On The Comeback Trail: The League One Side Making Up For Lost Time

On The Comeback Trail: The League One Side Making Up For Lost Time

Table toppers Stockport County may be dominating the League One headlines as they search for their second promotion in three years, but one third-tier side's campaign to date has been going under the radar.

Less than two months ago, Burton Albion were rock-bottom of the table with just five points to their name and recovering from a 4-0 home trouncing at the hands of Plymouth Argyle.

Manager Gary Bowyer was under intense pressure as he teetered on the edge of the sack, and to everyone affiliated with the midland’s club, it was clear that something needed to change imminently. It was no wonder their mascot was getting drunk on matchdays.

The St Albans mascot was absolutely smashed away at Burton Albion yesterday… 🤣😭

He ended up getting ejected from the stadium… 🫣pic.twitter.com/YgL2HYG7rZ

— Football Away Days (@FBAwayDays) November 2, 2025

But instead of changing the personnel on the sideline, Burton stuck with Bowyer, and in the eight league games since that harrowing loss to Plymouth, the outlook has completely changed around Burton.

So why did it take Burton so long to get started this campaign? And what can their recent uptick in form be attributed to?

A Summer of Complexity

It was a summer of overhaul for the Brewers; Richard Dorman, whose playing career took him from Wales to America, and then to Finland, embarked on his debut season as a sporting director at the club, having spent a six-year stint as technical director of former side SJK Seinajoki, marking the beginning of a new era.

The club also found itself under investigation from the FA after their record-breaking summer transfer window the season prior, when they signed 23 players, breaking the record for most players acquired in one transfer window … No wonder it took them a while to get going.

🚨 Drama at Burton Albion! 🚨

Richard Dorman embarks on his first season as Sporting Director amidst MAJOR club changes and an FA investigation! 😱 Can he steer the ship? Plus, Chelsea FC's Dylan Williams joins permanently! ⚽#BurtonAlbion #RichardDorman 🟡⚫️ pic.twitter.com/ji7gOEXELv

— Transfer Site (@TransferSite) July 26, 2025

They also have a history of slow starts in League One. Just the season prior, Bowyer’s side were the last team to notch their first win of the season, only chalking up their first victory in November.

But, in a trend that will become increasingly clear later on, Burton hit their stride, and when Bowyer was appointed in late December, things quickly started to look up. Burton would go on to collect 34 points from 25 games that season under Bowyer, and secured safety on the penultimate matchday, a remarkable feat considering they were rock-bottom more than a third of the way into the season.

Congratulations to former Dundee manager Gary Bowyer who has remarkably achieved a great escape with Burton Albion! 🙌🏻

Burton Albion were 9 points adrift from safety when he initially took over, the gap went as high as 11 in January, looking dead and buried. 😮

The Brewers will… https://t.co/98p6vZtCKs pic.twitter.com/J13KcZOuym

— DPC 🇨🇷 (@DensParkChoir) April 30, 2025

A club with one of the smallest budgets in League One, Burton are not big on transfer fees, but absolutely love a free transfer - it would surprise very few if the club motto was something along the lines of, “If it’s free, it’s me.”

Bringing in nine fresh faces with only wages to pay, these signings were accompanied by another three loan arrivals in a bid to bolster squad depth; the club's transfer business completed what was a significant overhaul in the summer. With a new sporting director, new players and a manager who had not yet had a pre-season with his players, expectations varied hugely, and no one could quite predict what would unfold in the 2025/26 campaign.

A False Start

I certainly find it unlikely that any Burton fan would have predicted their side to win just one of their opening eight league fixtures - their sole victory came on the opening day against Mansfield, and subsequently, fans were forced to sit through drab, uninspiring performances; five of them saw the Brewers fail to even find the net.

The players clearly lacked chemistry after such a turnover in the transfer window, and Bowyer was struggling to integrate a clear identity with training ground sequences of play.

The system wasn’t helping either - Bowyer started the season by switching between a 3-4-2-1 and a 3-4-1-2, which, despite finding the net four times in the first two games, accrued just one goal in their next six, while conceding 10 in return.

After hauling the club to safety the previous season, Bowyer was afforded the time to turn things around, and the defeat to Plymouth appeared to be the straw that broke the camel’s (in this case Bowyer’s) back.

The next game, he introduced a 5-3-2 formation, with the intention of overloading the midfield while also using the wing-backs to exploit the more spacious wide areas, and it provided an immediate return.

Scoring their first league goal in five league games, Burton grabbed a vital three points away to Cardiff. It wasn’t pretty - Bowyer’s side only managed 23% of the possession, but it was hugely effective, with former Chelsea youth graduate Bradley Collins outstanding in goal.

Brad Collins has been a brilliant addition to Gary Bowyer's Burton Albion 🧤

The Coventry City (#PUSB) loanee is responsible for 4 out of 5 clean sheets for #BAFC, and has them in just 7 appearances.

Collins has faced 39 shots on target and conceded just 6 goals.

Impressive 🌟 pic.twitter.com/9Bkutcsite

— Charlie (@charliekeegan) October 26, 2025

The result gave the squad a much-needed lift, and the morale boost it provided was obvious. Since the Plymouth defeat, Burton have picked up 17 points from a possible 24, culminating in a superb away victory against third-placed Bradford City two weeks ago, and the result has seen them shoot into the top half for the first time since the opening day.

Burton Albion manager Gary Bowyer clapping the whole ground including the Blackpool away end after yesterdays match 👏 #bafc #utmp pic.twitter.com/qOLZaPcFvl

— AllAboutLeagueOne (@LeagueOne25) November 16, 2025

The form of striker Jake Beesley has been crucial to the run, with the 28-year-old netting four goals and assisting one more in their last six games, while Collins has continued to underline his importance in goal – his save percentage of 80% is the highest in the league by a whopping 5%.

If Burton were suddenly threatening the promotion spots, it would be a comeback on the lips of every EFL fan around, but their current mid-table placing means it has so far been largely ignored.

However, if Bowyer continues to extend their current purple patch in form, people will have no choice but to sit up and pay attention - the man himself certainly thinks this is possible.

On the Comeback Trail

Speaking to BBC Sport Derby, Bowyer opened up on his time with Bowyer, and their current form. Due to the fire that broke out at Exeter City’s stadium last week, Burton’s game against them has been postponed, and will likely be rescheduled for the new year.

❌ Exeter City’s home match with Burton Albion this weekend has been postponed due to the recent fire at St James Park.

We’ll have the latest on @BBCDevon#ecfc pic.twitter.com/yNctBHFCUs

— BBC Sport Devon (@bbcdevonsport) November 19, 2025

As a result, Bowyer and his team have had a two-week break from league football forced upon them, something which, given their recent form, would not have been at the top of Bowyer’s priority list last week.

“From a footballing perspective, the form we are in, the mood in the camp is fantastic, so we would have wanted the game on. But what you’ve got to do is capitalise on the moment, and so from that point of view, we can work them harder today and tomorrow, and it might be a case of allowing a few to recover from bumps that they’ve got as well.”

So it’s not all bad - Burton will have a virtually full-strength team to pick from by the time their next fixture, a home clash with Leyton Orient on November 29th, comes around.

However, it the fortnight break will doubtless subtract from the recent momentum they have picked up through their superb run, and a two-week break can also see match sharpness and fitness levels take a dip.

Bowyer continued, saying, “You’ve got to take these moments and prepare, because we know what’s coming in December.”

On their 12th-placed position - the first time Burton have been in the top half mid-season since October 2023 - Bowyer stated, “It’s a massive credit to his group, but we were all saying this morning that we can’t rest; we’ve not done anything yet; it’s only 16 games; we all know how quickly it can change.”

Burton Albion may not have a match this weekend, but head coach Gary Bowyer says where they are after 16 games is really important on and off the field.

Listen here ⤵️https://t.co/MgSHkSwoJ5#BAFC pic.twitter.com/TtYkuPFuum

— BBC Sport Derby (@BBCDerbySport) November 20, 2025

He isn’t wrong there - football can have a horrible habit of taking you by surprise when you least expect it. A winless run of even three games can completely change the outlook of the entire club, which is why Bowyer is wise to instil a mindset of hunger and always wanting more. As long as the players are motivated to give their all, the only way is up.

Final Whistle

While at the moment their comeback only equates to a mid-table finish, Burton are a vastly improved side when compared to where they were eight games into the season. The change in system, the slow bedding-in of new players, and the growing trust in the manager to take them to new heights have seen a rapid improvement.

However, no one can rest on their laurels yet. Just over a third of the way into the season, there is a plethora of football left to be played, and Burton cannot afford any complacency.

Running off the 14th smallest payroll in the division, and with the joint lowest transfer expenditure, thanks to their multitude of free transfers, the Burton are brewing up a proper underdog story in the midlands. There is just one question left to answer - do they have what it takes to maintain it?