Burton Albion 0, Albion 1
Rafa Benitez recognises a matchwinner when he sees one. So does Chris Hughton and his recruitment team at Albion.
Newcastle boss Benitez made a multi-million pound bid for Anthony Knockaert in the transfer window.
Nothing doing, said Tony Bloom. The racehorse-owning chairman knows when he is onto a 'good thing'.
It is hard to think of a better game-changer in the Championship.
Hughton knows only too well a full season with Knockaert could make all the difference for Albion in their relentless quest for promotion to the Premier League, especially as they are a striker light.
The former Leicester livewire, brought back to English football for around £2 million in January from Standard Liege in Belgium, was well below his best against leaders Huddersfield at the Amex last week and at Burton.
Yet he was still the hero against Huddersfield, thanks to a goalkeeping blunder. Back in the East Midlands, Knockaert produced one moment of magic to finally make Albion's domination of the ball and territory count.
He was not the goalscorer this time but it was his sparkling approach work, beating a defender and slipping in Jiri Skalak, which led to Lee Williamson's reckless challenge on the Czech winger inside the box with two minutes left.
Tomer Hemed, as ever calm-as-you-like from 12 yards, sent Jon McLaughlin the wrong way from the spot to break depleted Burton's hearts again, four days after they conceded a last-gasp equaliser at Fulham.
Hughton, reflecting on Knockaert's latest pivotal contribution, said: "I don't think he had one of his better games. They defended very well against him but he can produce moments and the game needed it. That's the difference between the team that we were and an individual that can change things for us.
"It's of major importance. We are going to have games where we don't play so well.
Indeed he can. Take this pre-match nugget as an indication of his value. Knockaert had completed 39 dribbles - eight more than anyone else in the Championship.
In a division of such fine margins, the four extra points prised by the tricky little Frenchman from the last two matches could be priceless come the final reckoning.
Although promoted Burton were in-form following five matches undefeated, Nigel Clough was without seven players through injury, suspension and unavailability.
It was the type of situation Albion have to exploit if they want to make amends for last season's automatic promotion near-miss.
The first substitution Hughton made illustrated the point. He brought on Glenn Murray to accompany Hemed at the expense of Jamie Murphy, who had taken over the No.10 role occupied by Knockaert for two-thirds of the contest against Huddersfield.
Sam Baldock, fit from calf trouble, travelled but was 19th man.
Hughton (above) said: "No disrespect to Burton, there are places like Derby and Newcastle away that on paper look tougher.
"That's why in the end at 0-0 I decided to go with two up top, because it's a game we wanted to win. I felt unless something dramatic happened we weren't going to lose.
"With the position they were in with injuries they did great but we sensed it was an opportunity to go and win it."
Albion made exceptionally hard work of it, considering how much possession they had and how much time they spent inside the Burton half.
A familiar complaint from Hughton last season reared its ugly head again, a failure to be clinical in the final third.
Albion had countless promising attacks ruined by a lack of precision with the final pass, touch or cross. And when they were accurate, almost every shot was straight down McLaughlin's throat.
This absence of potency in open play, admittedly against commendably well-organised, energetic and spirited hosts, is a concern in the context of trying to improve the modest record of wins in the backyards of fellow promotion contenders.
"One thing I can't complain about, they certainly hit the target," Hughton remarked a tad ruefully. "Tomer probably had three that he struck well. It was one of those games where you need a little deflection or something."
Article continues after...[h=3]More Articles[/h]
The closest Albion came before Hemed spared their crimson-shirt blushes was from second half corners by Skalak and Knockaert, the again-immaculate Lewis Dunk heading one of them against the bar (below), Shane Duffy another wastefully over.
The route to recovery from that tame home defeat by Brentford and one point out of nine was always initially going to be a return to the resilience routinely displayed by Albion under Hughton.
In that sense, he is entitled to be satisfied with successive shut-outs and the manner in which record signing Duffy is now settling in next to Dunk.
"It's really important, two wins on the spin," Hughton said. "It's a tough place to come. I know they were depleted.
"As important for me are the the two clean sheets on the spin. That has given the back four a little bit of consistency.
"The two centre-halves were good. Shane probably tried to force a few issues in the second half but they both defended very well again."
The tinkering with No.10 alternatives is indicative of Hughton's striker limitations, especially as Hemed and Murray are similar and therefore not ideal partners.
That may yet prove to be Albion's downfall but, if they can get 40-odd games out of Knockaert, anything is possible.
Original article
Rafa Benitez recognises a matchwinner when he sees one. So does Chris Hughton and his recruitment team at Albion.
Newcastle boss Benitez made a multi-million pound bid for Anthony Knockaert in the transfer window.
Nothing doing, said Tony Bloom. The racehorse-owning chairman knows when he is onto a 'good thing'.
It is hard to think of a better game-changer in the Championship.
Hughton knows only too well a full season with Knockaert could make all the difference for Albion in their relentless quest for promotion to the Premier League, especially as they are a striker light.
The former Leicester livewire, brought back to English football for around £2 million in January from Standard Liege in Belgium, was well below his best against leaders Huddersfield at the Amex last week and at Burton.
Yet he was still the hero against Huddersfield, thanks to a goalkeeping blunder. Back in the East Midlands, Knockaert produced one moment of magic to finally make Albion's domination of the ball and territory count.
He was not the goalscorer this time but it was his sparkling approach work, beating a defender and slipping in Jiri Skalak, which led to Lee Williamson's reckless challenge on the Czech winger inside the box with two minutes left.
Tomer Hemed, as ever calm-as-you-like from 12 yards, sent Jon McLaughlin the wrong way from the spot to break depleted Burton's hearts again, four days after they conceded a last-gasp equaliser at Fulham.
Hughton, reflecting on Knockaert's latest pivotal contribution, said: "I don't think he had one of his better games. They defended very well against him but he can produce moments and the game needed it. That's the difference between the team that we were and an individual that can change things for us.
"It's of major importance. We are going to have games where we don't play so well.
- Albion defender smiles his way through league debut
- Albion Analysis: Anything possible with Knockaert in the side
- Albion striker thrives on being 'the man'
- Hughton: We left it late - but we deserved the win
- Hunt gets his big chance - and Hughton is thrilled for him
Indeed he can. Take this pre-match nugget as an indication of his value. Knockaert had completed 39 dribbles - eight more than anyone else in the Championship.
In a division of such fine margins, the four extra points prised by the tricky little Frenchman from the last two matches could be priceless come the final reckoning.
Although promoted Burton were in-form following five matches undefeated, Nigel Clough was without seven players through injury, suspension and unavailability.
It was the type of situation Albion have to exploit if they want to make amends for last season's automatic promotion near-miss.
The first substitution Hughton made illustrated the point. He brought on Glenn Murray to accompany Hemed at the expense of Jamie Murphy, who had taken over the No.10 role occupied by Knockaert for two-thirds of the contest against Huddersfield.
Hughton (above) said: "No disrespect to Burton, there are places like Derby and Newcastle away that on paper look tougher.
"That's why in the end at 0-0 I decided to go with two up top, because it's a game we wanted to win. I felt unless something dramatic happened we weren't going to lose.
"With the position they were in with injuries they did great but we sensed it was an opportunity to go and win it."
Albion made exceptionally hard work of it, considering how much possession they had and how much time they spent inside the Burton half.
A familiar complaint from Hughton last season reared its ugly head again, a failure to be clinical in the final third.
Albion had countless promising attacks ruined by a lack of precision with the final pass, touch or cross. And when they were accurate, almost every shot was straight down McLaughlin's throat.
This absence of potency in open play, admittedly against commendably well-organised, energetic and spirited hosts, is a concern in the context of trying to improve the modest record of wins in the backyards of fellow promotion contenders.
"One thing I can't complain about, they certainly hit the target," Hughton remarked a tad ruefully. "Tomer probably had three that he struck well. It was one of those games where you need a little deflection or something."
Article continues after...[h=3]More Articles[/h]
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[h=5]Albion defender smiles his way through league debut[/h]
-
[h=5]Albion striker thrives on being 'the man'[/h]
-
[h=5]Hughton: We left it late - but we deserved the win[/h]
-
[h=5]Hunt gets his big chance - and Hughton is thrilled for him[/h]
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The closest Albion came before Hemed spared their crimson-shirt blushes was from second half corners by Skalak and Knockaert, the again-immaculate Lewis Dunk heading one of them against the bar (below), Shane Duffy another wastefully over.
In that sense, he is entitled to be satisfied with successive shut-outs and the manner in which record signing Duffy is now settling in next to Dunk.
"It's really important, two wins on the spin," Hughton said. "It's a tough place to come. I know they were depleted.
"As important for me are the the two clean sheets on the spin. That has given the back four a little bit of consistency.
"The two centre-halves were good. Shane probably tried to force a few issues in the second half but they both defended very well again."
The tinkering with No.10 alternatives is indicative of Hughton's striker limitations, especially as Hemed and Murray are similar and therefore not ideal partners.
That may yet prove to be Albion's downfall but, if they can get 40-odd games out of Knockaert, anything is possible.
Original article