Friday 12 July 2019, Quinta do Lago, The Algarve - Burnley's 381 day season

[jdrobbo]

The season was finally wrapped up yesterday, with a pretty flat display against Brighton, but 381 days previous, we’d got our season preparations underway, with a 1-0 win out in the Algarve. Incidentally, we kept a clean sheet that day – something we’d get used to in the season ahead….we won the game by a single goal; again something that we’d get used to…oh and Chris Wood scored the crucial goal in the game – definitely something we’d get used to as the season unfolded!

Quick link back to Brighton – that didn’t feel like a typical Burnley performance to me yesterday – the whole week ahead of the game had focussed on Nick Pope and his chase for the Golden Glove. Yes that would’ve been a hugely impressive accolade, but for once, the preparations became about one player and not ‘the group’. It’s only a small thing, but you could tell just how much it mattered to Pope when he conceded. As was alluded to on the messageboard – the second the ball hit the back of the net, the season felt over. It’s something I hope we continue to pride ourselves on moving forward. Nick Pope is a huge player at our football club, but the defence in front of him are just as important – at Burnley it always has to be about the group. It saddens me somewhat that we didn’t win the game and finish the campaign in eighth place, as quite frankly, I truly believe that we would have merited that standing.

As for Chris Wood, I was talking to friends during the game and we totaled Chris Wood’s goals and more importantly, tried to establish just how many points his goals have earned for the club this season. He scored the first goal of the game in our win against Leicester and we were struggling to decide if this earnt us a point or three points (Westwood got the winner) in the final reckoning. With that said, his goals either earned us 19-21 points – not bad from just 14 Premier League strikes. Wood scores goals, it’s as simple as that. Yes he plays off the shoulders of defenders and yes he will regularly be caught offside, but he has been an outstanding signing for us and already has repaid the hefty £15 million outlay. I liked him at Leeds and was pleased when we signed him. I remember Dyche saying in the first weeks of him being here how he believed Wood was a good player with much more potential. Well yet again, Dyche and the backroom staff have improved a good player significantly. He is a quality Premier League forward and we are fortunate to have him.

I think, like most Burnley fans, the news about Dyche potentially leaving, has been masked by the rapid turnaround of football fixtures since the return. Yet, now the season has ended, and as we reflect on yet another great campaign, it’s hard not to instantly want to hide behind the sofa until ‘off the field matters’ become somewhat clearer. Let’s be clear, Dyche absolutely deserves a stab at a bigger club. I think it’s pretty common knowledge that Sunderland, Leicester and Everton have all shown interest in our great manager during his seven years at the club. I’m a big believer in the cliché, ‘the grass ain’t always greener’ but at the same time, I absolutely think he deserves the chance to test his wits at the very top, with the very best. I just hope it’s not yet.

This afternoon, for the second time, I watched the Youtube interview Dyche did from mid-winter, with Jake Humphries, posted on the messageboard by GodisaDeeJay81. I had seen sections of it before but watched it again in full, this time fully in the knowledge that we could be reaching the end of our time under this great manager. It really sharpens your focus and it was very apparent what a consummate and meticulous professional our manager is; one with great pride and respect for the town too. I don’t use the term, ‘great’ lightly – he really is that good. Look at what he has brought to our football club:



*He has turned an all-out attacking side from Howe’s legacy into a team that can defend brilliantly, score plenty of goals and win a game of football in many different ways.

* Promotion in his first full season following the addition of some wonderful signings (Heaton, Arfield, Jones) and the wonderful trust he put in ‘VINGS’ following the departure of Charlie Austin.

* A good stab at the Premier League, which included the astute blooding of Michael Keane.

* A title winning First Division promotion, produced in a different style, with Andre Gray replacing Gray and Michael Keane now setting himself up for a big money move.

* Premier League football with James Tarkowski now taking his chance – survival. Nick Pope waiting in the wings.

* A record breaking Premier League points haul, five straight wins, a wonderful debut season for Nick Pope and Europe to top it all off.

* Europe, the emergence of Dwight McNeil and a staggering second half of the season performance.

*This season – a record-equalling campaign – the world’s longest Premier League manager of the month award; a challenge for the golden glove – and for me, a simply sensational campaign for Messrs Pope, McNeil, but especially Tarkowski, who has been phenomenal.

* On top of all this, we have the new training ground facilities, which are absolutely all down to our manager.



What will be will be I guess, but my wish now, as the season finally does close, is that Mike Garlick and Sean Dyche, get round a table and start talking. For us to lose the manager to a much bigger club, I can accept; for us to lose Dyche due to the fact that the dialogue between him and the chairman isn’t very good and that Dyche can’t be trusted with some slightly stretched funds (after he has delivered on the above bullet points and more) I cannot accept. 99.9% of the town is behind the manager – he is that important to us and I sincerely hope that things can be resolved and that we can all continue on this wonderful adventure. As we saw with Bournemouth yesterday, football is cyclical and eventually you find your way back to where you naturally belong in the football hierarchy. I think you can draw a lot of comparisons between Burnley and Bournemouth, but when you look at the important details – I think Burnley come out way on top – again, Dyche has put us in this position and under his leadership, I strongly believe we can establish ourselves at the top table for many years to come.

It is now his legacy and I want Sean Dyche to lead us for a few more chapters yet.

Anyway, what a season it has been. I’m off to hide behind the sofa and hold my breath.

Proud!

UpTheClarets

J

[Loyalclaret]

Enjoyable summing up of his time. Missed the games against our nearest and dearest!?!?

[Rowls]

Can't argue with much about that.

Please please please can we have a few more years of Dyche at Burnley FC?

[jdrobbo]

Enjoyable summing up of his time. Missed the games against our nearest and dearest!?!?

There are so many things that we could point to, and of course, the wins against Rovers should be in there.

[DAVETHEVICAR]

Excellent read John, as always from you.
Hopefully with Villa and Palace happy with their managers and Watford relegated Sean’s options are diminished
Nottingham Forest May be a challenge for him and nearer his home if they chose to remove the current manager.
Let us hope he stays for a few more years yet.
Also like your huge praise for the best centre forward in the Division outside the highly paid and the high cost transfers like Aguero, Salah,Vardy and Rashford.
Wood seems to get a lot of criticism on here and yet he must be one of the first names on SD team sheet along with other members of our spine Pope Tarkowski Mee and Barnes before his injury.

A great season and hope we can keep our players and Manager and have another great season starting in September
UTC

[jdrobbo]

Wood has been magnificent for us since day one. Thank you Dave. Hope you’re well.

Nice to hear that you’ve been doing a good deal of walking during the pandemic. I hope to see you soon. Take care.

[Bosscat]

Apologies if I wrote too much

A good read JD no apology necessary

[jdrobbo]

My dad had been in touch. Says I should’ve mentioned Trippier and the job that Dyche did in taking him to the next level, in terms of his ability to defend and become an all-round better player. I tend to agree.

[DAVETHEVICAR]

All seems quiet at Turf Moor apart from the excellent news of Ben Mee extending his contract.
Perhaps the rumours regarding our Manager will disappear and he can get a couple of new players over the line for the September start of next season.

[jdrobbo]

Fulham’s first fixture of 2019/20 was v Cambridge United on 6th July 2019.

They will play their last game of 2019/20, next Tuesday, v Brentford, in the play-off final.



396 days!!!!

[jdrobbo]

One and a half weeks down, just five and a half to go. Here’s hoping that the very quick turnaround might just help our cause in keeping one if our best ever managers at Turf Moor for the new season.