Our subs bench

[bfccrazy]

Deal. I'll need some contact details so I know who you are.
And this is your version of being "less creepy", right?

Prove it.

I’ll have the bright yellow coat on at the Cricket club.

Come say hi x

[agreenwood]

Felt for Ward today. He’s the oldest regular outfield player and the only one of the starters today who had to play 120 mins on Thursday. He looked knackered second half.

That’s all because Charlie Taylor was forced to play wide due to our lack of wide midfield options. Had we had any alternative, Taylor would probably have played left back on Thursday and Ward would have had a rest.

[SGr]

Nope. Still don’t get your point.

Comparing a game at the start of last season to this is not clutching at straws. Anybody with half a clue about football will see that we have progressed as a team since last season. It is an evolution where we now have to change the team more with extra games. The first 60 mins at Southampton and the first half today are arguably better than our start to last season in terms of how we played.

“Anyone with half a clue about football” well not one to brag or anything but I reckon I have half a clue about football and we’ve gained 1 point from two games in which we gained 6 last season. A performance is only relevant when it gets results. Yes, we were better in the first half today than that poor second half against Chelsea over a year ago - but the fact is we started that half 3-0 up.

We were poor today because we firstly didn’t take our chances, then secondly completely ran out of ideas second half. Now for me, progression from last season would be improving the number of goals, whilst maintaining a solid defence. I’m not saying it can’t happen, I’m not even saying it won’t happen - but for me, it just hasn’t happened yet.

[FactualFrank]

I’ll have the bright yellow coat on at the Cricket club.
Come say hi x

What's your name? I know people who go into the Cricket Club and post on here, so can check.

[bfccrazy]

What's your name? I know people who go into the Cricket Club and post on here, so can check.

What’s your name?

[Lancasterclaret]

We clearly needed a winger/wide midfielder extra but we didn't get it.

Didn't get Taylor playing wing on Thurs to be honest, Barnes could have played there.

Certainly for European games it might even be worth considering playing a formation that takes into account our lack of options out wide and in midfield.

5-3-2 possibly?

[FactualFrank]

We clearly needed a winger/wide midfielder extra but we didn't get it.

Didn't get Taylor playing wing on Thurs to be honest, Barnes could have played there.

Certainly for European games it might even be worth considering playing a formation that takes into account our lack of options out wide and in midfield.

5-3-2 possibly?

Is your 5-3-2 the England type of formation... so more like 3-5-2? Going from playing 2 at the back to 3 isn't something you do once the season has started.

I think if SD had any thoughts of doing that, we'd have at least seen us try it in a friendly. It takes a lot of training and match practise for a defender to go from one partner, to suddenly having 2. Walker made some very interesting points last week on how different it is.

[Hibsclaret]

“Anyone with half a clue about football” well not one to brag or anything but I reckon I have half a clue about football and we’ve gained 1 point from two games in which we gained 6 last season. A performance is only relevant when it gets results. Yes, we were better in the first half today than that poor second half against Chelsea over a year ago - but the fact is we started that half 3-0 up.

We were poor today because we firstly didn’t take our chances, then secondly completely ran out of ideas second half. Now for me, progression from last season would be improving the number of goals, whilst maintaining a solid defence. I’m not saying it can’t happen, I’m not even saying it won’t happen - but for me, it just hasn’t happened yet.

You can count points then. Not exactly proof that you know what you are talking about.

We haven’t conceded in 3 games prior to this one for a start. You don’t always get points you deserve but your eyes allow you to see whether you are playing well or not.

Last year was basically the same team once a week. This year there needs to be changes and we need to get used to doing that. You can go ahead and get into immediate doom mode based on one bad half..

[bfccrazy]

Strange lad. I'll save myself a stretch in Strangeways and you eating through a straw, by leaving it here. But have a day off laying in SD. He knows a bit more than you when it comes to managing and improving Burnley. Goodnight soft lad.

Night babes xx

(I do hope we end up crossing paths randomly if you have that attitude btw, you’d be in for a surprise).

[TVC15]

Just could not see SD playing that formation - which is a shame given how good a player I think Ben Gibson could be for us.

The way we play and the players he has bought all revolve around a certain style of defending. Generally we do this very well.

To change that to play 3 at the back would be very difficult. You need a different type of full backs and different types of midfielders to make this work.

[Lancasterclaret]

Not denying that either of you, but it does seem that we are asking for trouble playing a formation that essentially requires three centre midfielders when we only have three available.

I know Vydra will make another option and of course Defour is a quality player when fit, and I know its probably a reaction to seeing how little we have to change things around.

Guess I'm just trying to think of a way (short of signing a free agent) that maximises our minimal resources.

[FactualFrank]

Night babes xx
(I do hope we end up crossing paths randomly if you have that attitude btw, you’d be in for a surprise).

I'm sure I won't. G'night fruit cake.

[bfccrazy]

Not denying that either of you, but it does seem that we are asking for trouble playing a formation that essentially requires three centre midfielders when we only have three available.

I know Vydra will make another option and of course Defour is a quality player when fit, and I know its probably a reaction to seeing how little we have to change things around.

Guess I'm just trying to think of a way (short of signing a free agent) that maximises our minimal resources.

There is a thread on here about what Lennon offers us and people are slaying him - I think with the right player in the middle he will be a revelation .... he tends to cut the ball back into the box where we don’t have players running in, the same spots Vydra seems to thrive in which is hopefully the plan Dyche has in place ... I was excited about the Vydra signing for that reason as we have Wood who seems to love poaching around the goal and now Vydra who loves poaching in behind that ... it could be the making of a very very good strike partnership once he is Dyche fit and playing.

[Lancasterclaret]

Yeah, we were commenting on if we'd have had a "No 10" goalscorer then we'd have someone in the right place for both the Lennon and the Cork pull backs.

[SGr]

You can count points then. Not exactly proof that you know what you are talking about.

We haven’t conceded in 3 games prior to this one for a start. You don’t always get points you deserve but your eyes allow you to see whether you are playing well or not.

Last year was basically the same team once a week. This year there needs to be changes and we need to get used to doing that. You can go ahead and get into immediate doom mode based on one bad half..

The problem for me is I don’t think we’ve adequately prepared for this change in fixtures. Someone pointed out for example how tired Ward was because he’s played 120 minutes. This is the case because Taylor played left mid on Thursday because we didn’t have another option - something we’ve known since December of last year when Brady was injured. I’m not going saying that we’re heading for “immediate doom” - I just believe that we haven’t shown signs of progression. We’ve maintained a good defence (ignoring the uncharacteristic lapses in the second half today), but we still lack creativity and we still lack depth. We had a summer to fix this.