It was around this time last season that Burton Albion embarked on their worst run of the campaign.

A 2-1 loss at Brentford on December 10 sparked a sequence of seven defeats in eight matches for Nigel Clough's side.

The last one of those losses came at Cardiff City a month-and-a-half later, with Rhys Healey's 91st-minute winner sending the Brewers into the Championship relegation zone for the one and only time that season.

Seven days after that, they produced a fine display to win 2-1 at Queens Park Rangers and never looked back in their bid for survival.

Lucas Akins' late goal wasn't enough to prevent defeat against Preston
Lucas Akins' late goal wasn't enough to prevent defeat against Preston

This time around, Albion's barren spell has come a little earlier in the season - but they cannot afford for it to run weeks into the new year again.

Burton's current issues at home - which have seen them lose seven games on the bounce at the Pirelli Stadium - are well publicised.

And while they have looked a tough nut to crack on the road, they have still struggled to translate performances into points, meaning only one of their last 13 League games - home or away - has ended in victory.

As Clough pointed out ahead of Saturday's loss to Preston North End, the main positive for Burton to build on at this stage is how close they are to safety.

Despite being bottom of the table with 14 points from 21 games - eight short of the same stage last term - they are only two adrift of 21st-placed Bolton Wanderers, who they face on Saturday.

That would obviously be a perfect game to kickstart the turnaround.

Clough might bill it a 'double whammy game', one where the Brewers can give their survival hopes a shot in the arm while simultaneously striking a blow to one of their rivals.

Burton Albion's 1-0 loss at Cardiff City in January 2017 was their seventh from eight games

But no matter the opponent, what is clear is that pre-season suggestions that this campaign would be an even tougher task for Burton Albion are on the mark.

The Brewers boss said so himself, pointing out that a large number of sides would look to emulate Huddersfield Town's unlikely push for promotion and highlighting the eye-watering spending some sides would undertake over the summer.

If Burton's heavy defeats to the likes of Leeds United and table-topping Wolverhampton Wanderers is anything to go by, there has been a step up in quality over the last 12 months.

Albion were rarely, if ever, outplayed last season as they have been at stages this time.

Five of the top current top six have more points to their names than the corresponding teams in those positions had at the same stage in 2016-17.

That is why the sides at the bottom are still close to each other, because they are picking up comparatively fewer.

But as Clough has pointed out, Albion cannot expect that to continue.

Burton Albion are at in-form Bolton this weekend
Burton Albion are at in-form Bolton this weekend

If their form from the last two months was repeated again, those sides above them will take advantage and pull clear.

Sunderland - currently 23rd - are showing early signs of improvement under new boss Chris Coleman, having won at the Pirelli recently and then holding promotion favourites Wolves to a goalless draw at Molineux on Saturday.

Bolton, meanwhile, had lost only one of their last nine outings before losing at Forest last time out.

The time is certainly coming for Burton to find a run like that themselves.

And that is why, despite their recent struggles at home and their current league position, the Brewers should still be feeling positive ahead of the busy Christmas period.

There is still more than half a season ahead of them, plenty of time to turn things around entirely.

They are not facing the prospect of a six or seven-point deficit to chase down either.

The majority of their recent matches have been decided by small margins, tight calls and self-inflicted mistakes, rather than Albion being totally overrun, and while they are undoubtedly lacking a killer instinct, they are beginning to show more creativity going forward.

Results have put the onus on Burton to make things happen sooner rather than later, though.

The Brewers' current 'bad run' is already proving as damaging as last season's lengthy slump, if not more so.

The same response is needed now.