The view from Burton: 'It feels special to be facing Liverpool'
Liverpool kick off their EFL Cup campaign with a second-round tie at Burton Albion this evening – but what can we expect to face at Pirelli Stadium? We asked the Derby Telegraph's deputy sports editor, Colston Crawford, to give us the lowdown…
Nigel Clough’s men have made an entertaining start to their first ever season in the Championship, scoring nine goals and amassing four points from their opening quartet of matches in the division.
Burton also saw off Bury in the first round of the tournament to set up a meeting with the Reds, so what will we be coming up against tonight? Lifelong Brewers fan Colston gives us the answers…
How has your season gone so far?
Obviously this is an exceptional season for Burton, our first in the Championship, so, hopefully, expectations are not getting out of hand. We’ve been hugely encouraged so far. We didn’t deserve to lose 4-3 to Nottingham Forest on the opening day (they scored three deflected goals), were arguably the better side at home to Bristol City, who nicked a stoppage-time winner, and turned in what many feel was our best all-round Football League performance to date to beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-1, before a useful point away at Blackburn Rovers on Saturday. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that, given Nigel Clough’s reputation for caution, we are flying forward. Top scorers in the division but scored nine, conceded nine! So far, so good.
Happy with the new additions to the squad?
Very much so. Centre-half pairing Kyle McFadzean and Ben Turner look strong, Lloyd Dyer and Chris O’Grady look like men with something still to prove going forward and our Aussie midfielder, Jackson Irvine, brought in from Ross County, looks like just the sort of all-action hero we wanted.
What was your reaction to drawing Liverpool?
I know quite a few Burton fans (and one former player, club legend Aaron Webster) who have Liverpool as their ‘big’ club and this is their dream draw. The chairman, Ben Robinson, says the same and, obviously, Nigel is a former Liverpool player, so it was a very positive reaction. My own reaction was more… controlled, shall we say. It’s the League Cup. Both sides are going to rest players, potentially.
What does this game mean to Burton and their supporters?
I think it emphasises to us (as many things have done) how far we have come in a short time as a club. When we drew Manchester United in the FA Cup more than a decade ago now, it was as a non-league club and that felt very different. Now we’ve only had to get through one round to be in the hat with clubs like Liverpool and that feels very special.
How are you likely to line up?
Tricky one, because Nigel has already said we will make changes. So rather than talk about personnel, I’ll tell you we’ve been playing an adventurous 3-5-2 this season. That said, we played 4-4-2 in the EFL Cup first round against Bury. I reported on Burton for the local paper for half of Nigel’s first spell as manager. You soon learn not to second-guess him!
Who’s the Burton player that Liverpool should keep an eye on?
The aforementioned Jackson Irvine. He’s scored twice with well-timed runs from midfield to meet deep crosses.
Which Liverpool player are you most wary of coming up against?
Not so much wary as interested… in Kevin Stewart. He had a loan spell with us in the League Two promotion season, scoring a late winner at Cambridge United to confirm the title. We liked him and are pleased he’s getting close to forcing his way into the Liverpool side regularly.
What can Liverpool supporters expect from their trip? Any tips?
They can expect a warm welcome and a trip back in time, because most of them will be standing. It’ll be a very different experience to the one you have week in, week out. You’ll be close to the action. Enjoy it. My tip for the discerning supporters among you is to look further than the ‘official away pub’, the Beech. Choose from several quieter locals with cracking beer and a welcoming atmosphere, like the nearby Derby Inn. There are fast-food outlets just up the road for quick, easy food and the ground facilities are decent too.
What’s your prediction for the game?
If Jürgen Klopp takes the competition as seriously as he has suggested he will, 2-0 Liverpool. If he thinks it’ll be easy and sends a substantially weakened side, 2-0 Burton. I suspect the former will apply.