Let's just pray this lad can get some game time,good luck Steven Defour

He clearly means business if he's shaved his head over the summer.

Wishing you good health Steven and an injury free season.

Thought wed signed that yank keeper with tourettes

Is that Bruno? Christ, I know we like a good lad but even that’s too far.

We’ve lacked someone in midfield who could do that move.

Think that’s the new diamond shape...

Champions League here we come!

He has to do well this season, a shaved head and macho tattoos looks like he means business, just hope he keeps injury free and shows the PL what a talent he is, good luck to him fingers crossed he gets a few 90 minutes under his belt this campaign.

I thought this would be about our new number 9....

Caption: Defour showing his concern that the fire safety doors are propped open!

Unfortunately, I think we'll be lucky to get 2-3 games out of him before he's injured again. A nice bonus for any minutes he gives us, but that's all it will be. Not someone we can really take into account as a central midfielder, so need to sign one this window.

He'll have slipped on the tape and done his hamstring by now

FactualFrank wrote:Unfortunately, I think we'll be lucky to get 2-3 games out of him before he's injured again. A nice bonus for any minutes he gives us, but that's all it will be. Not someone we can really take into account as a central midfielder, so need to sign one this window.

Come off it lad - he's a good 'un. Think positive!!!!!!!!

Come on guys,give him a bit of encouragement instead of belittling him with injury jokes,he's a fantastic footballer and we should want him to do well...not mock him

Last time he got a proper pre-season under his belt, he made it to February and we were as high as FOURTH with him in the team. Not sure who you'd drop out of Barnes or Wood to accommodate him though, we can't play him in a 442.

He's mirroring Dyche so he gets in the team, expect Vydra to turn up with a disc beard tomorrow

Kevin Webster.

Fretters wrote:Last time he got a proper pre-season under his belt, he made it to February and we were as high as FOURTH with him in the team. Not sure who you'd drop out of Barnes or Wood to accommodate him though, we can't play him in a 442.

At least we know where he fits in the team (in a 4-5-1) unlike his first season when he somehow ended up on the left of midfield for a match or two!

Fretters wrote:Last time he got a proper pre-season under his belt, he made it to February and we were as high as FOURTH with him in the team. Not sure who you'd drop out of Barnes or Wood to accommodate him though, we can't play him in a 442.

If fit, would replace Cork for me

Fretters wrote:Last time he got a proper pre-season under his belt, he made it to February and we were as high as FOURTH with him in the team. Not sure who you'd drop out of Barnes or Wood to accommodate him though, we can't play him in a 442.

I'd be very surprised if SD plays 4-5-1 if both Wood and Barnes are available.

FactualFrank wrote:I'd be very surprised if SD plays 4-5-1 if both Wood and Barnes are available.

I hope your right because unless we have someone like a Messi type playing up front it usualy means the ball constantly coming back to our danger areas.

FactualFrank wrote:I'd be very surprised if SD plays 4-5-1 if both Wood and Barnes are available.

We’d need a more creative CM to do that, as well as the defensive type I feel we already need. Expensive to go back to 4-5-1 even though I know Dyche likes an extra midfielder.

Steve1956 wrote:Come on guys,give him a bit of encouragement instead of belittling him with injury jokes,he's a fantastic footballer and we should want him to do well...not mock him

Some posters can't help themselves. You'd think he shagged their partners the way they attack him.

In fairness to Defour, he started last season injured and never got back on an even keel. if you're trying to think positively, you take the view that this time he'll get a pre-season and that could make all the difference. Of course, at his best he's a huge asset.

The difficulty though is how you fit Defour into our system now. Barnes and Wood have established themselves as a preferred front 2, and Defour doesn't ideally suit a genuine 4-4-2 (although perhaps he could if Hendrick is reprising his wide right role of last season as the lungs of the team). But in addition, Westwood was our best midfielder last season yet Cork (not least for his extra height) is the more natural foil for Defour.

But ultimately, the only way we can realistically afford to bring another front line midfielder this summer is if Defour leaves (unless, perhaps we bring in someone very young for the future). Especially if we're going to play 4-4-2 again, we simply can't justify carrying 5 first team wages for specialist central midfelders. Ideally, we'd look to bring in someone who can play both out wide or in the centre, or at full back or in midfield, to give us the extra quality without the squad becoming top heavy. Or perhaps McNeil can be that player who can play out wide or in the centre (we know that's where he's played some of his football growing up), and we bring in a wide player/forward to achieve the same result.

What we can't do is stockpile players who all expect to be first choice in a particular position, because it will both blow the budget, and lead to disharmony in the squad (Dyche is far from the only manager who prefers to work with a relatively small, tight-knit squad).

Defour not on the grass then??

WestMidsClaret wrote:Some posters can't help themselves. You'd think he shagged their partners the way they attack him.

Not very likely when he's got a missus like his.
No offence.

claretspice wrote:In fairness to Defour, he started last season injured and never got back on an even keel. if you're trying to think positively, you take the view that this time he'll get a pre-season and that could make all the difference. Of course, at his best he's a huge asset.

The difficulty though is how you fit Defour into our system now. Barnes and Wood have established themselves as a preferred front 2, and Defour doesn't ideally suit a genuine 4-4-2 (although perhaps he could if Hendrick is reprising his wide right role of last season as the lungs of the team). But in addition, Westwood was our best midfielder last season yet Cork (not least for his extra height) is the more natural foil for Defour.

But ultimately, the only way we can realistically afford to bring another front line midfielder this summer is if Defour leaves (unless, perhaps we bring in someone very young for the future). Especially if we're going to play 4-4-2 again, we simply can't justify carrying 5 first team wages for specialist central midfelders. Ideally, we'd look to bring in someone who can play both out wide or in the centre, or at full back or in midfield, to give us the extra quality without the squad becoming top heavy. Or perhaps McNeil can be that player who can play out wide or in the centre (we know that's where he's played some of his football growing up), and we bring in a wide player/forward to achieve the same result.

I disagree there. Being in the PL is so important to our income, we must take a risk-based approach to this problem. That means we need to be looking to sign another central midfielder, even if Defour stays, for two very good, risk-based reasons.

Firstly, it's obvious that the odds on Defour remaining fit for a long enough period are stacked against him. His fitness record for us is very poor. We need to take the view that we've got 3 central midfielders, and whenever Defour is fit we've got a bonus midfielder. It's an expensive idea, but then again it's our own fault for signing such an injury prone player on such a large contract.

Secondly, let's not start the season assuming we'll play 4-4-2 in every game. We must factor in the possibility that we'll play 5 across the middle at some point, which means that carrying 5 CMs is not unreasonable.

At his best he is the best player in our squad by a long way.

Behind the scenes there should be at least a guage on whether he is likely to be at 17/18 season fitness levels when we were 4th in the table. If he is and we need to change the system to accommodate then so be it. We have proven at various points of the last couple of seasons that we can change our system and we now have much more experience to boot.

All that said, there is still an argument that we actually had our best form ever in a premier league season between late Dec and mid Feb last season so that sort of form is not to be sniffed at, even with the likes of Cork playing.

Sell him or give him away get him off the books.He picks up a good wage which could be paid to someone who wants to play.

Lord Rothbury wrote:Sell him or give him away get him off the books.He picks up a good wage which could be paid to someone who wants to play.

I think that's most unfair, although I understand where you're coming from, given his perceived overall demeanour that
he displays.

I put it down to his "unfortunate" character traits.

Give the guy a chance. (another one in reality).

HollandsPies wrote:Kevin Webster.

I was staring at his picture trying to work out who reminded me of! Thanks HP!

Fretters wrote:Last time he got a proper pre-season under his belt, he made it to February and we were as high as FOURTH with him in the team. Not sure who you'd drop out of Barnes or Wood to accommodate him though, we can't play him in a 442.

We need to avoid this obsession on here regarding formations and the limitations within them.

Why can't Defour perform in a team containing two strikers?.....Of course he can, Defour is our best player by a million miles and, if fit, should be an automatic pick no matter what formation we employ. It's like refusing to play Jimmy Mac in a team with Pointer and Robson as two strikers, it would never happen.

In fact Defour is our best player since Jimmy Mac and Dyche needs to utilise him wherever and whenever so long as he remains fit.

Royboyclaret wrote:We need to avoid this obsession on here regarding formations and the limitations within them.

Why can't Defour perform in a team containing two strikers?.....Of course he can, Defour is our best player by a million miles and, if fit, should be an automatic pick no matter what formation we employ. It's like refusing to play Jimmy Mac in a team with Pointer and Robson as two strikers, it would never happen.

In fact Defour is our best player since Jimmy Mac and Dyche needs to utilise him wherever and whenever so long as he remains fit.

What better than Dodson,James,Lochhead,Payton,Little,Stevens and many more.He has a few tattoos doesn’t,t make him a great player

Lord Rothbury wrote:someone who wants to play.

Possibly the biggest load of ******** ever read on the message board.

Try being a sportsmen and having injury after injury, support the bloke, don't hit him down with inane comments.

His most serious injury has been a calf strain.

A little more than a strain, I suspect.

The idea that he doesn’t want to play is ludicrous.

Lord Rothbury wrote:Sell him or give him away get him off the books.He picks up a good wage which could be paid to someone who wants to play.

Who is going to buy him ?
He has a year left on a contract because we triggered the extension option. No way he will give up a £2m a year salary when with his injury record it could be his last ever.
Defour was a very good player but that horrific injury he had seems to have caught up with him - we need to plan this season without him and just take the hit on that decision to extend his contract. On the plus side the sell on fee we will receive from Danny Ings transfer to Southampton pays for Defours wages.

If Defour does get fit and manage to play some games it will be a massive bonus for us and there will be a lot of happy Burnley fans

Really hopes he has a full season he is quality.

Didn't he have his knee cleaned out thats abit more than a strain..theres a reason we got him for 7 million cant keep fit..heres hoping this season he can for a decent return of games..

Steve1956 wrote:Come on guys,give him a bit of encouragement instead of belittling him with injury jokes,he's a fantastic footballer and we should want him to do well...not mock him

Totally agree, but if we don't bring in someone else capable of starting in cm as well then we deserve everything we get if things go wrong.

If he can find the form he was in 2017/18 season what a paring in Westy and Defour in the centre, just like a new signing you could say......

Look at it in a positive way.

If his presence in the team allows us to get an extra 2-3 wins that we might not have got without him in the side then it will certainly have been worth keeping him here.

Lord Rothbury wrote:What better than Dodson,James,Lochhead,Payton,Little,Stevens and many more.He has a few tattoos doesn’t,t make him a great player

Never watched the others but Payton & Little

There is no sense whatsoever in not getting his replacement in now. As someone pointed out above, we have just covered Defour's wages for this season with the Ing's windfall.

Without question I would state that Defour is a million times better than either Dodson or Stevens. They couldn’t hold a candle.

Darnhill Claret wrote:Without question I would state that Defour is a million times better than either Dodson or Stevens. They couldn’t hold a candle.

You mean Trevor Steven without an S and Martin Dobson not Dodson.
I’m guessing since you don’t know either of their names you don’t know much about their careers or ability either.
I think Defour is an excellent player but he achieved in the game a fraction of what either Steven or Dobson achieved.

I don't think Defour is as good at painting as Dodson,I'll give you that one Lord Rothbury,paints a damn fine picture does Tom Dodson.

Darnhill Claret wrote:Without question I would state that Defour is a million times better than either Dodson or Stevens. They couldn’t hold a candle.

Ha ha.The guy has scored one good goal at Old Trafford and some think he is as good as Pele.He is at best an average Prem midfielder.Spent more time on the treatment table than on the pitch.