Ex-Town boss Hasselbaink returns to management with League One strugglers

Former Cobblers boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is back in management after being re-appointed by League One strugglers Burton Albion.

The 48-year-old Dutchman is back at the Pirelli Stadium five years after leaving for QPR when the Brewers were poised for promotion to the Championship.

Hasselbaink replaced Justin Edinburgh at the Cobblers in September 2017 but was sacked with the club in the League One relegation zone the following April.

He takes charge of Burton with the club rock-bottom of League One on just 13 points from 21 games. He will be assisted by former Stevenage player and manager Dino Maamria, who has most recently been head coach at Oldham Athletic.

The Brewers are duo to visit the PTS Academy Stadium next month.

Hasselbaink said: “It’s great to be working with Ben Robinson again. We had a really good working relationship last time and hopefully we can get that back on track.

“Burton Albion is a club which is very close to my heart and a really special club for me and my family.

“The job is totally different from the first time, but we are coming in to try as quickly as possible to get us up the league and keep ourselves in League One - that’s our aim and first and foremost that’s what we will be trying to do.

“We know there is enough quality in the playing squad but that’s not reflected in where we are in the table so there is a lot of hard work to be done.

“I have wonderful memories from when I was here before and it was a very important time in my life and I have always kept in touch with the club but I know it’s a different job now.

“Hopefully, we can get us going as quickly as possible. The transfer widow is opening but you have to give the players who are there a chance. There are good players at Burton Albion who are under achieving and the first job is to get them back to their normal ability. We want to help the players to start performing and we need to squeeze as much out of them as we can, to get clean sheets and to win matches.

“I got my pro licence with Dino and went on a few courses with him. He knows the leagues and players. He’s a good coach, he’s driven and he will help us push us forward.”

Maamria said: “It’s a good match in a good football club. I’m proven in terms of getting teams out of this kind of situation as I have shown in my last five jobs. Jimmy knows the football club and works well with the Chairman.

“I will be working with the players day to day, motivating them and using that knowhow of getting the club out of this position we are in with Jimmy overseeing everything and I think it will make for a great partnership.

“We are lucky to have a fantastic Chairman who leads the club with integrity, and we are looking forwarding to getting on with the job.”

Hasselbaink will be at the game tomorrow but will leave the team in the hands of Nick Fenton and Chris Beardsley while he watches from the stand.

“From Monday we start the hard work so we can get to know the players and start planning,” he said.