BURTON Albion boss Paul Peschisolido says he is already close to finalising his starting line-up for the first game of the season, ahead of the Brewers’ final preseason friendly at Kidderminster Harriers tomorrow, kick-off 3pm.
Peschisolido has significantly strengthened his squad for Albion’s second season in the Football League by bringing in the likes of Darren Moore, Nathan Stanton, Adam Bolder, Jack Dyer, Lewis Young, Garyn Preen and James Ellison, but the Brewers boss has revealed he pretty much has his starting XI to face Oxford United at the Pirelli Stadium in his mind.
Asked if he was close to finalising his starting XI, he said: “Yeah, of course.
There’s always one or two areas that you juggle with but I would say we’ll be prepared and we’ll be ready.
“We have got competition, which is important. I think that’s something that we’re fortunate to have. “We’ve got a lot of quality players in a lot of different areas — it eradicates any type of inconsistencies, that’s the thought process behind it.” However, one area of concern for Peschisolido could be centre-back Moore, who has a sore Achilles.
The 36-year-old former Derby County defender, who joined Albion in the summer from Championship side Barnsley, missed the Brewers’ opening two pre-season fixtures because of a slight knee injury.
He did not feature at Solihull Moors on Tuesday night or in Albion’s 3-1 defeat by the Rams in the Bass Vase final on Wednesday, and Peschisolido will be hoping he can play some part at Aggborough tomorrow.
On the plus side, midfielder Jacques Maghoma, who also did not feature in midweek, should be fit to face the Blue Square Bet Premier outfit.
The Brewers boss said: “I’m pleased with where we are. We’ve picked up a few little niggles more than I would have liked, but that’s to be expected.
“I’m really pleased with how we’re looking and we’ll be ready come the first game.
“Jacques Maghoma has picked up a little knock but he’ll be fit for the weekend.” Peschisolido, meanwhile, has admitted he is interested in 22-year-old Hinckley United defender Connor Franklin, who was part of a young Albion side that went down to the Rams.
Franklin, who played at centre- back, joined the Knitters from neighbours Nuneaton in May 2008 and has made 96 appearances and scored six goals for the Blue Square Bet Premier side.
Albion have had a good look at him over the summer and the Brewers boss said: “Connor Franklin we’ve seen on a couple of occasions — I really like the boy. Whether we can do anything is another question, but I like what I’ve seen.” The game saw midfielders Bolder and Preen and striker Ellison play the full 90 minutes on their return from injury, with the latter giving the Brewers the lead from the penalty spot on 53 minutes after winger Jimmy Phillips had been tripped by Jeff Hendrick.
However, a Luke Varney double and a Dave Martin strike in the space of six minutes gave the Rams their first Bass Vase triumph since 1996 and ended Albion’s run of four straight victories.
But apart from Bolder, Preen, Ellison, Dyer, Phillips, Kevin Grocott and Richard Walker, Albion’s starting lineup consisted of trialists, scholars and youth development players.
Taking that into consideration, Peschisolido was pleased with his side’s showing.
He said: “No, we done all right. Like you said, we had a very young side.
“When you look in the second half in particular, we had a goalkeeper (Dan Platt) who’s 18, the centre-half (Jack Green) and the full-back (Ben Knight) were 16, the rightback (Sylvains Bockairi) I think is 17 and Connor Franklin’s only 22, and he was more of a trialist.
“The goalkeeper’s been training with us.
“The right-back (Scott Moffatt) was from Man United, but he picked up an injury so I didn’t really get a fair look at him.
“The lads did themselves justice and played quite well at times.
“I think we tired a little bit and when you have such inexperience in a side, you’ve got players like Luke Varney who has played in the Premier League, you make it difficult for yourself, but all in all I was pleased with the performance.
“One of the plus points was that the likes of Adam Bolder, James Ellison and Garyn Preen came through 90 minutes.
“That was what we wanted, to make sure players had 90 minutes and, again, being surrounded by a lot of youthfulness and inexperience, I felt they fared quite well.”
