THE Brewers take on Staffordshire rivals Port Vale at the Pirelli Stadium on Saturday with Martin Paterson saying it’s a ‘big game’ for his team.
Vale are six points behind the Brewers but with a game in hand and have slipped into the relegation zone with four defeats and two points from the last six games.
The Brewers have also struggled for victories with a mix of injuries, misfortune and missed opportunities holding them back when performances have seemed good enough to earn points.
The Albion manager said: “It’s a home game in League One and I have been quite honest that we need to win them; I haven’t hidden from that. We haven’t got the results we should have done but this is an opportunity to go and get three points and catch teams above us.”
That’s especially true as there are only three games in League One on Saturday with only our game against Port Vale genuinely affecting things at the bottom end of the table.
Paterson said: “We need to go and win the game. The players have been made abundantly clear about that and we need to take these frustrations we have had and turn them into positive to be the fuel we need to get a win and move us up the table.”
The Brewers search for three points has been frustrated by narrow defeats but the manager knows that it has been fine margins that have cost his team and thinks we are tantalising close to the results matching the performances.
He said: “We have been inside every single game. We are in games and competitive in those games. It’s up to me and the players to find solutions and come out of the other side with points.
“It’s clear what we need to work on and what the issue is but you don’t get there by just pointing out the problem as a negative, you have to be positive and keep working because along the way you have things pile up against you. We don’t look for excuses, but we look to improve and find a solution and I believe the results are coming – I really do.
“Sometimes players just need to keep doing the right things. You do that and go through your processes and keep buying tickets and things turn. If they keep doing what I ask, keep giving 100 per cent, it will come.”
The Brewers face a Port Vale side managed by former Brewers player Darren Moore.
Paterson said: “He’s a gentleman and someone who I have played against and coached against. We know he is an upstanding individual and also competitive and has had success as a manager. We respect him and his team but come 3pm on Saturday, it’s all-guns blazing from Burton Albion trying to get three points for the football club. The community, the players and the staff. We are fully aware it’s a big game and so are they.”
