Written by: Daniel Ghorbal @danghorbal
Liverpool’s fourth game of the Premier League campaign is against Sean Dyche’s Burnley at Turf Moor, traditionally a tough place for opposition to go. The Clarets come into Saturday’s encounter on the back of a 1-1 against Europa League side Wolves at Molineux, in what was a game that they should have won with the calibre of chances they had.
Ashley Barnes’ first-half wonder-strike was cancelled out by a 97th minute Raul Jimenez penalty. Dyche, though, was incredibly pleased with the performance of his side, and another day, the game could’ve ended 3-1 if the likes of Barnes and Wood converted their chances. The result leaves Burnley with 4 points from their opening 3 games, a return that Dyche would’ve undoubtedly taken at the beginning of the campaign, but one that he’ll be hoping his side can add to within the next few weeks.
The Clarets were also knocked out of the EFL Cup on Wednesday after suffering a 3-1 defeat to Sunderland at Turf Moor, despite having some of their big hitters taking part in the game.
The stereotype of Burnley being a side that tend to play ‘hoof ball’ is one which frustrates me as someone who watches them around 10 times a season. Yes, Burnley do not play the most attractive football, but they are a well drilled side with 11 players that know their role.
For example, Ashley Westwood and Jack Cork, Burnley’s central midfield partnership, are not two household names and do not typically stand out within games, but the quality on the ball that those two possess goes under the radar, and they keep things ticking nicely within the centre of the park. In addition to this, James Tarkowski and Ben Mee form a solid defensive partnership, and although Burnley have the tendency to leak goals at stages, both Tarkowski and Mee produce 7/10 displays on a weekly basis. Finally, Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood.
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It is uncommon for a side to play with 2 up-front in the Premier League these days, but Burnley still do and utilise it to full-effect. Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes play off each other incredibly efficiently, as we saw with Barnes’ goal against Wolves, taking the Austrian’s tally to 4 for the season in just 3 games.
The point with all this analysis is that Burnley have a strong spine, and despite not having the most technically gifted side in the league, the spine of Pope- Tarkowski- Westwood- Barnes is one which provides consistency and results, and at the end of the day, it is a results business.
Fortunately for me, predicting Burnley’s starting XI will arguably be one of the most straightforward that I’ll do all season. In the opening 3 games of the Premier League campaign, Dyche has been the only manager to name the same starting team for all 3, implying my point that he can rely on the same 11 players on a weekly basis. What I find fascinating about Dyche is that irrelevant of who his side faces, he’ll mostly deploy the same tactics, showing bravery and risk-taking that is required in the Premier League if you want to beat the best.
His Burnley side will come right at Liverpool on Saturday, and whether he goes for the more direct approach or more conservative approach, the orthodox 4-4-2 formation will remain in tact. Sean Dyche will probably not expect a result in a game against a side of Liverpool’s quality, but he will be hoping that his side can come out of the game with their heads held high.
Written by: Daniel Ghorbal @danghorbal
