MARTIN Paterson is looking for a complete performance from his Brewers players against Oxford United on Saturday.
Albion looked good at times against both Wigan and Barnsley over Easter but came away with only one point.
The manager was frustrated that his team didn’t go on to get more goals and points and has addressed that this week at training.
He said: “This week has been broken into two – harsh reality and harsh truths in the early part of the week and getting the players to understand that half a performance isn’t enough and the need to be aggressive in all moments is a must for a Burton Albion team. Then the second part of the week has been about taking the positives from the first half (against Barnsley), bottling that up and explaining that we need that for a full game, especially at home.
“Now my job is to get the players fully energised to give a complete performance to win a game of football at home for the supporters, for myself, for them and everyone who supports them. Football owes you nothing, but I do feel the players deserve a victory for their efforts because that effort is there. We need to get over this block and get three points and kick on from there.
“I haven’t got time to sit in that moment and those emotions after Monday. I have to break it down from a cold hard analytical standpoint and see what we did wrong. We identified that pretty quickly and we know what we need to do – to be continuously aggressive and not sit off.
“Oxford are a good team, so don’t get me wrong, but it’s still a great opportunity for us to come and react – and we need a reaction.
“You have to push hard for that one result that can change things and I believe Saturday can be it. You have to stay positive. You can’t beat a group of men with a stick all the time. They know they need to improve and take chances when they come but they need confidence as well. It takes creating a siege mentality, takes the group sticking together and creating the right atmosphere ourselves.”
Albion lost Mason Bennett on Monday in the first half, and he will now be a doubt for Saturday.
Paterson said: “Mason is an experienced striker who knows how to get his body in and get us up the field. He’s a big miss for us and that’s just the way it has gone for him but we have to find a way with the personnel available. Mason has hurt his ankle again and we will review him tomorrow and it will be touch and go. “
