Team vs Sunderland

[Mala591]

................ Heaton
..Lowton Keane Mee Ward
Boyd Barton Defour Hendrick
.............Gray Barnes

[minnieclaret]

They were excellent last Sunday. No changes but Defour on the bench. Brady only to be used wide left, in desperation.

[summitclaret]

As OP, but Arfield for Boyd for me, with Hendrick on the right.

[Firthy]

.......... Heaton
..Lowton Keane Mee Ward
Boyd Barton Hendrick Arfield
.........Gray Barnes

I'd like to see Westwood and Defour start but he'll start with same team as Liverpool

[Woodleyclaret]

Heaton
Lowton Keane Mee Ward
Hendrick Barton Defour Ageyi
Barnes Gray
Subs.Boyd,Westwood,Tarkowski,Darwikwa,Brady

[silvio_claret]

Same as Liverpool away
only change Defour given a place on the bench.

[BurnleyPaul]

. . . . . . . . . . Heaton . . . . . . . . . .
Lowton . Keane . Mee . Ward
Arfield . Barton . Hendrick . Brady
Barnes . Gray

subs: Robinson, Tarkowski, Flanagan, Boyd, Westwood, Agyei, Defour

[Vegas Claret]

Woodley, so you'd put untried striker Agyei on the wing in a massive game as opposed to Brady, Arfield or Hendrick

Can we have Woan in goal too ?

[claretspice]

Brady for Boyd for me. Arfield to swap to the right to accommodate the change.

We generally keep the ball better with Arfield in the team because his first instinct is to bring the ball down and try and find an easy ball rather than help it on its way, as Boyd is prone to doing when under pressure. And we signed Brady to make a difference in games like this.

Otherwise, as you were for me, with a place for Defour on the bench. I'd expect Flanagan to be on there as well. Will be interesting to see who makes way on the bench - presumably Agyei, but in some respects it'd make more sense to sacrifice Flanagan given Brady can cover left full back.

[Nonayforever]

Same team as per Liverpool game but with Defour coming on as sub instead of Brady.

[taio]

Woodley, so you'd put untried striker Agyei on the wing in a massive game as opposed to Brady, Arfield or Hendrick

Can we have Woan in goal too ?

Not keen on the idea of having just five subs either.

Same team as against Liverpool.

If Brady is a used sub hopefully it'll be on the left hand side.

Not sure why Vokes wouldn't be in the match day squad unless I've missed something.

[colne-claret]

Heaton
Lowton Keane Mee Ward
Boyd Barton Hendrick Brady
Gray Barnes

Would be great to see Defour back in too.

[Devils_Advocate]

Brady in for either Boyd or Arfield if Dyche has any ambition to go at them and let Brady try and open them up. If the game plan is to just contain them, wear them down and hope we can nick a goal we may as well keep it the same as last week

[Mala591]

Without doubt SD will have a difficult decision to make on Saturday.

The team that played against Chelsea had 4 shots on target. The team that played against Liverpool last week had 1 shot on target.

I'm just a bit worried that a more 'defensive' lineup against a poor Sunderland team might backfire.

In Sean we trust...

[CombatClaret]

I'm just a bit worried that a more 'defensive' lineup against a poor Sunderland team might backfire

Very much agree, If we were ever going to play a little more open and expressive football Sunderland is the team to play it against. I'd like to see Brady, Defour, Hendrick all start and get them moving the ball around and feed the lads up front.
You've only got Defoe to worry about after all.

[Vegas Claret]

first goal is huge on saturday

[CnBtruntru]

Same as last Sunday, Devour on bench, bring him and Brady on last 25 to rub in the 4-0 defeat we are going to inflict on them.

[KippaxFifaHD]

Heaton
Lowton, Keane, Mee, Ward
Boyd, Barton, Jeffrick, Brady
Barnes, Gray
Subs: Agent Robbo, Derek, Tarks, Arfield, Defour, Westwood, Vokes

[claretandy]

Won't happen but i would like to see

Heaton
lowton Keane Mee Ward
Defour Barton Hendrick
Gray Barnes Brady

A proper 433 like swansea, not 451 or 4411.

[jlup1980]

Heaton
Lowton, Keane, Mee, Ward
Boyd, Barton, Jeffrick, Brady
Barnes, Gray
Subs: Agent Robbo, Derek, Tarks, Arfield, Defour, Westwood, Vokes

I think this is the most likely 11. Brady has to play if only for his set piece delivery.

[jurek]

Dyche has apparently said he's not sure whether Defour will be in the squad
for Sunderland as he's not match fit.

That rules out him starting I would suggest and the best he can hope for is to be on the bench
and hope to come on if required.

I think Dyche may well play it 'safe' and start with the same 11 as against Liverpool.
That leaves Brady, Volkes and possibly Defour (if he does make the bench) to come on.

[Roosterbooster]

Won't happen but i would like to see

Heaton
lowton Keane Mee Ward
Defour Barton Hendrick
Gray Barnes Brady

A proper 433 like swansea, not 451 or 4411.

I actually really like the idea of this XI

It'll never ever happen under SD though

I'd happily have Vokes in for Barnes

This set up would hopefully encourage Gray to run the channels better - I often think he's too narrow and reduces our options under pressure

I'd give Defour the free role with Barton sitting, and Hendrick doing the running

I live in blissful ignorant hope

[ClaretLoup]

I'd happily have Vokes in for Barnes

Correct me if I am wrong here but I don't think Vokes has scored a goal in open play away from Turf Moor so why would you select him above Barnes who has notched at WHL Anfield and won a penalty at the Emirates?

[Mala591]

This would be my first half line up.

....................Heaton
....Lowton Keane Mee Ward
Arfield Barton Defour Hendrick
................Gray Barnes

Bring Brady on at sixty minutes. Move Hendrick across to replace Defour.

[ablueclaret]

defence as always

Tarka Barton

Hendrick Defour

Gray Agyei

[Roosterbooster]

Correct me if I am wrong here but I don't think Vokes has scored a goal in open play away from Turf Moor so why would you select him above Barnes who has notched at WHL Anfield and won a penalty at the Emirates?

I think Vokes gets the best out of Gray, and he's more dangerous from crosses. We get obsessed with looking at stats, individual performances etc etc. And don't get me wrong, even though Barnes isn't the most naturally gifted footballer of all time, he is effective. But Vokes is a very intelligent footballer.
It took a bit of time last season, Vokes' flick ons didn't find Gray too much to start with, but eventually they learned, and as Vokes went up for the header, he would look at Gray's position and knock it on for him. I don't think Gray's starting position makes it particularly easy a lot of the time, as I don't think he anticipates the second ball, but Vokes changed his game to suit.
Away from home we have been so negative, that we have hardly delivered a cross. So Vokes is automatically at a disadvantage, but with Brady and Gray, and a 3 man midfield, this could change. I've said before that Gray plays too narrow, and is a decent crosser of the ball. He is beginning to play less narrow, and I thought against Liverpool his game had improved, as he worked all 4 of their defenders, and was a slightly better outlet when we were under pressure. And Gray needs a player like Defour. It's Gray's instinct to look for the through ball. Defour is his supply chain.
I think people sometimes make football too complicated. But in my eyes the basics are very simple. What's the aim? Score more goals. Who's our best goalscorer? Gray. What gets the best out of Gray? I think an intelligent big man up front, and a clever passer of the ball.
Stepping it up obviously things become more complicated, but I sometimes think we forget about the basics.
We might lose some of Barnes' "ruggedness", but I don't see him as the centrepoint of the team. He gets vital goals. He's all round a very useful player. But Vokes offers his own qualities. Thinking about him not scoring from open play away from home as opposed to Barnes, the pundits may say strikers are there to score goals (although I think most pundits are useless), and I agree, but the team is there to win. And if you have to sacrifice scoring to let the team win, then it really doesn't matter who scores.
I wouldn't put our poor performances away from home at the start of the season down to Vokes. We have improved recently, and Barnes has been in the side for most of that. But we still haven't won. The only point away since Man U was Hull, and even then I thought Hull were the better side overall. But my overwhelming feeling away from home is that we are too negative. We sit far too deep, and invite pressure. We don't occupy the opposition by having an outlet. They can spend most of the game pushing on, not worrying about conceding. At home I think we have the balance right. But away from home, It isn't working. Vokes isn't my answer. I just think he's part of the puzzle.

[CombatClaret]

Burnley starting line-up: Tom Heaton, Matthew Lowton, Stephen Ward, Joey Barton, Michael Keane, Ben Mee, George Boyd, Jeff Hendrick, Andre Gray, Ashley Barnes, Scott Arfield.
Substitutes: Robbie Brady, James Tarkowski, Paul Robinson, Steven Defour, Sam Vokes, Jon Flanagan, Ashley Westwood