Clarets need to improve away form
KATERINA LEE’S BURNLEY VIEW
IT wasn’t the result that we wanted against Stoke at the weekend, but it certainly wasn’t unexpected.
From where I was standing, we played well but their two goals were just of a different class.
This game has Clarets torn down the middle so it seems. Some share the opinion I have – played well, a few unfair challenges (especially on Andre Gray) that could have lead to goals, but ultimately when Stoke went forward, they had quality in front of goal and that paid off.
Other Clarets argue that the goals were scrappy and we should’ve been given free kicks and penalties galore.
Most matches thus far in the Premier League I have gone into not expecting too much and been pleasantly surprised. Stoke are notoriously difficult to beat at home, for a club that is arguably not classed as one of the big dogs. So a 2-0 defeat is seemingly tame.
What we need to focus on now however, is improving our away form.
While we can bask in the ‘fortress’ at our home games, which will probably be the reason we stay up this season, we’re going to start really scraping the barrel if we only have one point away from home all season.
What’s unfortunate is our next set of games on the road are going to be tough. Yet, we never give up and we may be surprised by what’s to come.
Despite Bournemouth’s emphatic late win against Liverpool on Sunday, I’m still feeling as though they are an opponent we could at least get a point from.
Dyche putting Gray and Barnes up front together at home may well work out for us this time.
However, as we’ve come to realise Eddie Howe is an intelligent manager and may well have read our game. Whatever the occasion, it’ll be a welcome return for him and Junior Stanislas, who’s been making waves at Bournemouth since he left us. Always a proud moment to see him score in the premier league, just hopefully not against us this weekend (if his injury isn’t as bad as it looked on Sunday).
This weekend is all about going again. We’ll go again and again until it suits us, as one thing Burnley don’t do is give up.
If we can regain our strong jaw and form at the back, we don’t have a whole lot to worry about on Saturday.
There’s definitely not a white flag being waved just yet, and it would be incredible to get the full three points.