Just how good have the last 7 or 8 years been

[claretnproud]

Let’s have some balance here. What we are witnessing right now is remarkable. A few might have been around for our most recent Cup Final, or top flight championship, but you do have to go back more than half a century. The maximum wage meant that we weren’t too far behind the big clubs financially as far as wages were concerned, unlike today. For us to achieve more than we currently are doing, would be fantastic and we are trying to improve further but it isn’t easy. It just seems that we should all be pulling in the same direction, rather than a percentage of supporters intimating that the club could be doing more, if they really wanted to. It’s a long haul is this success lark, just like those years of failure were. That’s when we had reason to complain.

All the clarets I speak too are happy enough but most of them in the 50 plus age group who have seen the club through thick n thin..... I think that too many kids post on here.

[cricketfieldclarets]

Has another club even come close to what we've achieved in recent times (getting in to Europe etc.) when you look at the size of BFC?

Our policies have been far more successful than the vast majority of clubs in football!

Swansea is very definitely a great comparison.
Wigan another.

[Spijed]

Swansea is very definitely a great comparison.
Wigan another.

Weren't Wigan bankrolled by Dave Whelan?

[claretnproud]

Weren't Wigan bankrolled by Dave Whelan?

yep...very much their jack walker, god rest his soul.

[Clarets4me]

Both Wigan and Swansea were bankrolled by wealthy men, and moved to new stadiums ... Wigan ( Borough pop: 318,000 ) and Swansea ( Unitary authority pop: 245,500 ) are also substantially bigger towns, or in Swansea's case, city. The Borough of Burnley has a population of 87,059 ( 2011 Census ).

You could argue that Football is not the chief sport in either place, Rugby League in Wigan and Rugby Union in Swansea ....

[AfloatinClaret]

If...you endured the decades of ***** watching Burnley, then seeing us now in the top flight is miraculous indeed.

Particularly the away performances which was mostly what we watched. The first BFC game that I took my wife to was away at Reading in about 1983 or 84 - having led 1-0 at half time, we lost 5-1! - and between then and her going to Scunthorpe in about 1991 or 92, she'd perhaps came along to two dozen games; on the way home from Scunthorpe she told me: "You know, that's the first time I've seen Burnley win." That cup game at Telford was something of a nadir.

[Woodleyclaret]

Brilliant and yes I did endure the shite dished out in the bad times when we were run by do nothing directors
We are Premier league and despite last week will continue to dazzle and annoyed those pundits who want to see us fail UTC

[houseboy]

Let’s have some balance here. What we are witnessing right now is remarkable. A few might have been around for our most recent Cup Final, or top flight championship, but you do have to go back more than half a century. The maximum wage meant that we weren’t too far behind the big clubs financially as far as wages were concerned, unlike today. For us to achieve more than we currently are doing, would be fantastic and we are trying to improve further but it isn’t easy. It just seems that we should all be pulling in the same direction, rather than a percentage of supporters intimating that the club could be doing more, if they really wanted to. It’s a long haul is this success lark, just like those years of failure were. That’s when we had reason to complain.

Generally this has been a good thread with many good comments making sense. The overall consensus seems to be that we have achieved a lot, if you mean by achievement getting to and staying in the PL because otherwise we haven't achieved anything (we haven't actually WON anything). But that is no matter because we all seem to be pretty happy bunnies, and rightly so. I think what is now concerning most fans now is simply 'where do we go from here'? The club and board have done well, the manager even better, but now we (or they) have to do something more to make sure there is no loss of interest, it would be a pity if all the good work of the last 10 years started to fall apart through boredom (for want of a better term). I will be the first to admit I don't even begin to have any answers but the sad thing is we desperately need to ever so slightly up our game now because simple survival will inevitably cease to be enough. I'm not being critical of the club or management here, they are great, but people are fickle, even football fans, and I fear that some will (maybe indeed have) stop going as often due to the fair that is being served up (through no-ones fault by the way). Football has become an expensive sport to watch and if the entertainment isn't there people will find other things to spend money on, it's human nature.

I don't have the answers, as I say, but there must come a time when the board decide that we are an established PL club and stop treating our finances from fear of relegation and try to build a little more to actually remove that fear. What has been done so far has been fabulous and caution has been part of that but there comes a time in any business that cautiousness needs to be tempered with bravery, not throwing caution to the wind but being a little more...daring? You have to reap to gather harvest. There is an old saying in sales and marketing that says 'when you are green you grow but when you are ripe you rot'. I think we are just about ripe, we now need to make sure we don't rot.

[Chip Harrison]

Generally this has been a good thread with many good comments making sense. The overall consensus seems to be that we have achieved a lot, if you mean by achievement getting to and staying in the PL because otherwise we haven't achieved anything (we haven't actually WON anything). But that is no matter because we all seem to be pretty happy bunnies, and rightly so. I think what is now concerning most fans now is simply 'where do we go from here'? The club and board have done well, the manager even better, but now we (or they) have to do something more to make sure there is no loss of interest, it would be a pity if all the good work of the last 10 years started to fall apart through boredom (for want of a better term). I will be the first to admit I don't even begin to have any answers but the sad thing is we desperately need to ever so slightly up our game now because simple survival will inevitably cease to be enough. I'm not being critical of the club or management here, they are great, but people are fickle, even football fans, and I fear that some will (maybe indeed have) stop going as often due to the fair that is being served up (through no-ones fault by the way). Football has become an expensive sport to watch and if the entertainment isn't there people will find other things to spend money on, it's human nature.

I don't have the answers, as I say, but there must come a time when the board decide that we are an established PL club and stop treating our finances from fear of relegation and try to build a little more to actually remove that fear. What has been done so far has been fabulous and caution has been part of that but there comes a time in any business that cautiousness needs to be tempered with bravery, not throwing caution to the wind but being a little more...daring? You have to reap to gather harvest. There is an old saying in sales and marketing that says 'when you are green you grow but when you are ripe you rot'. I think we are just about ripe, we now need to make sure we don't rot.

2 bad signings like Almiron and Joelinton at Newcastle and all our money has gone.
...and how many times are you going to post on this thread?

[houseboy]

2 bad signings like Almiron and Joelinton at Newcastle and all our money has gone.
...and how many times are you going to post on this thread?

As many times as I like bud. Last I heard we live in a reasonably free country. If you find my posts not to your liking just skim over them and jog on...you are free to do so.

[superdimitri]

Most likely they'll be a time when we get relegated, just like Swansea, Stoke and West Brom. Even if each year we're significantly better than teams around us there's a chance we get unlucky and it's a reality we have to face.

Whether that happens this year, the next or years from now it will likely happen.

Even with investment it's not guaranteed that you don't. The Gap is just too large to guarantee a spot.

Years back I remember wishing we could become one of the yoyo clubs like West Brom, now I wish we could become established in the premier league. It's always good to have dreams and ambition, but you can't get carried away or you'll take it to heart to much when things go wrong.

[houseboy]

Most likely they'll be a time when we get relegated, just like Swansea, Stoke and West Brom. Even if each year we're significantly better than teams around us there's a chance we get unlucky and it's a reality we have to face.

Whether that happens this year, the next or years from now it will likely happen.

Even with investment it's not guaranteed that you don't. The Gap is just too large to guarantee a spot.

Years back I remember wishing we could become one of the yoyo clubs like West Brom, now I wish we could become established in the premier league. It's always good to have dreams and ambition, but you can't get carried away or you'll take it to heart to much when things go wrong.

Agree with this but maybe we need to invest a little more, carefully, in order to both maintain PL status and prevent fans drifting away in the 'familiarity breeds contempt' sort of way. In any business there needs to be investment. I see completely what you mean though, things have to be done carefully - but they do have to be done I think.



*I hope this post meets with Chip's approval - I do hate to upset people.

[superdimitri]

Agree with this but maybe we need to invest a little more, carefully, in order to both maintain PL status and prevent fans drifting away in the 'familiarity breeds contempt' sort of way. In any business there needs to be investment. I see completely what you mean though, things have to be done carefully - but they do have to be done I think.



*I hope this post meets with Chip's approval - I do hate to upset people.

Well, if you can call it a downfall I'd say our biggest mistake hasn't been the money we have been spending, or the targets we have bought, but instead the reluctance to change how we square up based on the players at our disposal.

Every player we have signed has expected to conform to Dyche's standard, regardless of the type of player they are.

If you fielded a first 11 with Gibson instead of Mee and Vydra instead of Barnes, you could play a lot more football on the deck and bring the game to teams more. But our players are expected to work hard and deal with long balls regardless of their strengths and weaknesses.

I am not in the "we're lucky to be where we are, little old Burnley" camp, because I think we should always strive to improve and build a good reputation, but I also prepare myself for the worse (such as the recent defeat) to try and keep things in perspective. Luckily we are good enough to also get 3 points back against a team better than us, so its not out of the question we finish above Sheffield UTD.

[Bosscat]

But they do have more money than us and get bigger crowds (and they are a lovely club).

Wash your mouth out House....

[houseboy]

Wash your mouth out House....

Hi Boss. How’s the cruise goin mate.

[Bosscat]

Hi Boss. How’s the cruise goin mate.

Back home yesterday m8 it was bloody brilliant....

Been clearing bloody leaves all day from the lawn


Fighting worms with the Leaf blower/shredder... Yes thats right ... the buggers were pulling them underground as I was trying to suck them up with the Shredder...

I now have this mental image of a worm underground holding one end of the leaf stalk fighting to keep it as my Shredder trying to suck the leaf up

[houseboy]

Back home yesterday m8 it was bloody brilliant....

Been clearing bloody leaves all day from the lawn


Fighting worms with the Leaf blower/shredder... Yes thats right ... the buggers were pulling them underground as I was trying to suck them up with the Shredder...

I now have this mental image of a worm underground holding one end of the leaf stalk fighting to keep it as my Shredder trying to suck the leaf up

Now I know why you’re a Monty Python fan Boss.

[Bosscat]

Now I know why you’re a Monty Python fan Boss.

Little buggers are strong

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