NIGEL Clough has reflected a great first year being back in charge at Burton Albion.
After more than a decade in charge from 1998 Clough left to take over as manager of Derby County with the Brewers at the top of the Conference and heading for the Football League.He returned in December 2015 after the departure of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to find Albion at the top of League One.
Reflecting on his 12 months back at the Pirelli Stadium Clough said: “It has gone quickly. We have a good year and it’s nice to get that under your belt.”
When invited back by chairman Ben Robinson Clough said he had not wanted to tarnish the decade he had enjoyed previously but ultimately thought returning was the right move.
“It was difficult for lots of reasons but we also said it was an easy one as well coming back and working again with a lot of the same people was the big attraction.”
The biggest challenge was to keep Albion on course for promotion.
He said: “It was about maintaining the progress the club has made over the last five years or so. Now we are playing at the highest level the club has ever been at this season.
“We took over a club at the top of the league which causes problems in its own right of trying to keep them there. We didn’t quite manage to stay top but we still got up and then faced all the challenges the Championship brings.
“Promotion came down to Doncaster after 45 games and you need a clean sheet. It clarified what we needed to do but it didn’t make it any less stressful.”