Football Season Guide

Burnley’s impressive results from last season surprised many, but this summer the mood is exactly in the opposite direction when one thinks about Dyche’s squad as the sharp and hard to work with gaffer barely managed to add 3 new players to the very small squad. All of Hart, Gibson and Vydra are hardly with star qualities though, the last two are coming from the Champiosnhip, while Hart has had 4 dreadful years and is arguably expected to be the third-choice goalkeeper when Pope and Heaton are fit. No major departures have happened either, all of the four that left were fringe figures, but this left Burnley having just 20 first-team field players and with the demands of a gruelling Premier League season well known there is nobody thinking that this could be enough. On top of all that Burnley play qualifying matches in Europa League and if they are to reach the group stage, this will be a surprise, it will be practically impossible to balance between midweek and weekends with such a small pool to choose from. Burnley’s lack of creativity and technical abilities will continue. Once again the main reliance will be on root-one approach, high balls into the box, set pieces, destructive midfielders and physical centre-backs. Burnley are not expected to change the working 4-4-2 system, but Wood hopes to have better luck with his health this season and if the New Zealander remains fit he can be a handful in the penalty area with his robust body. Despite being known as a solid defensive team Burnley struggled for clean sheets at the back end of last season and if this trend continues finding wins will become even harder. Dyche also looks worried by the fact that there are only three typical centre-backs in his squad at the minute and if anything happens to Mee or Tarkowski keeping shut downs will become an almost impossible challenge. Using their height and physicality Burnley hope to have the same luck that accompanied them throughout the previous campaign, but history has shown that this is usually not the case.