Orsi, Kalinauskas issues summed up how things went wrong in last campaign

IT IS not his fault, but the story of Danilo Orsi, who departed Burton Albion on Wednesday, in many ways sums up what went wrong for Burton Albion in the first half of last season, in the first six months of the Nordic Football Group's ownership.

- By COLSTON CRAWFORD

Having scored 25 goals the previous season for Crawley Town, Orsi was seen as the landmark summer signing, the star man to bang in the goals in the bright new world for the Brewers - the poster boy, if you like.

And he looked comfortable with the part, always smiling, happy to engage with supporters, reminding people that, as a relatively late starter in professional football, he knew what it was like to watch football from the sidelines.

But, as things unfolded, he struggled in a struggling side. There was one goal in his first seven League games and then, when he hit a hot streak of four goals in successive games, they all came in defeats.

His last goal for the club came in the first League win, hopelessly overdue, in November against Shrewsbury Town, by which time head coach Mark Robinson had departed.

He made only three starts for new boss Gary Bowyer and the writing was on the wall.

There was never any doubt that Orsi, given chances, could finish.

But different players are good at different things and, clearly, he was never going to chase down everything when Burton did not have the ball in the way that Rumarn Burrell did.

Sometimes, Orsi cut a dejected and frustrated figure on the pitch, which is not a good sign when others are digging deep to try to turn things around, and his departure on loan to MK Dons was inevitable.

So, too, was his permanent departure this week. It may have cost the Brewers a few quid, given that he was on a three-year contract but it is better to make a fresh start for both parties.

Much the same can be said about Tomas Kalinauskas, who left on a season-long loan to Kalmar FF in Sweden yesterday.