Slaven Bilic revives a bit of faith at West Ham United
The Clarets began their second successive Premier League campaign at the Champions, Chelsea. A pretty daunting task considering it took Sean Dyche’s men until April to record their first three points on the road last season. Many Burnley fans would be forgiven for letting this one slide if Chelsea were to pick up all three points. But with fans wanting to get that first away win sooner rather later, the pressure was already on as the next four trips are to; Spurs, Liverpool, Everton and Manchester City. Failure to pick up any points in any of those games could mean a disastrous start to this season if Burnley fail to replicate last year’s home form.
I’ve been a Burnley season ticket holder since I was seven and i’ve seen some pretty extraordinary games watching the Clarets. I’ve seen us lose to an already relegated Sheffield Wednesday side on the last day of the 2002/03 season. Sorry let me re-phrase that, not just lose but battered 7-2 at Turf Moor, to a team already relegated to the old Division Two. Mental.
Fast forward fourteen years and I can’t really imagine a score line like that under Sean Dyche, his teams usually set up to contain and frustrate the opposition from the first minute, especially at the elite clubs. I’m sat in my best mate’s living room watching the game, because well, why would I go down to London to watch the club I support get battered on the road every week? I did it enough last season, so yeah stuff the journey and I’ll save myself a few quid.
I will live to regret that kind of attitude for the rest of my life because the opening 45 minutes at Stamford Bridge is unlikely to be repeated for quite some time. Antonio Conte’s men walked the Premier League last season, but with a frustrating summer perhaps this was a good time to play them. Chelsea are slowly building a habit of weak title defences from the previous Jose Mourinho reign, finishing 10th. Eager to avoid a similar fate, the Blues found themselves with a relatively kind fixture against a poor Burnley team who have also had a poor window in terms of strengthening the squad. After the departure of England International, Michael Keane and striker Andre Gray just days before to relegation rivals, Watford, us Burnley fans are understandably concerned.
So Chelsea away for the clarets, great start, let’s just keep the score line down eh lads? 13 minutes into the new campaign and Chelsea found themselves reduced to 10-men after Gary Cahill lost control of the ball and went lunging into a challenge with Steven Defour, the England skipper was shown a straight red. We watched Burnley play against 10 men last season, Fernandinho was shown a straight at the Etihad, the Blues still came out victorious that day, so my optimism for Burnley this time around didn’t really increase.
But what followed I doubt I will see from a Burnley team again; goals from Sam Vokes, Stephen Ward and Vokes again as the Clarets produced an impeccable performance at the home of the champions. Chelsea down to 10 and finding themselves 3-0 down to a team who only won once on the road last season. Never thought I would see the Champions of England capitulate against little old Burnley.
I couldn’t believe my eyes, after jumping around like crazy for the first two goals, Vokes heads in Burnley’s third and I find myself in hysterics at pure disbelief at what I am seeing. Little old Burnley, defeating the Champions in their own backyard by more than a convincing score line. But when you’ve watched Burnley for long enough, you know you cannot relax until the final whistle is blown.
As I predicted, Chelsea nearly pulled off a bit of a miracle after Morata’s introduction and the £70m striker pulled one back on his debut then a David Luiz strike just minutes from time made a bit of a nervy ending for the Clarets, but Chelsea start the season on the back of a defeat, with the pressure well on Conte’s men when they make the short trip to Spurs next weekend.
Where does this leave my beloved Burnley side, after a week of negativity surrounding the Andre Gray departure, all Burnley fans are pinching themselves double checking what happened was real? Favourites to drop down to the Championship before the opening weekend and we still are by majority of the bookmakers.
However I’m beginning to feel a lot optimism building again for Burnley, with Steven Defour back in favour and Sean Dyche looking to adapt a 4-5-1 formation to build a squad around him, it’s an exciting prospect. With Jack Cork and Jeff Hendrick around him, Burnley look like a team more than capable than competing at this level. With a consistent back five including Tom Heaton, Burnley could maybe have a stronger season than initially anticipated. With Sam Vokes in the form of his life, continuing from his record at the end of last season, the Welshman now has 7 goals in his last 6 Premier League games.
With the right recruitment between now and the end of August, we could survive again. James Tarkowski will improve as the season goes on at centre back, but we still need reinforcements in that area, a pacey winger to make the transition from defence to attack would be hugely beneficial for us. A fourth striker is a must, one in similar to Andre Gray to run the channels and in behind. Burnley current crop of strikers are in the same mold; Vokes, Barnes and Walters. We really are lacking pace in the final third. Strengthen these areas and judging from what we witnessed on Saturday, we could have a successful campaign.
Burnley return to Turf Moor next weekend against West Brom, a game which us fans are looking at and identifying as a possible three points, will it be a dream start to the season or will normality be resumed?
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