How do we salvage?

[DanH90]

Was wondering if anyone could actually diagnose what our main issue is and come up with a sensible solution that may get us out of this mess, people get carried away and come up with lots of theories as to what the issues are. There clearly are multiple issues but was wondering what people felt might be the one or two changes that give us a fighting chance, as we are running out of time.

[Steve1956]

29 games to go...running out of time?

[Aclaret]

29 games to go...running out of time?

Come on pal admit it, we are down......remember Sheffield United running away with it in September last year ?

[CoolClaret]

Appoint ABlueClaret with Pstotto as his assistant

[Steve1956]

Come on pal admit it, we are down......remember Sheffield United running away with it in September last year ?

Yep remember it well the same bedwetting crew are calling for Kompany's head tonight...we all know who they are

[123EasyasBFC]

Berge as an attacking mid
Tresor from the left, guy got 24 assists from the left last season and is being played on the right
Zaroury back in the team
Get Ekdal and Beyer fit and playing together

[DCWat]

Berge as an attacking mid
Tresor from the left, guy got 24 assists from the left last season and is being played on the right
Zaroury back in the team
Get Ekdal and Beyer fit and playing together

Zaroury left full back and Tresor left wing then?

I would like to see Tresor on the left wing for a run of games.

[Burnley1989]

Double pivot

[123EasyasBFC]

Zaroury left full back and Tresor left wing then?

I would like to see Tresor on the left wing for a run of games.

Larsen on the right to

[DCWat]

Larsen on the right to

Would you drop Amdouni?

Tresor, Andouni and Brun-Larsen doesn’t give us much defensively. Cullen/Brownhill or Cullen/Berge doesn’t seem to be the answer.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

Zaroury left full back and Tresor left wing then?

I would like to see Tresor on the left wing for a run of games.

From what I’ve seen so far I’d prefer Tresor on the bench. We have a decent left winger who did ok last season who Kompany seems to have forgotten about!

[123EasyasBFC]

Would you drop Amdouni?

Tresor, Andouni and Brun-Larsen doesn’t give us much defensively. Cullen/Brownhill or Cullen/Berge doesn’t seem to be the answer.

Right now I would have to drop Amdouni to have 3 proper midfielders, no doubting Amdounis talent but it’s not working with him being the 3rd midfielder

[StayingDown4Ever]

Zaroury left full back and Tresor left wing then?

I would like to see Tresor on the left wing for a run of games.

I actually wouldn’t mind if Tresor wasn’t even in the match day squad for a run of games.

[jedi_master]

——————————-Trafford
—O’Shea—-Al-Dakhil—Delcroix——-Taylor
———————-—Cullen—Cork
Berge——————Brownhill————Zaroury
———————————Foster

O’Shea played right back in one of the pre season games and looked OK there. With Roberts suspended, try it? He’s playing terribly at centre back at the moment. Berge is offering very little centrally, he’s shown he can maraud down the right so let’s play him as a right sided midfielder/narrow wide man who can move into the middle to stiffen us up. Zaroury is a no brainer as the rest are offering nothing.

I’d far, far rather start with this more ‘conservative’ line up and stay in a game till the last 20/30 min and then try the likes of Amdouni. We need to be solid and resolute. Massengo on the bench to switch for Cork when he inevitable tires.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

A defensive line at this level of Trafford, O’Shea Al Dakhill and Delcroix fill me with utter dread.

We can only pray Beyer and Ekdal are back next Saturday.

[Superjohnnyfrancis]

A defensive line at this level of Trafford, O’Shea Al Dakhill and Delcroix fill me with utter dread.

We can only pray Beyer and Ekdal are back next Saturday.

Spot on they all need dropping but we haven’t got anyone else to come in. Need a new defence in January please Alan.

[DanH90]

29 games to go...running out of time?

You may laugh, but I think it’s fairly evident to most Burnley fans with an ounce of footballing nous that what we are offering at the moment is not going to get us anywhere near, this run of 3 games (now 2) we need to get at least 6 points from or things look very difficult.

I personally think it all starts from the keeper, he looks like a boy out there and I’ve never seen someone who is apparently 6ft 5 look so small. Very similar to the Joe Hart situation, the defence just don’t trust him. His distribution is nowhere near good enough to beat the press, which we need in the PL.

Think a side with a little more fight in it is needed. I’d go for this next week (provided all are fit, which I’m sure won’t be the case)

Muric
Roberts (Vitinho next week) Beyer Ekdal Taylor
Cork Cullen
Redmond Berge Zaroury
Foster

[JohnDearyMe]

Right now I would have to drop Amdouni to have 3 proper midfielders, no doubting Amdounis talent but it’s not working with him being the 3rd midfielder

Agree, looks a decent player but starting him feels like a luxury we can't afford given how porous we are at the moment

[spt_claret]

We rather desperately need Ekdal and Beyer in. Without them we will struggle.
Trafford was our best player today but lacks composure at the back,both with the ball and dealing with crosses or high balls. Doesn't command his area well. Muric struggled to do so at first too, so I'd give him til Ekdal/Beyer are fit, if no improvement then swap. We need a team that's more assured and less panicky at the back and who don't put each other in trouble with positioning or misplays.

Play the players who have proven their ability. Tresor is last choice, he's offered nothing. Start Larsen and either Koleosho or Zaroury, when Benson is fit bring him in. Larsen has so many all round attributes, for such a fluid team you need someone like him who can roam and exchange positions temporarily and still be effective. He could play anywhere in that front 3 or deputise up front. Similar to Gudmundsson last year.

Recall Weghorst or sign a new striker. Maybe two. Foster has been superb but we have no plan B. A big man who is either an aerial goal threat or good with his feet, gives us a legitimate alternative. The latter as the 10 behind but with more physicality than Amdouni, former as the 9 with Foster dropping behind and focusing on crossing. Too many of our wingers rely on trying to get behind then cut back, not enough can play orthodox wide crosses or effectively cut in and shoot from within 25 yards (Zaroury and Larsen can do both, Benson can cut in, Koleosho unsure, not seen signs of the others doing anything beyond try get in behind ith pace and shoot from close).

Pick players actually on form. Ramsey and Tresor would be back of the winger queue. Jay is done.

We're so set on one setup, one style, and our subs are weirdly hesitant or like for like compared to last year. Football purism is never worth it, got to be pragmatic.

[CryerBFC]

If I was VK I’d have had my PL 11 sorted from pre season. I’d know my first choice 11, they’d all know their jobs, they’d trust each other, they’d play for each other, and the lads waiting in the wings would buy into a system and chomping at the bit for a shirt. As it stands, we see a different 11 every week, seems there’s very little belief in one another, we concede 1 and the game seems to run away from us, there’s no grit or determination, and the lads who got us here haven’t had a sniff bar Cullen, Beyer and Roberts.

But then again that’s probably why I’m not a manager.

Muric
Vitinho Ekdal Beyer Taylor
Cork Cullen
JBL Redmond Zaroury
Foster

That team has enough backbone/game experience to at least put in a performance against Bournemouth. We all know that the changes we need won’t be made next week and we’ll be back scratching heads again this time next week.

[Spijed]

We need to ditch this fixation with trying to play out from the back.

We need a few more points on the board.

At this moment in time does anyone really care how we play as long as we get a few good results?

It's almost as though going down without any fight is preferable to hoofing it up field, even if we become harder to beat.

[k90bfc]

Playing a youth team in the Premier League,will never ever work,how can you discard the experienced and real good players who done so well last season,Vinny keeps throwing them in at the deep end,and they cant cope,Please let common sense prevail,what all of us loyal fans can see,and bring back a proper team,at the moment we are playing suicide football,not pleasant to watch,UTC.

[Silkyskills1]

From what I’ve seen so far I’d prefer Tresor on the bench. We have a decent left winger who did ok last season who Kompany seems to have forgotten about!

Do you think Tresor really wants to be here? Seemed to do all he could to avoid joining us.

[Spijed]

Playing a youth team in the Premier League,will never ever work,how can you discard the experienced and real good players who done so well last season,Vinny keeps throwing them in at the deep end,and they cant cope,Please let common sense prevail,what all of us loyal fans can see,and bring back a proper team,at the moment we are playing suicide football,not pleasant to watch,UTC.

And even in the side "You don't win anything with kids" was full of experienced players.

[brexit]

Start scoring more goals than the opposition

[Rick_Muller]

A team of mainly inexperienced young players are currently naive and need to be told sometimes it’s OK to row Z the ball when under extreme pressure in our own box. Trafford is a top keeper, but his confidence is shot, and he needs more protection from the back four. I’m all for playing it out from the back, but not when the opposition know we’re nervous, we really must shake it up a bit more and switch between slow build up and playing it out, and choosing to sometimes go long because we can - keep them guessing, not knowing. Only time we go long now is when their press forces it and we’re not ready to hold it up.

[AmbleClaret]

Do you think Tresor really wants to be here? Seemed to do all he could to avoid joining us.

After today's non-existent performance, I'd have him driving the coach back, but he'd probably get lost at the first corner.

[Ric_C]

Not read any of the replies as I don't want to be swayed.

Tactics
We do have pace in the team, we need to evolve (in the short term) to a sit deep and counter type side. We have the players to do it.

Personell
Muric HAS to start the next game, I'm sorry but wtf was vk thinking giving an inexperienced young goalie all this responsibility

Zaroury needs a run in the side.
Berge cannot play in the dm role. We need to switch to Cork and Cullen.

Tresor should be nowhere near the squad until he gets his fitness up to scratch. We cannot afford luxuries

[Clive 1960]

we need someone like Cork with experience to guide young lad's like Dobbo did with Phelan, Overson and Steven and laws.

[Holtyclaret]

If I was VK I’d have had my PL 11 sorted from pre season. I’d know my first choice 11, they’d all know their jobs, they’d trust each other, they’d play for each other, and the lads waiting in the wings would buy into a system and chomping at the bit for a shirt. As it stands, we see a different 11 every week, seems there’s very little belief in one another, we concede 1 and the game seems to run away from us, there’s no grit or determination, and the lads who got us here haven’t had a sniff bar Cullen, Beyer and Roberts.

But then again that’s probably why I’m not a manager.

Muric
Vitinho Ekdal Beyer Taylor
Cork Cullen
JBL Redmond Zaroury
Foster

That team has enough backbone/game experience to at least put in a performance against Bournemouth. We all know that the changes we need won’t be made next week and we’ll be back scratching heads again this time next week.

You’d pick 2 injured cb’s against Bournemouth?

[summitclaret]

We need a complete reset. Every opposition manager knows that we can't beat a good press AND that we don't have the accurate long passing to go over it. So we are literally playing into their hands regularly. If we had THB and Muric we may have been more successful with the current style.

I think we need to change tack and mix things up. In Foster, we have someone to use on the break, as again shown with the sitter we missed yesterday. We also have enough pace to play more on the break.

The only points have been when we were not losing at half time. We need to be more cautious in the first half of games, particularly as half time approaches. Generally we need to be more defense minded throughout games.

We have made serious errors in the last window and have a grossly unbalanced squad in terms of attack v defence and youth v experience. That is going to take time and money to resolve. Hopefully its not going to be fatal to our long term finances, but it does worry me.

So we need short term solutions atm.

I can't stand JT crazily being blamed by many. His passing options are all closed down by the opposition. If we are to persist with our current approach then maybe it's time to give Muric a go, but that is unlikely because of the massive investment in JT.

I think Cork needs to be starting alongside Cullen and Brownhill to play as the attacking cm.

I'd play ZA wide right, Foster up top and frankly any of the embarrassing number of wingers off the left.

The biggest problem is our defence and that can only begin to be sorted in January. If there is any money left we need to prioritise an experienced commanding cb to play next to Bayer. We then need a younger Cork to sit in the Rodri role. We also need a second central striker to come on for Foster in game. Loans will probably be needed for all some of those.

Finally, I can't think that have such a large
number of atrackers/wingers is doing much for team spirit. Some need to out on loan in January, such as Ramsey and Obebert. Whatever is going on with Anass needs sorting.

[warksclaret]

I think one point we fail to recognise and that's how good even most of the lower tier teams are in the PL. On the way to Brentford the Everton team was given out on the radio, and I thought WOW thats a strong team, and they are one of our relegation rivals. Thats why with 10 men they did not disgrace themselves at Anfield

[Blatherwickstattoo]

First of all this team has been shaken up and new faces installed right from the off ,that won’t go down well for moral with the lads who got us promoted . So before we’ve even started talking about tactics the dressing room is divided and friction is going to be evident.

Trafford In goal - Muric Played out so well from the back last season and is where we got our success in possession based football from . It all started from
Muric. Trafford is nowhere near as good with his feet , his touch or vision.

Full backs disjointed and exposed. Shambolic transfer window where we couldn’t add to the squad in this department. Everytime a team gets a ball wide you just know they will have a chance at goal. Not helped by wingers not tracking back (but when you play inexperienced teenagers you’ll get this)

Centre halves - too small. Looking at Brentford’s team yesterday we looked like a bunch of kids against men. No confidence on the ball at all. No idea why we pass short from
Trafford to then go to Cullen, to just go back to Trafford then he lumps it. (Usually when we are 2 or 3 down) we are just waisting our own time doing it.

Central midfield - too lightweight and too slow. If we play those two as a 2 again we will lose every game we do. Awful and exposed yet again.

Wide areas- 1 every 10 attacks we look dangerous. Get zaroury and benny back in asap. Tresor looks lost.

Those are the main areas for me. Tactically we are miles off even mid table teams like Brentford. Somethings got to give next 2 weeks

[Ric_C]

I think one point we fail to recognise and that's how good even most of the lower tier teams are in the PL. On the way to Brentford the Everton team was given out on the radio, and I thought WOW thats a strong team, and they are one of our relegation rivals. Thats why with 10 men they did not disgrace themselves at Anfield

Everton battered Brentford at their ground as well

[RicardoMontalban]

You’d pick 2 injured cb’s against Bournemouth?

Like the man says, probably why he’s not a manager.

[kaptin1]

We need a drummer

[Holtyclaret]

Everton battered Brentford at their ground as well

In what a Brentford fan said was their only poor performance of the year and they were in a false position.

[warksclaret]

I wonder if we rush back players which is why we are seeing so many injuries. Either that or we have a few that go down with the slightest obvious challenge or knock ie Beyer, Benson, JBG, Rodriguez,Zarourry and a few others

I know we were at the other extreme with Dyche, and if you got injured it was weeks of "touch and go", or "he is now on the grass" and eventually you came back. They were saying yesterday how well he has managed the Calvert Lewin injury, who is now back to full fitness

I am not making comparisons or judgements with SD before some know all jumps at me-simply saying it appears we get players back very quickly once over their injury in comparison

[Venkys4eva]

We need a drummer

this

[Colburn_Claret]

We need to shore up the defence, and then build on it.
Sadly atm we look incapable of keeping a clean sheet.

1. Stop tinkering with the defence.

2. imo bring back Muric

3. Play 3 in midfield

It might not solve the problems but at least it would give us a better chance. We're lambs to the slaughter if vk doesn't change it.

[jojomk1]

Who wants a drummer
Can Ringo Starr play in midfield
Doubled up with Phil Collins

[Taffy on the wing]

Berge as an attacking mid
Tresor from the left, guy got 24 assists from the left last season and is being played on the right
Zaroury back in the team
Get Ekdal and Beyer fit and playing together

You forgot to change the goalie!

[KRBFC]

A defensive line at this level of Trafford, O’Shea Al Dakhill and Delcroix fill me with utter dread.

We can only pray Beyer and Ekdal are back next Saturday.

You can add Taylor and Roberts in that too, the pair of them have been absolutely awful all season long.

[CryerBFC]

You’d pick 2 injured cb’s against Bournemouth?

50% fit they do a better job than those did yesterday.

No one knows how far either are away from playing, just like earlier in the season when Beyer randomly appeared back in the starting line up.

[123EasyasBFC]

You forgot to change the goalie!

It’s the only position I don’t see changing, Trafford and Foster. Id have muric in every day of the week but just don’t see it, that’s why I’ve left him off

[Holtyclaret]

50% fit they do a better job than those did yesterday.

No one knows how far either are away from playing, just like earlier in the season when Beyer randomly appeared back in the starting line up.

Was mentioned recently that Beyer is about 5/6 weeks and Ekdal less.

[Nonayforever]

The problem lies in the way our opponents are making us play.
They are pressing the goalie knowing they will gain possession from a long ball. We just aren't strong or expirenced enough for long balls.
We are a passing out from the back team. Go back to how we coach the team.
The personal is what it is. Put Muric back in, the back 4 is whoever is available, an expirenced midfield of Cullen, Cork, Berge & JBG or Redmond who know how to buy a foul when under pressure. Play with one winger & Foster.
We are looking for 1 nils not scoring 3 or 4 each game.
And VK should tell Pace forget the shop window for the next 10 games or so.

[CryerBFC]

Was mentioned recently that Beyer is about 5/6 weeks and Ekdal less.

Well read.

[Cirrus_Minor]

We need to stop rewarding failure and have the guts to drop most of this team and replace with those that gave us the success last season. I am wondering whether VK is nervous about dropping the players who he has brought in for all the millions invested by the board. We need experience and bodies in midfield so they can receive the ball a lot quicker from instead of constantly fannying about between the goalkeeper and central defenders. And for crying out loud start defending.

[Rick_Muller]

Next series of Mission to Burnley will be interesting