[Football] Are Burnley relegation contenders this year?

[Simster]

Up next are plucky Bournemouth*, Cardiff and Huddersfield. I suspect that we'll know much more about where our fate lies after these games.

(in danger of having their 'plucky' title taken by Wolves).

There is no danger of that, for two reasons.

1) Bournemouth will forever be plucky because they play in a tin pot shoebox - thus masking the gazillions they've had invested in them by one of those Russian oligarch types.
2) Wolves are the ultimate "look at what a massive club we are" as far as their fans go. They'd hate to be described as plucky, and probably see themselves as one tiny notch outside the biggest 6 clubs in the country. I have a couple of mates who are Wolves fans, and there is a distinct whiff of this eminating from the more passionate of the two.

Actually for this reason, I'd quite like to call them plucky Wolves from now on.

 

[Left Footer]

Absolutely.
Last season`s success was built on there solid defence.
Scoring goals is there problem even last season most of their wins were by one goal. Without that solid defence it`s going to be a different season for them for sure.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

There is no danger of that, for two reasons.

1) Bournemouth will forever be plucky because they play in a tin pot shoebox - thus masking the gazillions they've had invested in them by one of those Russian oligarch types.
2) Wolves are the ultimate "look at what a massive club we are" as far as their fans go. They'd hate to be described as plucky, and probably see themselves as one tiny notch outside the biggest 6 clubs in the country. I have a couple of mates who are Wolves fans, and there is a distinct whiff of this eminating from the more passionate of the two.

Actually for this reason, I'd quite like to call them plucky Wolves from now on.

Wolves are similar to Newcastle in that regard.

 

[Simster]

Wolves are similar to Newcastle in that regard.

True, although Newcastle can back it up with 53,000 crowds in the good times. Even during times of smaller gates nationwide, their home support has always dwarfed that of Wolves. (BTW, it's not that Newcastle fans are any more loyal than anyone else, it's just that there's a lot more of them than most other clubs)

 

[BBassic]

That is rather depressing reading

I don't think it's that bad.

My maths skills aren't great but I've looked at attempts, attempts on target and goals scored from open play and we're not miles apart.

Attempts
Brighton: 33
Wolves: 78

On target
Brighton: 10 (31% on target, 69% off target)
Wolves: 22 (29% on target, 71% off target)

Goals from open play
Brighton: 3 (5 total if you include 2 scored from penalties)
Wolves: 5 (no penalties scored)

Please feel free to correct the numbers if I've gotten the maths wrong but on the face of it we're performing, from an attacking stats view, about the same as they are. We're just doing it with fewer shots.

 

[Perry Milkins]

There is no danger of that, for two reasons.

1) Bournemouth will forever be plucky because they play in a tin pot shoebox - thus masking the gazillions they've had invested in them by one of those Russian oligarch types.
2) Wolves are the ultimate "look at what a massive club we are" as far as their fans go. They'd hate to be described as plucky, and probably see themselves as one tiny notch outside the biggest 6 clubs in the country. I have a couple of mates who are Wolves fans, and there is a distinct whiff of this eminating from the more passionate of the two.

Actually for this reason, I'd quite like to call them plucky Wolves from now on.

What about audacious or gutsy Wolves? That will leave the term 'Plucky' with the smug ones lot?

 

[Simster]

What about audacious or gutsy Wolves? That will leave the term 'Plucky' with the smug ones lot?

"Ambitious" I think

 

[Bozza]

That is rather depressing reading

Wolves had 30 yesterday.

When we have 30 tonight against Southampton, and as away flairistas surely we will, we'll be top half for attempts!

(We'll still be bottom, won't we?)

 

[scamander]

There is no danger of that, for two reasons.

1) Bournemouth will forever be plucky because they play in a tin pot shoebox - thus masking the gazillions they've had invested in them by one of those Russian oligarch types.
2) Wolves are the ultimate "look at what a massive club we are" as far as their fans go. They'd hate to be described as plucky, and probably see themselves as one tiny notch outside the biggest 6 clubs in the country. I have a couple of mates who are Wolves fans, and there is a distinct whiff of this eminating from the more passionate of the two.

Actually for this reason, I'd quite like to call them plucky Wolves from now on.

I listened to some of the game on the radio. It was amazing how the pundits were drooling over Wolves and saying how great they are to watch whilst avoiding their recruitment policy as one of the reasons why.

I would like Dyche to play a more expansive style and understand the perception we are afforded by fans in general. But it does help when you have the sort of players they brought in.

As to whether we could have bought better, I'd say so but at the same time we aren't able to offer the salaries or have the recruitment Wolves do.

Some fabs I have spoken to realky dislike Wolves for this reason, a tad harsh but when the pundits say stuff like "why can't all clubs play like this?"....well, they avoid certain reasons, a bit like Bournemouth.

 

[Perry Milkins]

"Ambitious" I think

Refreshing Wolves...

 

[Beanstalk]

Wolves had 30 yesterday.

When we have 30 tonight against Southampton, and as away flairistas surely we will, we'll be top half for attempts!

(We'll still be bottom, won't we?)

I would happily take one attempt if it ends 1-0.

Think that, unfortunately, Burnley will spend in Jan if in trouble and fix the obvious lack of squad depth issue. However, is it a massive surprise that, if they are conceding goals this year, they are not going to win many? 36 goals in 38 games last year is almost as bad as us and we finished 14 points below them.

 

[Wardy's twin]

Wolves had 30 yesterday.

When we have 30 tonight against Southampton, and as away flairistas surely we will, we'll be top half for attempts!

(We'll still be bottom, won't we?)

3 shots 3 goals will be good enough for me.. doh just seen other comment

 

[BensGrandad]

I know that I am in the minority but I do not think that Wolves will prosper as well as many say, I do not think that they will be relegation rivals but like Burnley last season their early season form may hold them for the difficult times ahead. I think that they are a very workman like side that teams will come to master as the season moves on.

Huddersfield and Cardiff do not have the quality required along with a Zaha less CPFC who will only survive if they can keep their version of Tom Daley fit and playing. If they do I see Burnley as the most likely to fail again looking short of the quality required and relying on hard work and grit, possibly more so than us.

 

[scamander]

I would happily take one attempt if it ends 1-0.

Think that, unfortunately, Burnley will spend in Jan if in trouble and fix the obvious lack of squad depth issue. However, is it a massive surprise that, if they are conceding goals this year, they are not going to win many? 36 goals in 38 games last year is almost as bad as us and we finished 14 points below them.

The danger with recruiting in Jan is that if you do it from a position of a relegation scrap there may not be many players of the quality you need who want to go to a club in one.

 

[Mellotron]

Wolves had 30 yesterday.

When we have 30 tonight against Southampton, and as away flairistas surely we will, we'll be top half for attempts!

(We'll still be bottom, won't we?)

Tonight will NOT be a good advert for Prem football on Sky. Not one for the neutrals. I hope to be joyously wrong.

 

[Beanstalk]

The danger with recruiting in Jan is that if you do it from a position of a relegation scrap there may not be many players of the quality you need who want to go to a club in one.

Agreed. Listened to a podcast with CAAARLOS Carvalhal where he talked about Swansea agreeing fees for both Nicolas Gaitan and Kevin Gameiro but both players turned him down as they didn't want a relegation on their CV.

However, I do think that Dyche is pretty canny in the transfer market and tends to get the best out of players who are around that level rather than relying on a star to take a gamble on. (Jack Cork, Phil Bardsley, Chris Wood, Aaron Lennon)

 

[perseus]

Wolves, Everton, Palace and Bmuff will all be mid table with some ease IMO.

You can pick reasons why 12 teams could be safe or go down.

e.g. Palace have got a geriatric manager, Wolves play three at the back, Everton are overpaid prima donnas who do not pass to each other, Bournemouth do not have strength in depth.

I expected Burnley to be up the top at the end of August and West Ham rock bottom because of their fixture lists.

At the beginning of the season I was apt to exclude Burnley and Watford from the 14 because last season they both had long injury lists and surely they couldn't get worse?


Burnley have dropped 6 points below what I expected, If their team is no worse than last season, it still sees them safe.

 

[Marshy]

I suspect Burnley will have enough to get out of trouble

 

[Wardy's twin]

As a previous poster has already stated, apart from the top 6-8 clubs anyone of the remaining 12 could fall into relegation given a few bad decisions or injuries to a couple of key players. If we are going to stay up we need to beat teams like Fulham at home not because we are superior or deserve it but because it is winning those games that survival is all about. Similarly we need to take the odd 1 or 3 points away at clubs like Southampton.

 

[DavidRyder]

Yes.