Burton Albion v Sunderland: Brewers losing their competitive edge?

Grabban needs a strike-partner – theguardian.com

Given that Burton Albion’s 14/15 side beat the likes of Wigan and QPR in the cup, there is an argument to say that team – or either one they had in the subsequent two campaigns – would beat this current outfit.

Up until this season, the Brewers always had a team that was well-organized and competitive out of possession, enabling them to perform above the sum of their parts. While they had some success sitting deep, they always put pressure on the ball when the right moments arose.

This year, they look like a passive side that have been not only out-thought on numerous occasions, but also out-fought. While the vast budgetary disadvantage at this level goes some way to explaining their poor performances this term, it doesn’t go the whole way.

The good results they have picked up, like the win at Millwall and the points at Norwich, Bristol City and Brentford on Tuesday, have been very much backs-to-the-wall displays which simply aren’t sustainable. In their 1-1 draw at Griffin Park, centre-back Ben Turner equalized from the team’s only shot on target all evening.

Granted, it was an excellent ball in from Joe Sbarra and the team could have nicked a win on the break had Marvin Sordell or Will Miller kept their cool in the closing stages. However, they don’t back themselves to cause those kind of problems often enough.

There are also big problems at Sunderland, who are fearing successive relegations after a decade in the top flight. The Black Cats had a lot of possession in their 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa on Tuesday, but they were too slow to close their opponents down, especially in their defensive third.

That’s a problem that new manager Chris Coleman has to stamp out quickly. When teams are on a bad run, fear means they can be liable to offering their opponents too much time on the ball when put under pressure. They need a holding midfielder in the mould of Jan Kirchoff, who will protect the back-four aggressively – it remains to be seen whether Lee Cattermole is good enough.

Coleman may also look for a striker who will work hard, battle with centre-backs and control long balls, similar to the job Sam Vokes does for Wales. Lewis Grabban has an impressive goalscoring record with 10 in 14 appearances this term and he arguably holds the key to their survival hopes.

However, the ex-Bournemouth man is perhaps too individualistic to operate as a lone striker and the absence of a reference point combined with direct tactics might, in part, explain the team’s struggles.

Sunderland are arguably at their lowest ebb in 30 years while Burton appear to have lost the core principles that allowed them to get to this level.

It looks increasingly likely that the Brewers will be a League One club next season and – unless Coleman can have a transformative impact in the north-east – Sunderland might be joining them.

The Football Lab’s Verdict: 1-2