I hope olympiacos is our last euro tie this season

[claretnproud]

many will have lived the dream and seen us play in europe. We simply cannot afford to have a load of euro games to cope with now we have let slip 5 points against teams we perhaps needed 3 or 4 points from. I believe this is a realistic assessment of our current situation. We are not the surprise package any more and teams will have worked us out. sad but true.

[Indecisive]

Give over you weapon.

[KRBFC]

I'd accept relegation for a European trophy

[UpTheClaretsFCBK]

I don't.

We've got plenty of opportunity to turn our season around, we're two games in.

It's not really an excuse for today as hardly any of the first 11 started on Thursday.

We may never get enough chance to play in Europe, so here's hoping we make the groups and play some top teams.

[MACCA]

I don't "hope" it's our last, but won't lose any sleep if it is.
I will have forfilled my dreams, and had the experiences I wanted.
Also going out will save me some cash, and possibly my marriage too

[Steve1956]

many will have lived the dream and seen us play in europe. We simply cannot afford to have a load of euro games to cope with now we have let slip 5 points against teams we perhaps needed 3 or 4 points from. I believe this is a realistic assessment of our current situation. We are not the surprise package any more and teams will have worked us out. sad but true.

It will be!

[COBBLE]

I don't. So far at least. Our problem is that the three most skilful players we have, Brady, Defour and Vidra are not match fit, and that we didn't add a fourth.

[Indecisive]

I'd accept relegation for a European trophy

You know what. I actually agree.

It would be absolutely mental for us to be playing champions league football whilst in the championship.

[dsr]

many will have lived the dream and seen us play in europe. We simply cannot afford to have a load of euro games to cope with now we have let slip 5 points against teams we perhaps needed 3 or 4 points from. I believe this is a realistic assessment of our current situation. We are not the surprise package any more and teams will have worked us out. sad but true.

I suppose when you see the defence fall apart like that, it brings it home just how much effort they were forced to expend by sitting on the subs bench watching the match last Thursday. If only we'd played the reserves, eh?

Especially when you consider that if we qualify for the groups, we have to play 23 matches in 17 weeks in September to December. No human being could be expected to cope with that workload.

[claretnproud]

we have injured players and will gain more injuries through euro competition. I would like us to do well in europe but we simply must maintain our premiership status. generally we are at our best before christmas and rack up the points. We cannot allow europe to stop us from doing this.

[mickleoverclaret]

Just don't go mate. I hope I get at least 3 more

[Likeavydra]

1 point off bottom place.. he has a point.. like your team

[dsr]

we have injured players and will gain more injuries through euro competition. I would like us to do well in europe but we simply must maintain our premiership status. generally we are at our best before christmas and rack up the points. We cannot allow europe to stop us from doing this.

Why? What happens if we don't? I hate the idea that we have reached a level and we cannot try to improve. Let's have some fun! Europe is fun! (Don't quote that on the Brexit threads!)

[claretnproud]

Just don't go mate. I hope I get at least 3 more

its not about going. its about surviving potentially our toughest premiership season yet.

[KRBFC]

You know what. I actually agree.

It would be absolutely mental for us to be playing champions league football whilst in the championship.

Never thought of that, imagine
To be fair I don't really consider 17th placed finish an achievement.

[KRBFC]

When I'm a 90 year old man, I want to tell the grand kids stories about the achievements of Burnley, I wont be telling them ''we finished 17th in the Premier League'' but I will tell them all about the Coyle promotion season.

[arise_sir_charge]

To blame Europe for an abortion of a performance is ridiculous.

[mickleoverclaret]

its not about going. its about surviving potentially our toughest premiership season yet.

Tougher than 09/10? Not a prayer. We'll be fine so try and enjoy our first European campaign in 51 years instead of wishing it away because we lost one game.

[dpinsussex]

many will have lived the dream and seen us play in europe. We simply cannot afford to have a load of euro games to cope with now we have let slip 5 points against teams we perhaps needed 3 or 4 points from. I believe this is a realistic assessment of our current situation. We are not the surprise package any more and teams will have worked us out. sad but true.

I take it you haven't been to any of our European games then?

[Likeavydra]

I think its wonderful how a europa campaign unites the fans so much.. Ahem..

[Lancasterclaret]

Its one performance.

If those performances continue, then yeah, we can blame Europe.

We can't blame anyone for today apart from ourselves, for not taking our chances in the first half and for being half asleep at the start of each half.

[theroyaldyche]

Moan moan moan

I hope we get to the euro knockouts

[SGr]

I might be up front for Moaners XI but even I think this is a ridiculous suggestion.

Our Premier League survival just isn’t at stake yet. Not after two games - and you’re talking about binning off Europe. If we were in February I’d agree with you, but there are 36 games left (and as much as anything, there are some woeful teams in this division compared to us).

[Indecisive]

Today wouldn’t get anywhere near the top 100 poor performances I’ve witnessed over the past 25 years as a Burnley fan.

Bit of perspective desperately required.

We switched off and threw the game away after a very decent first half.

We played well at Southampton last week.

We are still in Europe.

We should shortly have a couple of very influential players back from injuries.

Thankfully we’ve a sensible manager who doesn’t get too high with the highs... or low with the lows. Shame a few on here can’t appreciate the value of taking that approach.

[gandhisflipflop]

I haven't managed to see burnley in europe yet due to finance and holidays. As long as you lot have though then thats ok then

[jurek]

We're only two games in so it's early doors really but I do think we
might struggle this season irrespective of whether we manage to get through
to the group stages of the Europa Cup. Probably even more so if we do.
Lose our next two (Fulham away and United at home) and we'll more than likely
be in the bottom three.

At least we'll have a break after United but even then we'll have players away
on international duty I presume but we should hopefully have Brady and possibly Defour back
in contention and Vydras too - if not a little earlier.
That should give us some hope especially if they can back to the form they showed last season
before injury and hopefully Vydras will be able to convert some of his form in the Championship
to the Premier League.
It is likely to be a daunting task, especially if we do get through in the Europa.

But I do think we will get through and our form will return.
Might be a nail biting season in between.

[Silkyskills1]

I'd accept relegation for a European trophy

Good for you. I wouldn't.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

Amazing that some don't want the club to play in Europe.

They'd also be the ones moaning if Dyche put out a second string in the FA Cup and got knocked out early on.

Names on a trophy last forever, no one remembers those who don't win.

[boatshed bill]

I want us to win it.

[Lancasterclaret]

So do I, but we are not going to win the Europa League.

I mean, just look at some of the teams that are in it, and those teams want champions league football.

[claretnproud]

I might be up front for Moaners XI but even I think this is a ridiculous suggestion.

Our Premier League survival just isn’t at stake yet. Not after two games - and you’re talking about binning off Europe. If we were in February I’d agree with you, but there are 36 games left (and as much as anything, there are some woeful teams in this division compared to us).

no its not at threat yet is it. just like cardiff etc. you dont wait until march to worry about it, you do it now. staying out of the pressure cooker at the bottom of the league is key. its about habits. winning becomes a habit and so does losing. if we beat olympiacos then we deserve our position in the next phase but somehow I think our inability to turn possession into goals might just find us out.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

So do I, but we are not going to win the Europa League.

I mean, just look at some of the teams that are in it, and those teams want champions league football.

Fulham probably didn't expect to reach the final a few years back.

[Pimlico_Claret]

many will have lived the dream and seen us play in europe. We simply cannot afford to have a load of euro games to cope with now we have let slip 5 points against teams we perhaps needed 3 or 4 points from. I believe this is a realistic assessment of our current situation. We are not the surprise package any more and teams will have worked us out. sad but true.

Think you need to support another team pal

[dsr]

its about habits. winning becomes a habit and so does losing.

That's a good argument in favour of beating Olympiakos.

[claretnproud]

Think you need to support another team pal

and I think some posters on here need to wake up and smell the coffee.

[Pimlico_Claret]

and I think some posters on here need to wake up and smell the coffee.

You are right, I've just smelt the coffee. Two games into the season, one point. Pass me the noose please. I assume you want us to withdraw from the League and FA Cup before they start too, just in case we progress.

[Lancasterclaret]

They didn't win it though did they?

I mean, we played against Bakeshir with a left back playing left wing.

Not saying that I don't want to be in it, or that we should bin it off, but our first team is good, and what reserves we have are good as well, but we are short of numbers.

Group stages would be a phenomenal achievement, especially with the draws we have got.

[tiger76]

Europa can not be used as a red herring to excuse today's result,many of the starters today didn't play on Thursday,it was a home game,so no travelling involved,at this level individual errors will be punished,if we can take our chances when on top,and eliminate these basic mistakes we'll be fine.

If we can get through against Olympiacos,we are certain to play 6 more European games,but the feel good factor around the club,will hopefully motivate the squad,also we should have bodies back soon,giving us more options.

[dsr]

Here's the big question. How can we be certain that it was playing against Istanbul that cost us today? Presumably the players you think were at fault today are Hart, Ward, and Hendrick, because they are the only three players who played a full game on Thursday and started again today. Nobody else played as much as 180 minutes in total, and surely no-one is suggesting that playing a bit less than two games in four days is beyond a professional's ability.

Or is the fact of sitting on the bench watching a match on Thursday, enough to affect performance on Sunday?

[dsr]

Europa can not be used as a red herring to excuse today's result,many of the starters today didn't play on Thursday,it was a home game,so no travelling involved,at this level individual errors will be punished,if we can take our chances when on top,and eliminate these basic mistakes we'll be fine.

If we can get through against Olympiacos,we are certain to play 6 more European games,but the feel good factor around the club,will hopefully motivate the squad,also we should have bodies back soon,giving us more options.

6 games in 4 months. The hectic schedule we've had so far doesn't continue.

[claretnproud]

You are right, I've just smelt the coffee. Two games into the season, one point. Pass me the noose please. I assume you want us to withdraw from the League and FA Cup before they start too, just in case we progress.

you seem a bit wierd pimlico. perhaps you will come back on in 3 months and be as flippant about what could become a very difficult season. its almost as if you havnt seen a game this season. bed time. will speak again in december or so and see if you are as cocky about your silly and quite frankly naive views then.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

They didn't win it though did they?

I mean, we played against Bakeshir with a left back playing left wing.

Not saying that I don't want to be in it, or that we should bin it off, but our first team is good, and what reserves we have are good as well, but we are short of numbers.

Group stages would be a phenomenal achievement, especially with the draws we have got.

No they didn't win it, but how do you think their fans felt being at that final?
The exposure for the club was very good etc.

[Vino blanco]

Don't worry lad sand lasses, as soon as Hendrick gets used to this role he is playing, we' ll be okay. It's only been a full season, for him. They started of today with two pacey strikerss, maway, we stared with Wood on his own up front. Ferkin joke, having said that I'm sure there will be loads on here backing our team selection. ********.

[Lancasterclaret]

Great I'd imagine.

And it would be a fantastic achievement

I'm keeping my reality filter on at the moment though

One game at a time and all that!

[Vino blanco]

Change your filter, pal.

[Damo]

IMG_20180819_225426.jpg (908.69 KiB) Viewed 5534 times

[thatdberight]

Last 21 games last season:

23 points
20 goals
4 clean sheets

Was that because of European games?

[Vino blanco]

We weren't in Europe last season, how the f.ck do I know?

[CrosspoolClarets]

A very silly headline to this post. More likely today was a result of the team training and playing with different people for most of the week - the midfield in particular looked like they had no connection with the back four, it was only the third game they have played together, including Aberdeen away. They have played as many games with different teammates as they have with today’s.

Optimistically, we have given sides like Watford too big a lead so 7th has realistically gone. Our season is thus over unless we have a cup run.

Pessimistically, we may need Europe to give us momentum and a feel good factor, keeping us going during successive league defeats. As fans we love it and this would rub off.

Whatever, giving our all in Europe is a great thing.

[dsr]

Optimistically, we have given sides like Watford too big a lead so 7th has realistically gone. Our season is thus over unless we have a cup run.

I'm not sure I quite recognise your definition of "optimism".