Burnley v Derby tonight

[MF'84]

Looking forward to hearing what the Derby fans at work have got to say this morning!

Watching the game though I couldn't help but think that's the kind of thing that would normally happen to us; an own goal, 2 penalties and a big deflection...

 

[Mo Gosfield]

We haven't been out of the top 6 all season.

Could be wrong but I think we were 7th after the opening game v Forest.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

A win for Forest tonight takes them to something like 13 unbeaten and sneaking up on the playoffs.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Personally I'm sick of Derby County and their 'divine right' to get back to the Premier League. I will Kevin Keegan 'Love it' if they continue to crash and burn.

Must confess, I agree.
I know a Derby fan and he said to me a few weeks ago...." Once you ( BHA ) get a few injuries, you'll be scuppered, you haven't got the depth of squad that we have "
I replied..." We'll see "
( Which reminds me....must give him a ring )

 

[Mo Gosfield]

I saw the Burnley match at Brentford. Brentford were far better side but Burnley are just one of those sides that can kill a game stone dead as soon as they get in the lead and invite teams on to them and be quite clinical if they get a goal chance. Dyche is an excellent Manager.

The year they went up they got hardly any injuries during the whole season. This run has coincided again with no injuries recently for them

There is a lot of luck involved in avoiding too many injuries. Thus far, all the leading sides ( top 8 ) have enjoyed a better run than us. We are starting to turn the corner now and players are returning. Boro and Derby are faltering at the mo with pretty strong squads available and Hull and Burnley are flying with nearly everyone available. Their time to falter may still be just around the corner.
Long way to go.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Long may it continue.

Forest fans must be doing the conga through Nottingham with this circus going on.

Particularly as they are just starting to catch fire and could come with a late charge.

 

[pb21]

Could be wrong but I think we were 7th after the opening game v Forest.

Outside the top six a couple of weeks ago too, albeit having played a game less.

 

[Prince Monolulu]

 

[Mo Gosfield]

It is, of course, fun seeing teams implode, especially when they do it so often, and that it looks like it might be their year, then they implode again. But is also possible that it is just a poor run of form that they will get over and return to an impressive winning run. It's just their fans are, like all fans, concerned by the current run. Some of our fans feared the worst over Christmas, and we don't really have the history of imploding that Derby do. I'm enjoying their current run, but am not convinced, yet, that it will be as bad as previous seasons.

Nor me.
They started with only 4 points out of the first 15 and this current run has yielded only 2 points out of 15. Out of the remaining 18 games they have got 43 points, which is mightily impressive and indicates how powerful they are when they get going.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

We should consolidate our place in the play offs, if we get automatic promotion we would be very lucky.
Given a top 6 position at the start off the season would have been more than most of us would have accepted.

Why would we be lucky?
We set a new Championship record of games unbeaten at the start of a season. We have suffered a near crippling injury list to a succession of regular first teamers, which would have derailed any other side in this division. We have had a number of dubious decisions go against us. Now we have some players starting to come back, we are winning again.
Everything points to us as being a strong squad in attitude and belief. Earlier in the season, good judges were calling us the best team in the division.
Once we get everyone back ( with the exception of Solly ) we will finish very strongly and we will be in contention for automatic. We dropped 18 points out of 21 but are still only 6 points off the top. Derby and Boro are faltering ( albeit temporarily ) and there is no guarantee that Hull and Burnley will keep winning. Wednesday and Brum may have a say in it as well.
I won't settle for play-offs until I know that the top two is out of reach.

 

[OzMike]

Why would we be lucky?
We set a new Championship record of games unbeaten at the start of a season. We have suffered a near crippling injury list to a succession of regular first teamers, which would have derailed any other side in this division. We have had a number of dubious decisions go against us. Now we have some players starting to come back, we are winning again.
Everything points to us as being a strong squad in attitude and belief. Earlier in the season, good judges were calling us the best team in the division.
Once we get everyone back ( with the exception of Solly ) we will finish very strongly and we will be in contention for automatic. We dropped 18 points out of 21 but are still only 6 points off the top. Derby and Boro are faltering ( albeit temporarily ) and there is no guarantee that Hull and Burnley will keep winning. Wednesday and Brum may have a say in it as well.
I won't settle for play-offs until I know that the top two is out of reach.

We set a record for being unbeaten, not winning, too many draws.
I hope we do go up automatically but don't think we will.

 

[BUTTERBALL]

Derby looked a million miles from promotion contenders last night. Not sure what to make of Burnley, they had a fair bit of luck but they made it count and are serious candidates on that evidence.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Could be wrong but I think we were 7th after the opening game v Forest.

We played on the Friday night so had three points whilst the whole of the rest of the division had nought.

Outside the top six a couple of weeks ago too, albeit having played a game less.

Just for a few hours because of a Friday kick off.

 

[scamander]

As a Burnley fan I think I should point out that from what I've seen (and read) Dyche seems to set us up to soak up the pressure and allow teams possession and territory. Thus the teams we play often seem to be dominating us in parts of the matches.

I appreciate it sounds odd and early on this season, even after we'd won, there was some concern that though we did get the 3 points the other team bossed us for large parts of the game. When we played Blackburn they had several good chances before we scored. It's a gamble but it seems to be paying off and last night wasn't any different as it's now our style.

The long balls/direct style: we play good football in parts, particularly in the wings where we build up possession. We also use Vokes dropping deep and look to get Arfield or Gray to get to the knockdowns. These aren't always aimless or mindless long hoofs, Gray is very quick so we also have the angled ball to turn the opposition defence. We play 4-4-2 so often the oppo have an extra man (most teams play with 5 in the middle now) so we don't always have the option of playing through the middle.We're not Barcelona but we've hit on a system which other teams are finding tricky to crack.

Anyway - given that Shacks engineered a move to double his salary last season and did so in a way which left a bitter taste it was quite ironic to see him humbled on the pitch.

 

[JonnyComeEarly]

snigger @ Derby.

to be honest though Burnley hardly set the world alight last night - 2 pens, and OG and ridiculous deflection!!!

 

[theboybilly]

When Albion have had a reasonably fit squad to chose from we have not looked likely to lose in away games at Turf Moor, Hillsborough or the iPro. In fact if it weren't for two debatable penalty decisions we could have taken an extra 4 points from those games. Add the two points we really should have bagged at Loftus Road and Brighton could be just goal difference away from top. 'If's' and 'but's' I know but we are doing okay

 

[NooBHA]

There is a lot of luck involved in avoiding too many injuries. Thus far, all the leading sides ( top 8 ) have enjoyed a better run than us. We are starting to turn the corner now and players are returning. Boro and Derby are faltering at the mo with pretty strong squads available and Hull and Burnley are flying with nearly everyone available. Their time to falter may still be just around the corner.

Long way to go.

I am not bothered about the others really. I think if we can get most people fit then I think we have a very capable team. And by capable I mean automatic promotion. Sadly though, I don't think we have a ''capable squad'' for automatic promotion yet but I think we are getting there.

 

[BensGrandad]

I am not bothered about the others really. I think if we can get most people fit then I think we have a very capable team. And by capable I mean automatic promotion. Sadly though, I don't think we have a ''capable squad'' for automatic promotion yet but I think we are getting there.

Keep saying it but it is in our own hands having all the teams above and around us to play, win those games and who knows.

 

[perseus]

View attachment 71816

Boro are better odds at being in the PL next season than Newcastle and Sunderland.

We are about 11/4 like Sunderland.

 

[sir albion]

Burnley are very good and unlike most they're banging the goals in and look good for a top two spot.