Burnley were a team tipped for relegation to League One last season, but surprised everyone with their promotion to the English Premier League. Can they defy the odds once again and escape relegation?
What happened last season
According to the critics, Burnley were relegation fodder. Even before the side lost star striker Charlie Austin to QPR, just days before the start of the season, they were tipped for the drop.
The Clarets boasted just 22 players and manager Sean Dyche had only spent a total of £450,000 on transfers in less than two years. Nicknamed the ‘Ginger Mourinho’, Dyche performed miracles at Burnley, leading them to an unlikely second place finish.
Arriving at the club in October 2012, Dyche led the club to 12th in his first season. He set about constructing the Championship’s tightest ship in 2013-14, with Burnley conceding just 37 goals and losing just five matches, as well as finding the net 72 times.
What happened in the off-season
Dyche has attempted to assemble a squad capable of challenging for survival, though there have so far been minimal changes. Despite Burnley receiving a windfall of about £120 million due to their promotion, the club have refrained from splashing their cash unwisely.
The arrivals of Michael Kightly, Matt Taylor and Steven Reid add invaluable EPL experience to the group. But holding on to key players such as Danny Ings and Sam Vokes is just as important to Burnley’s survival dreams. They scored 41 goals between them last season.
Vokes ruptured his ACL towards the back end of last season, and while Burnley coped without him, he will be sorely missed in the opening weeks of the EPL. Ings will have to take on main striking duties, if he sticks around.
Further signings are also in the works, with West Brom defender Craig Dawson a well known target, but Dyche won’t make unnecessary signings, having only used 23 players last season. He is also determined to only target players that will assimilate into the squad.
Why Burnley fans should be excited about the 2014/15 season
Really, they should just enjoy the ride. It will be a tough ask staying in the EPL, but Burnley fans can at least take heart that it will be a better experience than their first, and only, campaign in the EPL.
During the 2009-10 season Burnley were instantly found out, struggling to win games and poorly equipped for the rigours of the top division as they finished 18th. This time around, they have Dyche, who will set them up as a hard team to beat. This side is epitomised by team unity and gritty determination. They won’t be pushovers, but will need a bit of luck at times.
An opening game against Chelsea, followed closely by a visit from Manchester United, is a tough baptism of fire, but if they can grab a few positive results in their first five games, fans will have a reason to believe.
The main man that can carry Burnley’s 2014/15 hopes
Sean Dyche. Burnley are a team in every sense of the word. They are tight-knit, committed to each other and the cause, and fiercely loyal to their manager. Dyche is therefore the man that can lead Burnley to another season in the EPL.
No other manager is more suited to the task, with Dyche following a meticulous and dedicated plan on and off the field. He loves the banter, and will be entertaining in press conferences, and has the man management skills to spur his side to greater heights.
It’s a huge ask, but no Burnley fan would want anyone else in the dug out.
Verdict – Relegation battle
Burnley should take heart that two of the three promoted sides from last season ended up securing another year in the EPL. Such an occurrence was once almost impossible about a decade or so ago.
Under Dyche there’s no doubt the team will give everything. Crystal Palace managed to stay up under a similarly defence-minded Tony Pulis, so why can’t Burnley achieve similar feats?
Survival would be a massive, almost ridiculous, achievement for the club. But they have the team spirit to get the job done. Hopefully we see another fairytale ending for this unheralded club come May.
Manager: Sean Dyche
Home Ground: Turf Moor – 22,546
Nickname: The Clarets
Captain: Jason Shackell
Players in: Michael Kightly (Stoke), Matt Gilks (Blackpool), Marvin Sordell (Bolton), Matt Taylor (West Ham), Steven Reid (West Brom), Lukas Jutkiewicz (Middlesbrough)
Players out: Chris Baird, David Edgar, Junior Stanislas, Joseph Mills
First five matches: Chelsea (H), Swansea City (A), Manchester United (H), Crystal Palace (A), Sunderland (H)
Burnley F.C. squad for 2014/15
Goalkeepers: (12) Alex Cisak, (1) Tom Heaton, (40) Nick Liversedge.Defender: (17) Chris Baird, (4) Michael Duff, (38) Cameron Dummigan, (15) David Edgar, (3) Daniel Lafferty, (28) Kevin Long, (6) Ben Mee, (16) Luke O’Neill, (5) Jason Shackell, (26) Keith Treacy, (2) Kieran Trippier.
Midfield: (37) Scott Arfield, (33) Steven Hewitt, (32) Cameron Howieson, (14) David Jones, (19) Michael Knightly, (8) Dean Marney, (11) Junior Stanislas, (22) Brian Stock), (7) Ross Wallance).
Forwards: (30) Ashley Barnes, (44) Jason Gilchrist, (10) Danny Ings, (35) Ryan Noble), (9) Same Vokes).
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