WHY BURNLEY MUST EMBRACE EUROPE

Well, that didn’t take long. Burnley lost at home on Sunday, so the europa league is to blame. That only five players — including Joe Hart, the goalkeeper — started against Watford and the previous Thursday against Istanbul Basaksehir is seemingly irrelevant. Burnley, apparently, cannot remain competitive on two fronts. They are in the Premier league to fulfil fixtures and no more. On a fans’ forum the post: ‘I hope Olympiacos is our last euro tie this season’ is being hotly debated. Some supporters genuinely want Burnley’s first european campaign since the UeFA Fairs Cup in 1966-67 to be over before the end of August. To do what, focus on a mid-table finish at best? Where is the fun in just hanging around, unless it leads to somewhere — like the europa league? eventually, Burnley will go down. Not because they’re rubbish, just because they’re Burnley. It happened to Stoke, to Middlesbrough, to West Brom, to Aston Villa. There are clubs that move between the divisions, up and down. Some stay longer than others, but the rise and fall is inevitable. A good manager leaves, players are sold, or some signings fail — there are plenty of reasons why a club gets relegated. And then what is there to remember? Not all those years of finishing 17th or even seventh, but those standout campaigns, a final or a rare night in europe. Burnley, managed by Sean Dyche (left), play Olympiacos, 44-times champions of Greece, on Thursday. Win over two legs and they could face one of the great names of european football: AC Milan, lazio, Sporting lisbon, Celtic. Burnley in the San Siro, imagine that? For the majority, being in the Premier league is a means to that end, a door to something even better, something more exciting for your club. If you don’t want that thrill, what is there? You really have only come to see United.