..so many positives, that I just won't be too dissapointed! We dominated, we had chances(at least half..) and made few mistakes(maybe one..) and played some good football against a difficult team..Chris Wood, morning wood or someone else will surely make this team a top 10(maybe 15..) contender. UTC!!

There were times last season we looked clueless in possession and teams were happy to let us have the ball.
Today we played some really good football, just that last little bit of luck did not go our way.

I was convinced we would be relegation fodder but on that performace we should be ok, just need more goals

I sadly wasn't there but BBC says 70% possession and it sounds like we are playing good passing football not the hoofball that many criticised us for.

Still at least 1 incoming signing in Chris Wood and possibly another. I think it sounds like we have an exciting season ahead. UTC!

Gnulty wrote:..so many positives, that I just won't be too dissapointed! We dominated, we had chances(at least half..) and made few mistakes(maybe one..) and played some good football against a difficult team..Chris Wood, morning wood or someone else will surely make this team a top 10(maybe 15..) contender. UTC!!

Agree 100%. Have a 'like'.

That is the best I have seen us play in a long time, it was just 1 of those matches that even if we had played 24 hours we still wouldn't have scored, but not for the want of trying. Strange but very pleased.

Yep very enjoyable and very unlucky. Personally prefer Boyd to Gudmundsson....but I'm sure he will improve

This is the baggies seventh season in the prem, and we matched them if not beterring them. Burnley are improving. I think this season will be tough , but a bit of luck and injuries permitting I think we will be fine

i was really impressed today, some good football,Defour very assured, there was quite a bit of flair and attack too. Missed our chances to score, but its good that we created them. Lots to feel optimistic about.

Some really good passing football.

Cork is a bargain at £10 million.
Defour is clearly fully fit because he was running around the whole game.
Tarks looked good.

We were just unlucky really and on another day we would've buried them.

The ref didn't help us much and seemed intent on not booking anyone.
I think his first card was that red for Kanu.

Wba are street wise and surprisingly quick on the break.

Reading this thread has cheered me up. Wasn't at the game and was apprehensive about coming on here as it can sometimes be doom and gloom. Utc.

Sidney1st wrote:Some really good passing football.

Cork is a bargain at £10 million.
Defour is clearly fully fit because he was running around the whole game.
Tarks looked good.

We were just unlucky really and on another day we would've buried them.

The ref didn't help us much and seemed intent on not booking anyone.
I think his first card was that red for Kanu.

Wba are street wise and surprisingly quick on the break.

Tarks looked good ???

Hapag Lloyd wrote:Tarks looked good ???

Yes he did at times.

He's still relatively untried at this level with a newly formed defensive partnership.

It takes time to settle and WBA are very experienced and so is their manager.

Agree with all the above I thought we played some great football today. Just Don't go to the post started by murger there are some strange comments on their. I think they are the ones who were expecting us to get hammered last week and had to wait for today to start moaning

there was some decent crosses, very clever passing, opportunities from open play, we had good passing game, particularly first 45.
The conceded goal made our shape change, we had to become a different side with the clock ticking down, appeared a bit more desperate, but we did make them work, came close with one or two with Barnes and Walters in the mix. If we had a bit more guile and speed around the box, we'd have beaten them. The team looks better all round to my eyes.

90 mins from Defour, and he looked strong till the end, no fitness issues.

I thought Tarks for the most part had an ok game but what concerns me is his lack of pace. Not quick enough at this level over the first few yards and that's why Kanu got away from him for the goal.

THe real positive from today for me was the 94minutes played by Defour and he looked as if he could have gone on for another half

We need legs in centre midfield I really can't see Defour lasting the distance. Defour looked weary. Cork looks a much improved player, than the one at the club 6 years ago but still does not offer the dynamism we require. We need to bring in Clucas from Hull, he is top priority

Top Claret wrote:Defour looked weary.

Obviously only seen it once but wasnt it Ben Mee that he got way from for the goal?

It was strange to see us have so much of the ball and imo absolutely dominate midfield. Cork and Defour were absolutely immense, but suddenly we now seem to lack a cutting edge. Although we made chances they went begging and we looked one dimensional in the box where it counts most. It was a shame because WBA created next to nothing and the goal was either a piece of individual brilliance or sheer rank bad defending depending on who you support and was certainly not deserved. Walters' miss with the last touch of the game was criminal and scoring then would have changed things on here massively!

Not a fan of Kanu , but he rattled us for the short time he was on , defence was weak for his his goal but he did the damage and got what he deserved with the sending off

Defour looked anything but weary. Looked very fit. Nearly everything decent went through him too.

I don't think Pulis should have been the first to bring on an extra striker - but he was. And he won the game for them.

Not SD's best day for me.

Jay went wide left and Kanu up top and the game changed. I said to the guy next to me before albion scored I would take a point now. West Brom are a very good mid table Premier league side and if you do not take your chances you will get punished. We missed 3 sitters

Top Claret wrote:We need legs in centre midfield I really can't see Defour lasting the distance. Defour looked weary. Cork looks a much improved player, than the one at the club 6 years ago but still does not offer the dynamism we require. We need to bring in Clucas from Hull, he is top priority

You watched a different game to me. He was dynamic in the last 10 - driving forward time after time. Typical Pulis performance from WBA. Spoiling, timewasting from the first minute and sitting deep behind the ball. The guy next to me said if Pulis came to Burnley he wouldn't go on - it's hard to disagree wiht that.

We played very well today and created enough good chances to have won that. Vokes, Mee and Walters all had gilt edged opportunities and didn;t put the on target. Not our day but very good performance. We made them look very ordinary and that's the first time I've thought that against West brom in the Prem.

Have to say though - why on earth did Swansea let Cork go - never mind for 8m rising to 10.

Blackrod wrote:Defour looked anything but weary. Looked very fit. Nearly everything decent went through him too.

Got to admit I am very harsh on Defour he had a decent game. Still think he will struggle this season has last, due to his fitness issues. He just doesn't look fit enough play EPL football for Burnley

ClaretAL wrote:Obviously only seen it once but wasnt it Ben Mee that he got way from for the goal?

No it was Ward and Tarky

Had our pockets picked today but whilst disappointed with the result not disappointed with the performance.

Played some really good one touch football at times, and created chances, just not clinical enough when it mattered.

Cork and Defour superb.

One goal was always going to win it and unfortunately WBA got it but never mind, we've still 2 points more than I thought we would at this stage!

Top Claret wrote:Got to admit I am very harsh on Defour he had a decent game. Still think he will struggle this season has last, due to his fitness issues. He just doesn't look fit enough play EPL football for Burnley

Is this based on him running around for 90mins and running midfield? Not sure what else you'd like him to do.

Top Claret wrote:Got to admit I am very harsh on Defour he had a decent game. Still think he will struggle this season has last, due to his fitness issues. He just doesn't look fit enough play EPL football for Burnley

Defour MOM for me and was still running strongly at the end,where you at the game today,if you where did you play with your Phonefor 90 minutes?

A big positive is Defour and Cork alongside him who's good at winning the 2nd ball. The midfield look more productive.

Agree with Topclaret, we missed 3 sitters, that does tend to make a big difference.

I agree, a positive day despite the result which is why I have no complaints. I thought we controlled the game well, had chances but did lack that tad bit of quality in the final third. The new shape will take some time to get used to, today was certainly a learning curve for us. 3 pts after 2 games, we'd all have taken that when the fixtures were announced. Now to get a few players in to help provide that bit of spark In the final third.

Agree with the above post. One of those days. Onwards and upwards.

On holiday so missed it but looking at the fixtures we would have been happy with 3 points after 2 games. Just that after winning at Chelsea we all get greedy and expect 3 points today. Still good times to be a claret at the moment

KRBFC I am an absolute critic of you silently, but you have it bang on.

I dont know you personally but you do contribute with some good posts from time to time. I think your short fuse and people on here knowing how to push buttons inevitably end in your posts that are inflammatory. It will come with experience but just count to 10 and if your gut feeling makes you question just for a second something you are about to do then that usually means what your about to do is going to cause issues, so listen and fight it.

I agree with top claret about the 3 sitters. Didn't notice he was so down on our centre midfield.

We look a lot better there but need to keep them fit.

A few clean sheets would ease any concerns I have but it's only two games against Chelsea and bogeyman Pulis. Neither side will be in a relegation battle let's put it that way.

We're in the top 6 teams today (depending on which stats you read
- for attempts (20)
- for possession (67%)
- for passes (off the top of my head 460+)
- for passing accuracy (80%)

Did we have stats like that in any game last season?

Granted, we built survival on giving up possession and playing on the break, so we need to learn how to convert possession into attempts on target (not off target) and we'll be fine. Heck Arsenal were utterly toothless playing in front of Stoke's back 5 today, and they've been at it for years.....

NRC wrote:We're in the top 6 teams today (depending on which stats you read
- for attempts (20)
- for possession (67%)
- for passes (off the top of my head 460+)
- for passing accuracy (80%)

Did we have stats like that in any game last season?

Granted, we built survival on giving up possession and playing on the break, so we need to learn how to convert possession into attempts on target (not off target) and we'll be fine. Heck Arsenal were utterly toothless playing in front of Stoke's back 5 today, and they've been at it for years.....

I know that Boro went down with stats (sometimes) like that, and we stayed up.

We still don't have that attacking midfielder/No 10 to be playing that system at home, in my opinion.

We had a lot of possession, but that's how WBA play under Pulis. The last 3 games we have played against them we have had 55%, 55% and 68%, but all we have to show for it is 1 point, with a -5 net goals.

They basically let you have the ball and want you to break them down. Bournemouth had 72% possession last week and also lost 1-0. They are the new Stoke City from a few seasons ago.

The positives for me were that we looked like we know what to do with the possession we had. We had 20 attempts on goal, and on another day we'd have scored 4 or 5 of those. If Vokes' miss in the first half goes in we would have easily won that game. JBG needs to beat his man, Brady was a bit sloppy with the ball at times, and Tarks is a yard slower than Keane, so needs to toughen up and be smarter. Besides that a very good performance.

Top Claret wrote:Got to admit I am very harsh on Defour he had a decent game. Still think he will struggle this season has last, due to his fitness issues. He just doesn't look fit enough play EPL football for Burnley

I don't get that. I remember him sprinting down the right wing in injury time. He looked anything but weary to me.

'I sadly wasn't there but BBC says 70% possession and it sounds like we are playing good passing football not the hoofball that many criticised us for.'


I'd happily go back to 30% possession and winning. We did exactly what West Brom wanted- we played in front of them and never got amongst them until the frantic finale.

I was there and the passing football was exactly the right way to play be a use on top of all that possession we had lots of shots that just would not go in, just 1 of those days, any other day we would have won 4 - 1

PaintYorkClaretnBlue wrote:I don't get that. I remember him sprinting down the right wing in injury time. He looked anything but weary to me.

Everyone agrees, the guy just wanted to get a reaction on here.

Time will tell if Defour can last the pace. He started last season on fire and then ran out of steam, I predict the same for this.

Claretforever wrote:We had a lot of possession, but that's how WBA play under Pulis. The last 3 games we have played against them we have had 55%, 55% and 68%, but all we have to show for it is 1 point, with a -5 net goals.

They basically let you have the ball and want you to break them down. Bournemouth had 72% possession last week and also lost 1-0. They are the new Stoke City from a few seasons ago.

The positives for me were that we looked like we know what to do with the possession we had. We had 20 attempts on goal, and on another day we'd have scored 4 or 5 of those. If Vokes' miss in the first half goes in we would have easily won that game. JBG needs to beat his man, Brady was a bit sloppy with the ball at times, and Tarks is a yard slower than Keane, so needs to toughen up and be smarter. Besides that a very good performance.

I'd agree with all of that, apart from Tarks. I don't think he's slower than Keane, he just needs to understand that in the Prem they close you down far quicker than in any football he's ever played regular. A couple of times he had the ball and acres of space, then got in a hole when he failed to release it quickly enough. It's all a learning curve mind, and once he is used to it I'm sure he'll be fine.

UTC

'20 attempts on goal'


At least half of those, probably more, were long-range half-arsed efforts into the top tier.

ps how do you do that quote thing? People keep misinterpreting that what I've quoted in parenthesis are my own words. I can't be arsed working it out. And after 13 years (CM veteran) I still can't put a picture on. Is there a course you can attend?

Cork and Defour- a joy to watch.

Top Claret wrote:We need legs in centre midfield I really can't see Defour lasting the distance. Defour looked weary. Cork looks a much improved player, than the one at the club 6 years ago but still does not offer the dynamism we require. We need to bring in Clucas from Hull, he is top priority

How did you reach the coclusion Defour looked tired? Try specs savers.

Top Claret wrote:Time will tell if Defour can last the pace. He started last season on fire and then ran out of steam, I predict the same for this.

Hes a stone lighter. Thst might help