go to the wingers, they then decide to cross, pass or shoot. 

As far as i can tell 4/5 they seem to want to do is shoot. Thus we get loads of shots and no real actual opportunities. 

Atm you mark our wingers and we dont have an attack at all. 

There is no versatility in how we play, again like Evatt it's so easy to counter as a tactic. 

Now people have seen Burton do this they'll keep doing it again and again.

 

Edited October 12, 2025Oct 12 by Zog1

Can bemoan our attacking play all day but if you're defence and keeper are prone to calamity you've fucked it there too.

Nothing is suggesting we are a strong unit like Wrexham or Wycombe were last season or Derby the year before who just came out on the right side of results even on an off day.

 

26 minutes ago, Zog1 said:

More recruitment won't make a difference, as the issue is the tactics, pure and simple.

People keep calling it 4231 or 442 etc...that's just 1 facet of the tactics. 

Our tactics right now is every attacking play must go to the wingers, they then decide to cross, pass or shoot. 

As far as i can tell 4/5 they seem to want to do is shoot. Thus we get loads of shots and no real actual opportunities. 

Atm you mark our wingers and we dont have an attack at all. 

There is no versatility in how we play, again like Evatt it's so easy to counter as a tactic. 

Now people have seen Burton do this they'll keep doing it again and again.

 

I don't disagree, we've neither the method or the personnel to overcome any sort of team away from home. I also felt we made a huge faff of closing the game out last week, with our only way of doing it seeming to be to score another.

The recruitment bit for me would the the genuine DM type that protects what isn't a very good defence and allows to play a 4-3-3 that can fall into a 4-5-1 if need be. We haven't anyone currently who can perform that role and I'd move one or two out to make it happen 

33 minutes ago, Zog1 said:

the issue is the tactics, pure and simple.

 

33 minutes ago, Zog1 said:

People keep calling it 4231 or 442 etc...that's just 1 facet of the tactics. 

You see I think these two comments contradict each other.

One suggests it’s pure and simple, the other suggests it’s multi-faceted.

It is complex, because there are, as of yet, a lot of unexplained inconsistencies with the squad and the tactics that are being employed.

”Simply” changing the tactics won’t IMO make Simons play better away from home. And then, magically we start winning.

And I think there is a lot more to it than  just changing the things you are suggesting.

Cause let’s be honest,  if it was that easy, he really would have seen and done it.

He’s not sat there in another country playing at being a football manager as if he’s on FIFA. 

Edited October 12, 2025Oct 12 by desperado

The injury to EE is a real bastard because I think we need a midfield two screening the back four, no matter who we're playing or whether we're at home or away, and we don't really have an adequate replacement

I know there's been times we've played bothe ER and Simons together and we haven't been great, but I still think it's the case that we're best off witht he two of them together, and that would prove to be the case if they were given an extended run

Maybe Simons and Dempsey could plug that gap in the meantime

Also, and I can understand why we did it, I think it's pretty clear we decided in pre-season not to prioritise the defence in favour of bolstering our options further forward, likely because we already had a quite a few defenders signed up and we were intending to go from back three/five to a back four with two  centre-halves

It's costing us at the minute, though

1 minute ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

The injury to EE is a real bastard because I think we need a midfield two screening the back four, no matter who we're playing or whether we're at home or away, and we don't really have an adequate replacement

I know there's been times we've played bothe ER and Simons together and we haven't been great, but I still think it's the case that we're best off witht he two of them together, and that would prove to be the case if they were given an extended run

Maybe Simons and Dempsey could plug that gap in the meantime

Have Simons and Erhahon started an away game together?

I can’t recall.

I agree let’s get these two together as a start.

I think he probably would have done yesterday if he wasn’t injured. 

1 minute ago, desperado said:

Have Simons and Erhahon started an away game together?

No, not in the league anyway

A problem right there

Weak as piss 

no improvement from last season.

Still early doors but clock is already ticking unfortunately.

Scared to death of next two game 

41 minutes ago, desperado said:

 

You see I think these two comments contradict each other.

One suggests it’s pure and simple, the other suggests it’s multi-faceted.

It is complex, because there are, as of yet, a lot of unexplained inconsistencies with the squad and the tactics that are being employed.

”Simply” changing the tactics won’t IMO make Simons play better away from home. And then, magically we start winning.

And I think there is a lot more to it than  just changing the things you are suggesting.

Cause let’s be honest,  if it was that easy, he really would have seen and done it.

He’s not sat there in another country playing at being a football manager as if he’s on FIFA. 

We're totally 1 dimensional. 

You can tell from watching us the instructions aka tactics for players like Simons is, recieve the ball and look for wingers. This 1 instruction alone is hurting us. Telling him look for any forward teammate, or player running into space, would be a different tactic this change alone would make us better right away, more unpredictable. Maybe we get some direct play or play through the middle of the park. Maybe by doing this, the 3 players marking ACD drops to 1 player and gives him some space. All of a sudden we're more difficult to play against and hay presto Simons looks like a better player. 

ps this is stuff that SS did at Stoke and Plymouth. 

You can watch the games online, you think all his attacks in his 4231 at Stoke went through the wings? it's mental. 

 

 

 

19 minutes ago, Zog1 said:

We're totally 1 dimensional. 

You can tell from watching us the instructions aka tactics for players like Simons is, recieve the ball and look for wingers. This 1 instruction alone is hurting us. Telling him look for any forward teammate, or player running into space, would be a different tactic this change alone would make us better right away, more unpredictable. Maybe we get some direct play or play through the middle of the park. Maybe by doing this, the 3 players marking ACD drops to 1 player and gives him some space. All of a sudden we're more difficult to play against and hay presto Simons looks like a better player. 

ps this is stuff that SS did at Stoke and Plymouth. 

You can watch the games online, you think all his attacks in his 4231 at Stoke went through the wings? it's mental. 

 

 

 

But yesterday, we did go more direct, too much for my liking. 

We launched the ball forward, by-passing midfield/wingers looking to get Burstow/Dalby in, looking for flick-ons.

I thought we lost too much possession doing this.

I disagreed with the point SS made after about wanting to see more of this, although to be fair to him he put it better than that, in being more accurate /decisive and getting the ball behind the defence and giving Burton more problems.

For me SS did the thing people are accusing him of not doing! He changed our approach too drastically yesterday to accommodate Burtons style/pitch. I don’t think making the pitch narrower did us any favours.

If anything I’d love to have seen ACD/Cissoko/Forss being more prominent, cutting and having more more shots yesterday! 😂

I really don’t think your idea of Simons searching out wingers at home and not seeking out wingers away is the holy grail you’re hunting for 😂

With EE injured, Sheehan away and Dempsey still not even on bench yesterday all of a sudden or midfield options are limited to Morley and Simons. To strengthen in there for Thursday the only real option is add another body in there, but not sure if we a suitable option, maybe McAtee. 
 

Cissoko can not start again. Forss surely has to. Burstow must start. Strangely we only seem to have options at full back.

1 Keeper

RB Cogley or Christie

LB Taylor or Conway - looks like he need a rest

Centre halves - Forino and GJ

Midfield Morley and Simons 

Up front ACD and Forss and Burstow.
 

So for what we have available there is only spot left to fill and that depends on formation.

Stick Dalby or play McAtee a bit deeper to help in midfield a bit more ?? 

Yesterday was awful and looking at the bench all of a sudden we look short. Toal and Sheehan away, Dempsey and Forester longest injury recoveries ever, Gale and EE joining them in the black hole that is the treatment room. Tutu on the bench yesterday but not sure he is real the answer to making us harder to beat. 

7 hours ago, gonzo said:

This isn't short term though. 

Well, that's down to interpretation. Doesn't change the way i personally view it. We all see it through our own lens don't we.