WHICH OF THE TWO BURNLEYS WILL SHOW UP THIS SEASON?
After finishing 7th in 2017-18 and qualifying for the Europa League, Burnley suffered something of a hangover in the first half of last season, not helped by a summer transfer window which Sean Dyche said left him two or three players light.
They took just 12 points from their first 19 games, the last of which was a 5-1 Boxing Day humbling at home to Everton. With the Clarets in the drop zone, Dyche recalled club captain Tom Heaton and brought in 19-year-old winger Dwight Mcneil. Burnley went on an eight-game unbeaten run and stayed up with three games to spare, having drawn at Old Trafford, beaten Spurs at home and held Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
All told, Burnley took 28 points in 16 games, to hit 40, before losing their last three. At one stage, it was top-five form. And they scored their way to safety: only Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal netted more, plus Crystal Palace and Bournemouth, who went above them with a demob-happy 5-3 on the last day.
They conceded 27 in those 19 games, after shipping 41 in the first half of the season – more than they did in the entirety of 2017-18. Burnley got back to what they do best. Well-organised, disciplined and hard to beat, they played some effective, mixed football. Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes both ended the campaign in double figures for goals, while Mcneil emerged as one of the top flight’s best teenagers, earning a place in L’equipe’s list of the 50 best youngsters in Europe.
While the youth product was a huge bonus, Burnley now have to hope their first ever technical director, Mike Rigg, can help them play catch-up in the transfer market. Although they have had some big successes, keeping one of the tightest Premier League budgets means the Clarets need to continue unearthing gems.
With prudence still the watchword, some supporters continue to feel frustrated. Dyche has wondered aloud if the club can loosen the purse strings to help his players develop. “How much are we going to stretch to make sure we’re improving?” he said. “We have improved internally: a lot of the players have improved in their performances, experience and knowhow. How can we bolster that, add to that, improve that?”
These are almost existential questions. A fifth season in six at this level suggests Burnley are established in the Premier League, but Dyche would note that Stoke and West Bromwich Albion might have said the same.
Historically, any side outside the ‘Big Six’ and top tier ever-presents Everton are susceptible. Dyche will want a more comfortable campaign this time; whether he gets it may depend on which Burnley show up.