MY ACCOUNT
Sean Dyche’s dramatic exit has left Burnley staring relegation in the face — but a great escape could still be on the cards.
There was some cause for optimism as a caretaker management team led by Under-23s boss Mike Jackson guided the Clarets to a 1-1 draw at West Ham last Sunday.
However, there is still plenty of work to do if the Lancashire outfit are to extend their six-year Premier League stay.
Looking ahead to tonight’s huge home fixture against Southampton, we have put together a five-point plan for Burnley’s top-flight survival.
The Wout to goal
Wout Weghorst may have headed home the opener at the London Stadium but he still prefers the ball into feet.
And Burnley have not provided that kind of service regularly enough for the giant Dutchman since his January arrival from Wolfsburg.
One of the most consistent strikers in Europe over the last five years from a goalscoring perspective, Weghorst is also a top-class link player.
The Clarets need to maximise those abilities sooner, rather than later.
Dwight on the right
Perhaps we will never know the full story behind Dyche’s sacking. But selection decisions may have played their part.
Most notably, he left out Dwight McNeil for his final two games in charge — the 3-2 win over hapless Everton and the 2-0 fate-sealing loss at Norwich.
The 22-year-old is the Clarets’ biggest creative outlet from wide positions, fashioning an average of 1.34 chances per 90 minutes since the start of last season.
That is 0.86 more than Aaron Lennon, who had replaced him on the right of the midfield four.
McNeil’s left-footedness also makes Burnley a little less one-dimensional — and while that had not held them back for the most part under Dyche, there was a sense that things needed freshening up.
Plugging the leak
Burnley have only scored four goals in their past seven matches and are the Premier League’s second-lowest scorers with only 26 goals this term.
But the Lancashire club’s renowned defensive solidity has also started to wane in recent months.
Since the beginning of March alone, the Clarets have conceded 15 times at an average of 2.14 per game.
Shipping goals like that is not going to keep you in the top flight, so the temporary management team need to make stemming the flow of goals a top priority.
Fortress Turf Moor
Lately, Turf Moor has been anything but a fortress — Burnley have won only seven out of 34 home league matches since the beginning of last season.
But the fact that four of their remaining seven fixtures take place at home could still serve as a big psychological boost to the Clarets.
They will not be short of support tonight or in the following three games against Wolves, Aston Villa and — on the final day — Newcastle, so need to make that vociferous backing count.
Spirits still high
Despite their precarious position in the table, Burnley’s players still believe that they can pull off a great escape. That is according to Jackson, who was speaking after the draw against West Ham.
He said: “They know what they need to do, the spirit that is needed and the work we have to go through to get to where we want to be. I have no worries about that side of things.”
This Clarets crop’s never-say-die attitude has got them out of tight spots before — but they will need to dig deeper than ever to prise their way out of their toughest one yet.
