Friday 18 August 2017 15:58, UK
Andy Hinchcliffe feels it could be a long, difficult season for Burton if they don't get a result against Birmingham in the Sky Bet Championship on Friday night.
Nigel Clough's side have lost all three of their opening games, scoring just once and conceding seven, and find themselves at the bottom of the league ahead of the visit of the Blues - live on Sky Sports Football from 7pm on Friday night.
Last season was Burton's first in the second tier and they finished 20th, two places and one point clear of the relegation zone.
"It's been a tough start," Hinchcliffe told Sky Sports. "They've got to get something out of the game because they've got such a tough run coming up.
"They'll be under more pressure than Birmingham, it's still very early days but you feel it could be a long, long season for them if they don't get a win here.
"Last season there were some poor teams in the division, and that helped Burton. They maximised everything they could do, and there were three teams worse than them. This season it doesn't look like there are.
"I just don't see them getting enough goals. They lost Liam Boyce in pre-season before he'd even played a competitive game for the club, and that was a huge blow to them. He was their big forward signing.
"They also brought in the likes of Jake Buxton and Stephen Warnock and they've changed their shape a bit, whether that's through personnel or Clough's choice I'm not too sure. They'll also be relying a lot on Lucas Akins and Jackson Irvine, who are such big players for them.
"There are probably six or seven teams who will be down there with them, but it looks like Burton could struggle."
Don't miss the Sky Bet Championship clash between Burton and Birmingham on Friday night, live on Sky Sports Football from 7pm
