First-hand knowledge in the ways of Hasselbaink

Latics’ wing wizard writes every week for Chron Sport

I WORKED with Burton manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink when I was at Norwich, so I got to know what sort of a character he is.

He did some work with the forwards while Glenn Roeder was manager back in 2008. He’s a good guy and it’s great to see he has done so well in management with Burton.

He is very enthusiastic and demands high standards, and he seems to have brought that ethos with him into League One. I am sure Burton will scrap for every ball tomorrow.

Having a level of intensity that sets you apart from your opponents can be a real key to success in this division. I know from speaking to players who were at Norwich when they won the title in this

division, that their fitness in chasing teams and wearing them down meant nobody could live with them.

A number of players here played in the reserves this week, and hope to go up against Jimmy’s team tomorrow. Richard Eckersley, Joseph Mills and Mark Yeates all got game time. We put out a strong side in the Lancashire Senior Cup tie and played well. It should have been sewn up by the time they equalised late on to take it to penalties.

We won the shoot-out and for anyone who wasn’t there, the penalty I took produced a fantastic save!

Looking back at Rochdale last week, it was a proper derby and a real battle in which both teams cancelled each other out.

I actually thought we played all right: we were solid enough and apart from one or two chances for them in the first half, we had control of the game and they didn’t really trouble us.

I don’t think people should underestimate Rochdale, though. They are a good side and always seem to be up there in and around the play-offs.

If we had shown a a little more guile in the final third, we might have won.

The draw made it four points away from home in a few days and things are looking better now. But we have to take the form and performances we have been showing on our travels into home matches – starting tomorrow.