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We Can’t Afford To Let Bournemouth To Play

Another home game for Burnley on Saturday against Bournemouth who are riding the crest of a wave after their superb comeback win over Liverpool last week, if we allow them to impose their game we will leave empty handed.

Our away form is so bad we are relying on games like these to pick up wins if we want to stay in this league. Whilst this is pressure we could do without, I think the players have managed it very well and we do turn out much better performances at home - hence our better fortunes.

So far we have won four home games this season, that equals the amount we won in total in our last top flight campaign and really shows how far we have come in two short years.

But Bournemouth are a club who came up and stayed up at the first time of asking, their task was eased with a bit more financial freedom than we could have had but nevertheless it was a remarkable achievement.

Their playing style hasn’t changed either. It’s not quite like the 1974 Dutch World Cup team but it is very open and attacking, we need to impose our game on them early if we want to win the match and the longer a 0-0 scoreline lasts the more nerves will creep in.

If we get at Bournemouth early, control the midfield and retain possession I believe we will have a great chance to win the game. We have the best disciplinary record in the league with just 21 bookings and no red cards, but it would be nice to see us get a little physical with the Bournemouth ball players and not allow them time on the ball to do their damage. We are fortunate that Junior Stanislas is injured as the former claret would no doubt have scored against us had he taken to the pitch.

In terms of lineup, Tom Heaton is expected to return in goal after a two game absence, this is excellent news however Paul Robinson did a good job of deputising. We should also see Defour come back into the lineup as he was an unused substitute against Stoke.

I think Dyche will return to a 4-5-1 formation this week with Vokes returning up front. I do want to see Gray given more time but our system at home suits Vokes and has proven successful so far. Finally i’d expect to see Flanagan replaced by Lowton at right back after his disappointing game last week.

My biggest fear coming from Bournemouth is their pace in the counter attack, something which cost us dearly against both Stoke and West Brom. We need to impose ourselves on the game but we can’t forget the hard work and defensive duties that come with that - I am hopeful Dyche can find a balance between the two.

The match sees the return of Eddie Howe to Turf Moor for only his second game since he left us for Bournemouth. I have no strong feeling either way for Howe and expect him to get muted applause from the home fans at 3pm.

A win here will set us up to hit this heavy period of fixtures with a good distance on our rivals for the drop and we need to take advantage.

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Gray’s Pace Is Vital Away From Home

With some important players set to miss significant time, this weekend will be a good indication of our strength in depth (or perhaps lack of it) – could this ignite some urgency in the January window for areas of need on the pitch?

We went into the game against City on Saturday afternoon with Tom Heaton ruled out completely – A big blow for our chances in that game for sure, but although I was terrified about the prospect of starting Paul Robinson against Aguero and company, I will admit it was completely unjustified as he did play well all things considered.

We lost a further two players in the game however with in-form winger Gudmundsson coming off shortly after Marney was also subbed after picking up a knock. Fortunately news indicates Marney should be fit to start against Stoke tomorrow but Gudmundsson is ruled out, possibly until the New Year. This is a real kick in the teeth for a player who was really starting to make an impression on his team mates and the fans, not to mention our survival hopes.

In addition to this it also looks unlikely that Tom Heaton will return to the lineup and miss only his second game for Burnley.

This could force a change of tactic as well as personnel, Centre Half James Tarkowski came on to replace Marney, although Arfield replacing Gudmundsson was like-for-like. Could Burnley go for a back three tomorrow? I don’t think so personally.

I believe we will lineup in a 4-4-2/4-4-1-1 which proves more effective away from home. I also think the team is crying out for Andre Gray – who’s pace is a real asset on the road when we are frequently penned back for sustained periods.

I would also consider putting George Boyd in a number 10 role behind the striker(s) – I think this is traditionally his best position and whilst we get a lot of work rate from him out wide it inhibits his ability to make a creative difference when we’re driving forward. Another option here could be Bamford but I would be surprised if he gets another look in at all with Barnes back to full fitness.

The midfield would have to lose a central player, and although he has improved in recent weeks I think Hendrick could be the man to make way.

Finally, I wonder if ex-Potter Michael Kightly might get the nod this week. He was outstanding in his return to the Brittannia two years ago – helping us on our way to a 2-1 victory. He could be the wildcard selection this week, especially if Boyd is moved forward. Even if Boyd remains out wide I wouldn’t be averse to bringing in Kights over Arfield.

Regardless, it is a good sign that we have depth to call upon, however our next few games without Gudmundsson are going to be vital to our survival hopes (He could miss up to 7 games if it runs into January) and this could perhaps spur the board into action. I assume we have been weighing up targets already but we were short in wide midfielder even before JBG went down so if nothing else this could help create a sense of urgency, rather than a sense of panic.

My prediction:

Stoke City 1 – 1 Burnley

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Gray’s Pace Vital Away From Home

With some important players set to miss significant time, this weekend will be a good indication of our strength in depth (or perhaps lack of it) – could this ignite some urgency in the January window for areas of need on the pitch?

We went into the game against City on Saturday afternoon with Tom Heaton ruled out completely – A big blow for our chances in that game for sure, but although I was terrified about the prospect of starting Paul Robinson against Aguero and company, I will admit I was completely unjustified as he did play well all things considered.

We lost a further two players in the game however with in-form winger Gudmundsson coming off shortly after Marney was also subbed. Fortunately news indicates Marney should be fit to lineup against Stoke tomorrow but Gudmundsson is ruled out, possibly until the New Year which is a real kick in the teeth for a player who was really starting to make an impression on his team mates and the fans.

In addition to this it also looks unlikely that Tom Heaton will return to the lineup and miss only his second game for Burnley.

This could force a change of tactic as well as personnel, Centre Half James Tarkowski came on to replace Marney, although Arfield replacing Gudmundsson was like-for-like. Could Burnley go for a back three tomorrow?

I believe we will lineup in a 4-4-2 which proves more effective away from home. I also think the team is crying out for Andre Gray – who’s pace is a real asset on the road when we are frequently penned back for sustained periods.

I would also consider putting George Boyd in a number 10 role behind the striker(s) – I think this is traditionally his best position and whilst we get a lot of work rate from him out wide it inhibits his ability to make a creative difference when we’re driving forward. Another option here could be Bamford but I would be surprised if he gets another look in at all with Barnes back to full fitness.

The midfield would have to lose a central player, and although he has improved in recent weeks I think Hendrick could be the man to make way.

Finally, I wonder if ex-Potter Michael Kightly might get the nod this week. He was outstanding in his return to the Brittannia two years ago – helping us on our way to a 2-1 victory. He could be the wildcard selection this week, especially if Boyd is moved forward. Even if Boyd remains out wide I wouldn’t be averse to bringing in Kights over Arfield.

Regardless, it is a good sign that we have depth to call upon, however our next few games without Gudmundsson are going to be vital to our survival hopes (He could miss up to 7 games if it runs into January) and this could perhaps spur the board into action. I assume we have been weighing up targets already but we were short in wide midfielder even before JBG went down so if nothing else this could help create a sense of urgency, rather than a sense of panic.

My prediction:

Stoke City 1 – 1 Burnley

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We need to start getting points away from the Turf.

After another inspiring (yet ultimately disappointing) game at home against a team of expensive foreign footballers, Burnley need to start picking up something away from home or the pressure on our games at Turf Moor is going to be too much to bear.

We have so far played well in every home game this season with perhaps the exception of Swansea which I was unable to attend (apparently a wedding takes precedent?). Even when we have come away with nothing we have been able to play our own game against the opposition and generally I’ve come away feeling good about our chances on the whole this season.

Away from home however are struggles are well documented. We have picked up just one point in “The Miracle at Old Trafford” and lost all other games convincingly. I was of the opinion it was down to our illustrious opposition but a 4-0 spanking against West Brom shelved that belief.

This is reminiscent of our away form in the 09/10 season when we got just four points away all season, 3 coming in a win at Hull when we were all but down anyway. In that season we started brightly at home, beating Man United, Everton and Sunderland in succession to begin the season, but the pressure on home form eventually became too cumbersome and we just fell apart in December onwards. Of course this was not helped by the departing Coyle, who is rumoured not to know his dad.

Now more than every it is vital we begin to contribute to our points total with away points, even if it’s just a shaky draw here and there, we cannot rely solely on our good home form - which i believe we can probably lengthen further than in 2009.

This all starts at Stoke on Saturday. We won there 2 years ago with two early goals from Danny Ings sending us on our way to a 2-1 victory. A similar scoreline would really revitalise a team that must dread playing away from home just as much as they relish playing at the Turf.

With a few injury doubts arising from the game on Saturday, how we line up is anyone’s guess, but I would like to see Gray return up front as he often does away from home. I agree with him being benched at home lately but feel his pace on the counter and also as an outlet when we are under the kosh can really help relieve pressure and give The Potters something to think about.

Even a good performance would be an upgrade on what we have witnessed so far, let’s hope we can kick on from the City game where we can be proud of losing narrowly to the multi-million pound club with two scrappy goals.

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Clarets Must Move On Quickly

24 hours later, it’s time to move on from the West Brom result - It was a shocking night for Burnley fans, but we need to focus on the next game against Man City on Saturday.

I’ve heard a lot of negativity floating around amongst Burnley fans and it needs to be halted here. We need to stand up and back the players and manager and not let one terrible result and performance ruin confidence levels - It was one game out of 38.

From start to finish it was a woeful evening, difficult weather conditions on the journey to and from West Bromwich sandwiched a completely inept display at the stadium. The pies were quite good though.

The gameplan was ripped apart on four minutes when Matt Phillips was gifted the ball inside the six yard box and made no mistake. Shortly after, W.B.A. killed the game at 2-0 through James Morrison, with Mee and Heaton were both weak for that goal. This stunned the crowd and players and we just couldn’t find a way back.

Once we were down by two we had to go for it, and as a result this was our first game where we had more possession (55%) and passes (483) than the opposition but this was all because WBA had a two goal lead to defend for the majority of the game.

We were frustrated in our efforts going forward and a complete lack of ingenuity prevented us from getting back in the game, although Jeff Hendrick should have converted a chance whilst the game was still 1-0, but that mistake was one of many on Monday night. West Brom just soaked up our ‘pressure’ (I use inverted commas as we had just 5 shots on target all game) and hit us on the counter perfectly.

But where we were blunt and laboured the Baggies were ruthless and clinical. The cliche that the Premier League is ruthless in punishing defensive mistakes never rang truer than at the Hawthorns for Burnley. West Brom converted 3/4 shots on target in the first half and finished the game with 4 goals from 6 shots on target.

It seems inconceivable that before the game i was confident of a good result, excusing our 4-0 defeat in 2014 through injury ravaged midfield, but we have managed to do the same again this time with a full strength squad.

Nevertheless I don’t think it’s the time to panic because of one result. We have still managed 7 points from our last four games, and even 7 from 5 isn’t a bad return if we’re hoping to survive.

Next up is Man City, coming off a Wednesday night Champions League game, another challenge we should relish. The game is a sellout.

Dyche won’t dwell on the result and neither should we - lets get back behind the team on Saturday.

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Unbeaten Run to Continue on MNF?

After spending the weekend watching everyone else play, Burnley have a chance to cement their survival hopes with a tricky game away at West Brom on Monday Night Football.

Last time we were in the Premier League we managed to pick up just one point from our two games against West Brom. Throwing away a two goal cushion at a cold Turf Moor in February, after a 4-0 drubbing at the Hawthorns with a patched up midfield. Hopefully WBA fans are taking this game lightly.

We haven’t picked up enough points on the road this season, just one in fact against Man United, and this means we’ve never established a good run of results overall until now.

Unbeaten in 3 games, with seven points and five goals is a very good starting point for a run and a strong performance away tonight could help ignite us further as we face Man City at home early on Saturday.

Saturday and Sunday saw a mixed bag of results from a Burnley perspective, with 2 of the bottom 3 winning. Bournemouth and Watford’s victories pushed us down to 11th, but we remain 4 points off 18th placed Hull. Those in the bottom half of the table have a habit of beating one another lately, and as a result the relegation fight looks like it will be contest by half a dozen teams at least - especially with Sunderland notching consecutive wins after looking doomed for weeks.

Sean Dyche would say ‘we focus on ourselves’ and that is the right attitude to take here. We can only affect what happens in our own matches so we have to make them count.

In terms of team news, the hosts will be without Saido Berahino, but Salomon Rondon looks likely to feature after overcoming a hamstring injury. Nacer Chadli is looking unlikely to play but may get a bench spot.

We only have Stephen Ward’s health to consider, and after missing both Ireland Internationals, his chances of playing tonight are doubtful at best, Flanagan will start in his place at left back at The Hawthorns.

It may not be the Monday Night Football that many neutrals want to watch - to be honest there will be Clarets and Baggies who appreciate this isn’t going to be easy on the eye - but I feel we can come out on top in a competitive and physical encounter.

My Prediction:

West Brom 0 - 1 Burnley

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Burnley Should Welcome Joey Barton Back

After his contract was terminated by Rangers following a training ground spat, Joey Barton is now a free agent, able to train immediately and play for a new club on January 1st. Burnley should bring him back as a squad player.

Barton was a shock signing last year. When we were linked with him I immediately thought it was lazy paper talk. Barton’s off-field antics, along with his huge wage (not just by Burnley standards) was plenty enough to make me think there was nothing in this. However there was, he signed, we won the league and he earned the Supporters Player of the Season for his efforts.

I was very disappointed when he chose to leave the club after one season and join Rangers. I felt he could offer us a lot in the Premier League, considering his vital contributions in the championship - I think we would not have won the title without him.

I can accept his decision though. As much as i think the SPL is a poor league with low quality football (I have seen plenty of games to confirm this), Rangers are undoubtedly a bigger club than Burnley, Premier League or not. Secondly, Rangers would offer Barton a new challenge in a new environment. He has been and done a relegation dog fight for QPR in the PL, and spent most of his career in that league, why not try something new north of the border? Finally, it appears he was keen to settle down with his children and settling for 2 years in Glasgow offered him more long term financial security and a physical base to settle his family. He left with my (and many other Clarets’) thanks and blessing.

The situation has changed. Barton is available on a free transfer and we are short of cover in the centre of the park - We will need to buy a Central Midfielder in January without doubt in my opinion.

Barton would be my 4th choice central midfielder, but offers a significant upgrade on Aidan O’Neill who would be freed up to join a Championship side on loan for 6 months.

Barton would need to be told firmly that he was not the star man, and would have to be content with occasional sub appearances and being a leader in the dressing room - something i felt he would have been last season.

In terms of fitness, there are no issues. Barton took a while to get to fitness last time, but considering he could train with us from tomorrow, and he may have a suspension passed down form the Scottish FA, i don’t think fitness is a concern.

If Barton would rather play regularly for another side (he’s been linked with Derby County and Rotherham) then that’s fine, we aren’t desperate to sign him, but it would be a good fit for us at a good time and potentially free up funds to look elsewhere.

For me it’s a no brainer, we should bring him and and make him the offer.

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Ben Mee Is Good Enough For Three Lions

After watching both England and Burnley this season, I see no plausible reason why Centre Back Ben Mee shouldn’t be considered for the national side.

A lot of the media are fawning over superstar goalkeeper Tom Heaton lately - and this is merited given his form for Burnley over his career, more specifically the last month or two where he has single-handedly brought home the point for the Clarets. Heaton has been in the England setup for over a year.

Another media darling is Michael Keane. Rightly praised for his strong performances at the back for Burnley in the same period. Coming from the Old Trafford Setup as a youth player and linked with a transfer to both Leicester and Chelsea in the summer has helped boost his reputation, and his form since then has only stoked the first further. Keane was called up in the last international break and could get a cap against Spain in the next few days.

The central part of Burnley’s back line is made up of a third player however, who has been equally commanding in recent weeks, and indeed the last 12 months since his conversion from Left Back. I am of course talking about Ben Mee.

Aside from being an absolute dream for creative fans to shoehorn his name into new chants (A Message To You Ben Mee, Ben Mee, Shape Me etc), Ben has all the qualities that would improve the centre back position for England. I believe 20 years ago he would be playing for a top club in England and regularly playing in the national side, but the current ‘trend’ is for centre halves to be very strong on the ball, pacey and able to pick out long passes as well as move the ball out of the back with their feet. None of these are Ben’s strengths.

However, he has an uncanny ability to do well what so many other defenders seem to struggle with lately (John Stones, I’m looking at you).

Ben Mee can tackle. Ben Mee can mark well and win headers with players much taller and stronger than him. He is the bravest player I have ever seen - you’ll be able to find a video of his goal line block for Burnley against Reading a number of years ago where he used his face to block a thunderous strike from 5 yards out. The game didn’t even mean anything and we were already behind.

Mee would be best described as a ‘limited defender’ but that is no bad thing. The balance between Keane and Mee for Burnley serves us well, and both players learn off one another as well as complement each other’s skill sets.

Alongside a more forward minded centre back, I think Ben Mee would add some steel and backbone to the central defensive pairing for England. I am stunned a player like Jagielka still gets the nod when his form has been awful for at least the last twelve months. It’s time to try something different, and Ben Mee offers a traditional approach to centre back that we haven’t had since John Terry was in his prime.

Potentially the most underrated Claret at present, it’s time Ben Mee got the call from Southgate.

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Tom Heaton Should Start Against Scotland

Joe Hart is still out of form and doesn’t inspire confidence, which is why Heaton should be the number one going forward for England.

After losing his place in the Man City team, and then falling out of the squad completely to go on loan at Torino – a team sitting 7th in Serie A at present, Joe Hart’s fall from grace has been well documented. I thought he was a fantastic goalkeeper three or four years ago, but as his reputation has grown, his performances have dropped significantly. He is yesterday’s man.

Stepping into the void are a handful of capable goalkeepers who could replace him - I don’t think our choice of English ‘Keepers has been this good for a long time. Perennial backup Jack Butland is out injured, and the ever dependable Fraser Forster has just ruled himself out of the squad to be replaced by another rising star in Jordan Pickford. I think Butland and Forster could make a claim to be number one if either were fit, whilst Pickford has a lot to learn at PL level yet.

The only candidate remaining is Burnley’s Tom Heaton.

Heaton started his career at Old Trafford but was forced to leave at the age of 24 to join Cardiff City permanently after four successful loan spells in England. He left Cardiff two years later to join Bristol City, who were relegated in his first season. Then he joined Burnley.

At Burnley I can honestly say he has always had an air of class about him right from the off. We assumed he stood out because all of our previous goalkeepers were prone to calamitous mistakes – but consistency continued and now entering his fourth full season (not missing a league game in that period) at the club and has finally got his chance to represent the club internationally in a competitive game.

Heaton’s strengths lie in his athleticism, positioning and reflexes. All three have been on show this season and whilst many will point to his performance against Man United and a wonder save v Charlie Austin against Southampton, Burnley fans will tell you – He’s been that good for ages.

This season no keeper has as many saves as Heaton. Not the most illuminating stat out there I know, but combine it with the highest save percentage (both inside and outside the area) and you can really see he is an exceptional goalkeeper in the form of his life.

Now that he has proven it in the biggest stadiums and biggest competitions It’s high time he is given a full start in the Scotland game at Wembley.

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It’s Important Burnley Continue Home Momentum

After picking up our first away point of the season at a stunned Old Trafford, we need to keep our pedal to the metal at home and keep picking up points in order to stay away from the drop zone.

In our first Premier League season (09/10) We had a strong start at home but failed to pick any points up away until the New Year came around, by which point we had lost momentum at home. Comparing the two squads for me is night and day, but we need to ensure we don’t fall into the same trap this time around.

Following the opening day defeat to Swansea, we have won 3 home games of five. Our other two were both settled in injury time costing us a 1-0 win against Hull and a creditable 0-0 draw against Arsenal – we could easily be sat with an extra 4 points and one of the best home records in the division.

Crystal Palace offer a firm challenge, and have cemented themselves in the top flight with two successive campaigns since promotion in 2013. Away from home they have seven points from five games including wins at Sunderland and Middlesbrough – however they have lost three consecutive games in the league and an early goal from the Clarets would help dent their confidence further.

We of course come into the game off the back of a superb 0-0 draw at Old Trafford – one that can be credited to the back four and the best ever performance I’ve seen from a Goalkeeper in Tom Heaton. We round out this group of fixtures at home however and to go into the international break unbeaten in three would be some achievement given our fixture list.

I believe Dyche will revert back to a 4-5-1 formation with Defour looking very likely to return to the starting lineup. 4-5-1 suits us better at home as we can dominate the centre of the pitch and also defend deep when required. The question that comes is who will start up front in such a formation as Sam Vokes has been in form of late and Gray returned to the starting lineup against Man United with mixed success.

I don’t believe Gray would be effective on the wing simply due to his work rate, and there is a possibility Dyche might swap back to 4-4-2. If that is the case I would say Hendrick ought to be dropped over Marney, who has had a good start to the season.

A win could put is one point ahead of Southampton, and one behind Man United and even a heavy defeat wouldn’t condemn us to the bottom three.

My Prediction:

Burnley 2-1 Crystal Palace

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David v Goliath Role Suits Burnley and Dyche

After recording a goalless draw away at Old Trafford, our first point at the stadium since 1974, All I can say is the underdog mantle Dyche and Burnley have adopted suits us perfectly.

Dyche continues to mention our relative weakness in ‘the market,’ frustrated by our lack of financial clout and ability to really compete with any other PL (And some Championship) teams. Whatever you think of him, he is correct in the assertion. I think Burnley’s recent performances have shown a reflected determination by the manager to not give other teams an easy ride, and also not to let media comments get to them.

I’ve heard countless statements saying how awful Burnley are to watch, we kill the game and choke any kind of neutral’s interest in the game by sitting back and absorbing pressure without offering anything the other way. Well nobody likes us - and we don’t care.

Burnley are unable to compete with Chelsea, Man City, Man United etc. in many ways, and we are never going to be able to beat any of these teams by playing attacking football - we just don’t have the players to do that.

What we do have is a set of hardworking players who will do anything for the team cause. This is evidenced in our back line which continues to be obdurate under pressure. Burnley faced 37 shots yesterday, along with 19 corneres and 72% possession from the hosts - but in the only stat that matters, both teams were level with no goals scored.

Tactically Dyche got it spot on, bringing in Gray and allowing us an extra attacking outlet once we recovered possession allowed us to regroup and reset our positions as Gray was always willing to chase the ball down wherever we booted it.

We did have chances too, although MOTD coverage wouldn’t want you to know that. Missing from the highlight reel was a breakaway from Andre Gray early in the second half, but otherwise we had few spells of pressure and possession it must be said. I will leave my thoughts on Goalkeeper Tom Heaton for another post but safe to say he is the best goalkeeper i have ever seen in a Burnley shirt, and that performance is the best i’ve ever seen from any player. Without question.

Next up is Crystal Palace and it’s crazy to say (coming off that magnificent result) we will potentially be at full strength with Defour likely to return from his injury.

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Will Andre Gray Start At Old Trafford?

After a 4 game ban Burnley striker Andre Gray is back ready for selection again in the upcoming fixture away at Manchester United, but will Dyche change a winning formula and formation?

Since Gray was sidelined after comments on Twitter, Burnley have played 4 games, winning 2 and losing two. It must be noted that one of those defeats was the home game v Arsenal in which the winning goal should not have stood.

Dyche surprised me by switching formation once Gray was suspended, I assumed loanee Bamford would step in as a like-for-like replacement for the former Brentford man, but Dyche opted to bring in an extra central midfielder and we went with 4-5-1. This has clearly turned out to be a success given the points haul and (Southampton away aside) the performances have been positive.

Dyche now has a dilemma in his selection, does he revert back to 4-4-2 or does he stick with 4-5-1? Given Defour’s absence did not bring about a shift, I think the most likely answer is the latter, with Gray being used as either a substitute or less likely as a wide midfielder.

One question I would have is our tactical approach away from Turf Moor, where I think having an extra attacking outlet will be a welcome relief when we are no doubt under the cosh for long periods of the game. In our game against Southampton this was glaringly obvious as every time we managed to win the ball our clearances went straight to Southampton and they were able to completely dominate possession (65%) and shots (34 to Burnley’s 6). We cannot ever let that happen again, I don’t care who we are playing against.

We have struggled in every away game this season, losing each game by a total score of 9-1 (across three games). Our opponents have certainly been tough, but we need to pick points up away from home if we are to survive, we saw that in 2009/10 when we picked up just 4 points away and were relegated with games to spare.

I think in order to give Man United something to think about, we need to start both Gray and Vokes. We can still adopt a defensive approach, as Vokes does a good job of a deep lying forward when we are off the ball, but we need to be able to break quickly and Gray offers us this in abundance.

With Defour set to miss his second straight game, and Saturday absentee George Boyd unlikely to feature, one of Hendrick, Arfield or Marney would make way. Hendrick would be my choice but Marney was far from convincing in the dramatic Everton win.

Either way, we can consider this a ‘free’ game as every other team will expect us to lose. Anything we pick up at all can be taken as a positive, and as I alluded to earlier this season our results in these games are not going to define our season. Compare this to Man United who are out of form, an early goal or a frustrating first half could turn the fans on the home side and be just what we need to push on for those first elusive away points.

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Tactical Change to come in Defour’s Absence?

With the news coming out of the club early Thursday morning that influential midfielder Steven Defour will miss the next game at the least, Dyche must be prepared to change formation to get new players on the pitch.

Defour, who has a goal and 3 assists in his 7 appearances, left the game early on Sunday against Southampton with a hamstring strain. This was initially as a precaution and evidently the correct decision. Although we went on to lose the game, I don’t believe Defour would have had any influence on it given our approach.

The immediate question is what will we do for the upcoming game at home to Everton? Dyche has played 4-4-2 and 4-5-1 this season, and I believe he signed Hendrick and Defour in order for us to be able to use the latter formation. However with Defour absent, our last central midfielder would be young Aiden O’Neill - who replaced him on Sunday. Another option would be Scott Arfield but i’d rather see him out wide if he is to play at all.

Potentially we could revert back to a 4-4-2, bringing Patrick Bamford into the lineup with Andre Gray still banned. I think Bamford playing off Vokes in ‘the hole’ would suit his intelligent play best and encourage runs off the ball for Vokes to link with, however Bamford’s game time has been very limited since he joined the Clarets on loan.

One final option would be more radical, a switch to a 3-5-2 formation. This would involve bringing James Tarkowski into the back three, allowing both full backs to push on further. The midfield five would still need to include one of O’Neill and Arfield and we could keep Bamford in that traditional number ten position. Clearly wide men Boyd and Gudmundsson would be used as substitutes.

I genuinely think we will struggle against a good Everton side without our talisman Defour, and any points we can bring away from the game will be symbolic of the team effort no doubt. There are 38 games in the Premier League however and I think it could be a good opportunity to roll the dice tactically and bring some new faces into the lineup. It is refreshing to see we have the personnel to adopt a number of formations - any Burnley fan who remembers the Ternent era will tell you that is some luxury.

I would rather we gave it a go and lost in a valiant effort than gave up before kick off like we did on Sunday. Hopefully Dyche is prepared to use a flexible approach on Saturday to keep things interesting and positive

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Burnley Could Name Any Price For Michael Keane

I am very much accustomed to Burnley being a selling club, going back to Glen Little and Andy Gray, all the way up to more recent times when Jay Rodriguez and Charlie Austin have been allowed to leave. The fact of the matter remains - Burnley have proved to be a very good stepping stone for younger players looking to make a mark. It is our stature and lack of financial stability that has prevented us from keeping hold of our best assets. Michael Keane, fresh off an international call up and chased by numerous top EPL clubs, should not follow the same route.

Firstly I will say I think Keane’s call-up is long overdue. I don’t usually buy into the idea that only the big clubs’ players are called up, but he has been a dominant young Centre Half for a number of seasons now and has significant experience for his age. Throw in his time at Manchester United as a youth player and his appearances for England at Youth level and it’s hard to see why it has taken so long for him to be recognised and called up to the senior team.

Keane brings key qualities at Centre Half that many modern defenders lack - bravery, positioning, heading for example. The current favoured defenders are more about ball playing and long passes than actually, you know, defending the goal from attackers. Keane has all the traditional attributes you want in a centre half although he perhaps isn’t as vocal as he could be on the pitch, something that will likely come with age and experience.

That’s not to say Keane cannot play the ball from the back. He is comfortably the calmest defender on the ball I have ever seen at Burnley, and picks passes well as well as receives the ball under pressure to relieve team mates of the ball when necessary. Keane is very much a complete defender. Throw in an unparalleled ability to score headers and you’ve got some player. Oh hang on, he’s also very quick for a Centre Half, apparently second only to Gray at Burnley for pace.

Now that I’ve talked up Keane, lets look at Burnley’s circumstances at the moment.

Burnley are free from debt and have earned a hefty chunk of the biggest windfall in Premier League history. We have a brand new training complex due to open soon and most importantly have our man signed on the dotted line for another 18 months. Financially it would take a huge offer to make Burnley consider letting the star leave the club, and we have already rebuffed several if reports are to be believed.

Add to this the relative strength at the position for the Clarets, who have the stalwart Ben Mee to call upon and waiting in the wings, James Tarkowski who has shown he can be a very capable defender when called upon - Burnley really don’t need to sell Keane at all.

Adding all of this together, and considering Keane has made no move to leave the club despite interest from Leicester who could offer him Champions League football alongside a fat wedge of cash, and Burnley find themselves in a commanding position with the Centre Back.

I would expect, given all of the above, and the recent transfer fees of players such as John Stones and David Luiz, Burnley should hold out for £25 - £30m for the youngster. We do not need the money, we need the player far more.

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Clarets Dominate On Monday Night Football

I was very worried pre-match that we would struggle against a Watford side with their tails up on the back of a stunning win against Manchester United, but Burnley turned on the style under the lights, recording a 2-0 victory.

I arrived at the Turf an hour before kickoff and saw the newly erected floodlights for the first time, towering menacingly above the smaller stands and creating that drizzle-haze that can only mean one thing - Monday Night Football.

Amidst meeting friends for a pre-match drink I saw the official lineup we were going with, and was shocked to see a 4-5-1 again, with Vokes replacing the now banned Gray the only change. Bamford would have to wait a while longer to get his first start. I was skeptical but could understand why Dyche would want to persist with the midfield three of Marney Hendrick and Defour.

We got into our seats and could see the impressive following on our right from Watford, even with subsidised tickets and travel I thought it was a good effort for a televised Monday night game and applaud their number if not their volume.

The game started off slowly but after ten minutes we looked sharper on the ball and appeared to be dominating the midfield battle. Watfod posed no real threat despite a few forays on the Burnley right. George Boyd flashed a near post shot which Gomes palmed over the bar, helping to lift the crowd.

With less that ten minutes before half time I said to my dad ‘We need to score a goal before the break’ I didn’t want Watford to have a chance to regroup and felt we needed to capitalise on the mounting pressure. 

Moments later we found the breakthrough, we worked our way into the box and won a corner, which was whipped in by Steven Defour and converted by Hendrick who just wanted the ball more than his Watford marker, the ball was headed down and into the ball at an agonisingly slow pace, but celebrations ensued and we went in 1-0 up.

After the break we quickly doubled our advantage, with Defour once more proving the architect of Watford’s downfall. Michael Keane again had the desire to get to the ball and powered it into the bottom corner to send the Burnley fans into raptures once more.

We had a handful of other chances, including a breakthrough from Sam Vokes and a scramble in the box that could’ve gone anywhere. Watford meanwhile had a shot-cum-cross flash across goal but otherwise never looked like scoring. Burnley ran out comfortable winners.

Media outlets were very quick to point out how flat and spineless Watford were, but not one bothered to mention the good football we played. Possession was mentioned early on when we had 40%, but nobody cared to bring up that we had 60% come the end of the game. As bad as Watford were, Burnley were excellent, and as uninspired the Watford players were, Burnley were committed and relentless. Something we haven’t seen at the Turf often enough in recent weeks.

As a final comment I want to praise the performance of George Boyd. He was not man of the match, but matched effort with skill, got stuck in and won the ball well and provided an important attacking outlet for Hendrick and Defour. Boyd is frequently (and often rightly) criticised, his work rate is often a back handed compliment doles out by disgruntled fans in the concourse. Boyd was a big part of the win last night.

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Bamford to step up v Watford?

After it was revealed that Andre Gray’s punishment for his homophobic tweets would be a 4 game ban to be served with immediate effect, the majority of Burnley fans (and football fans) I have spoken to felt this was a harsh judgement, and more importantly sets a dangerous precedent going forward.

I felt a one match ban would be fair, as a statement of intent from the FA that such comments –regardless of when or where they were shared – would not be tolerated. This decision in my opinion hurts Burnley Football Club in far more ways than Andre Gray, however we should see this as an opportunity for Loanee striker Patrick Bamford who has yet to start a game for Burnley since joining from Chelsea a month since.

I think it is highly likely that Bamford will start alongside Vokes in our 4-4-2 tonight against Watford under the lights on Monday Night Football – And I believe he can grasp the opportunity with both hands.

Bamford is an intelligent forward and can be a great foil for Vokes, who has struggled this season playing in a role off Gray up front, not something that I feel plays to his strengths. We need Bamfrod to sit off Vokes I believe, and if he can win flick ons and bring others into play we shuld be able to create more chances going forward and at least advance the ball forward more frequently.

Add to this Vokes’ aerial superiority over Gray, long balls and clearances that seem to be a feature of our framework should be more effective when sent over to Sam rather than Gray who for all his strengths is not a target man for many reasons. This should give us a much more effective counter attack against Watford should we take a lead in the game.

I am very excited to see Bamford get a full 90 minutes under his belt, his fitness is my only concern and in addition to this who might replace him should he get tired late in the game. Given our personnel I think putting Boyd up behind Vokes in Bamford’s vacated role could be an option, whilst giving Arfield, Kightly or Gudmundsson the nod in place of him on the wing.

All in all this is a very big game for Burnley. A loss wouldn’t be fatal, certainly not at this early stage of the season, but would be a missed chance to get some momentum (and points) ahead of a tough run of fixtures starting with Arsenal on Sunday afternoon. We need to take the game to Watford and not fear defeat, and hopefully a fearless Bamford will invigorate a side that has slumped in recent games.

My prediction: Burnley 1-0 Watford

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Our Season Won’t Be Defined by Losses At Leicester, Chelsea

Going into our sixth game of the season - and fourth at home – We need to be patient and calm with the team, especially on the back of a heavy away defeat at Leicester. Come the end of the season we will rue missed points at Hull and Swansea far more.

I think it’s time for us to put in a strong performance in the next game as so far we have not had a game where we can sit back and say we played well. The Liverpool victory was a stout defensive stand after a clinical pair of counter attack goal – but we haven’t taken the game to any of our opponents at any point this season. We are dead last of the number of shots on goal so far this season, no surprise if you ask any Claret.

The biggest surprise is our lack of competitiveness against even the big sides. In 2014 I felt we stood up to the challenge in all 38 games. Ultimately it wasn’t enough but we never got ‘battered’ and all our opponents will have come out of the match knowing they had to work so hard for the points – Against Chelsea and Leicester this wasn’t the case which considering our defensive approach surprises me. If we are going to sit back and soak up pressure and lose, it better be 1-0 not 3-0. We may as well have gone for the win and got battered.

I would honestly value a strong performance over 3 points against Watford. So far we have shown an ineptitude to get the ball forward. We are strangled by our commitment to defence – an admirable goal against teams like Liverpool, Leicester and Chelsea – but certainly not something we should be doing at home to teams like Watford, Swansea and Hull, not if we want to take points from these teams. We need to show we are capable of controlling the play in midfield and I am hopeful a central pairing of Defour and Hendrick can bring us that strength in the centre of the park we have missed for a long time (even last season).

Last time out against Leicester I was hopeful of a 0-0 draw, with an effective defensive display. We held on for 44 minutes until the deadlock was broken, and then in the Second Half Leicester ripped off the deadlock and smashed it to smithereens and we were hopeless to resist. I was curious with Dyche’s formation as we went for 5 in midfield, I assume this was to accommodate Hendrick, Defour and Marney in the middle of the park. As admirably as we defended in the first half the tactic change didn’t work. I think more than anything the lack of any options up front meant every time we won the ball we hoofed it to Gray – not the best target man and not the best first touch either. If we were to play with a long striker for me it would have to be Vokes, but unless we have players prepared to bust a gut out of the shape to run up and meet him there is no point whatsoever in persisting with that formation alongside a defensive structure – we would get beat home and away and we would have so little possession to create genuine chances on our side.

With some very tough fixtures coming up in the October, we need to lay down a marker for the fans, if it isn’t three points we need a commanding performance. We are in the Premier League, we have spent some money to improve our team and we should be confident we can control the game.