At a time when we dare to dream about a European tour next season, the reality and first priority is 40 points. W7D7 out of the next 31 games is one combination that would get us there. From today’s position is that good enough?

European tour? I love your optimism Carport, I really do. You certainly come across as a glass half full type of guy. I'd take 10th and be nowhere European qualification. Big baby steps

Sadly a decent season will see our team ripped apart and SD gone IMO

You're kidding, right ?
Ripped apart by whom ?
SD to go where ?

Id get this idea of Europe out of your head. One game at a time

One game at a time but hopeful that budget airlines are available from North West airports on Thursdays next season!

claptrappers_union wrote:Id get this idea of Europe out of your head. One game at a time

I'd tend to agree, maybe not for the same reasons. If and it is a big If we were to finish 5th. I don't think w'ed have the squad strength to compete in all the different competitions anyway.
That said. I am with you on the one game at a time mantra. 15th would be an improvement and a sign of progress.

I'd be happy with 17th

Talked about this last night and the feeling was that the sooner you can reach 25 to 30 points the easier the season becomes, you start playing teams who are getting desperate for points, desperate not to lose and beaten when they concede the first goal. Looking at the fixtures between now and Christmas we could get enough points to be in that zone One game at a time......UTC

I now see Europe as a possibility. The only only games where I worry about are fixtures like Huddersfield and West Brom at home. We struggle a little when we are expected to be on the front foot. But as the season goes on those teams will become desperate for points and ear mark Burnley as a game they need to win. They'll attack us and we'll pick them off at ease.

Will Leisure be organising coaches to the Nou Camp?

mdd2 wrote:Sadly a decent season will see our team ripped apart and SD gone IMO

I agree with the Dyche will be gone sceanario, his stock will be rising with each result he is beginning to stack up, it won't be to a team like Palace either, a top six club will eventually snap him up, they can't overlook him for ever, it will be a sad day when he goes but what a time we have had under him, I hope I'm wrong but it's only a matter of time

'...SD to go where ?..'

Everton

I always felt the Dyche brand of football might be what kept him with us, BUT now we have a Manager whose team is supremely organised resiliant impeccably coached well assembled and at a net profit at that,,,which as just stroked the ball around the park for 20 odd passes then stuck it in the onion bag.

Can't help feeling that Yesterday's goal might just be the pivotal moment in Dyche and Burnleys future together.

It was about this time last season when we were mid table that talk began of a potential European place.

No Ney Never wrote:It was about this time last season when we were mid table that talk began of a potential European place.

Aye, but we hadn't been unbeaten in 4 of our hardest 7 fixtures this time last season.

No Ney Never wrote:It was about this time last season when we were mid table that talk began of a potential European place.

10 years ago we dreamt on promotion to the PL. Footballs about dreaming and sometimes they come true. Ask Leicester

evensteadiereddie wrote:You're kidding, right ?
Ripped apart by whom ?
SD to go where ?

By those clubs with bigger pockets just like Everton and Watford this year but if we go on the same trajectory of our last 7 games there will be many more of our players attracting interest as well as Sean and his backroom staff. 'tis the price of success I'm afraid.

claretblue wrote:'...SD to go where ?..'

Everton

For all the flashes of brilliance yesterday (and they were genuinely brilliant) the Everton fans I know are not falling over themselves to get some of that Dyche style football.

Forty points asap and then we'll see where we are.

Whether we like it or not, we are one of those teams in this division that has to plan everything on being above 18th after the final day of the season

mdd2 wrote:By those clubs with bigger pockets just like Everton and Watford this year but if we go on the same trajectory of our last 7 games there will be many more of our players attracting interest as well as Sean and his backroom staff. 'tis the price of success I'm afraid.

England will be looking for a new manager soon.....

Don't worry in 2 weeks time half this message board will be complaining that we didn't beat West Ham 5-0.

Biggest risk this season is that people get carried away by a decent start. We've been fantastic on the road so far, and credit to us for that, but it only takes one or two disappointing results and the defeat we should all expect at City and we'll find ourselves with a huge reality check. Had we lost against Huddersfield - and they had the better chances - then the mood last weekend would have been far more influenced by the risk of us sliding back into the relegation pack.

That's not to be negative - its just being realistic about where we are. We're an improved team on last season but we do have our limitations and our flaws and if we were to finish 15th and be safe with 3 or 4 games to go, that would represent an excellent season and genuine progress.

I'd like enough points by mid January to take the FA Cup seriously

Im just happy that we're currently 7 points clear of 18th.

Perhaps this is our Leicester season!

top ten nailed on.

claptrappers_union wrote:I'd be happy with 17th

But that would be a backward step. Is that what you really want? Surely the sole end of our ambition can't be just to scrape survival every season? If that's the case what's the point? Surely not simply to just keep the money rolling in? If that's all that it's come to what happened to football?

Selby Claret wrote:I'd like enough points by mid January to take the FA Cup seriously

Now that's a good point.

Talking of the 40 point mark I have heard plenty of times since Saturday Huddersfield fans using the oft trotted out phrase ""our season wont be defined by the results of games against the likes of Tottenham""

That is so wrong. If you are to have any chance of staying up you really need to take some points off the big boys. Dyche as worked out you cant just write 12 games off at this level you have to scrap for every single point you can against everybody. Expecting to pick up 40 points from your other 26 games outside of the big 6 is virtually impossible.

I discount finishing 17th. But for a very sloppy close-out to the season we should have finished higher than we did. I'll be happy finishing where we SHOULD have finished last season as the benchmark, and add "progress/learning" on top. By that reckoning - 12-14th

IF we rediscover last seasons home form we could had the 7 wins by Christmas...

notice that's a big if, I'd rather concentrate on one game at a time

houseboy wrote:But that would be a backward step. Is that what you really want? Surely the sole end of our ambition can't be just to scrape survival every season? If that's the case what's the point? Surely not simply to just keep the money rolling in? If that's all that it's come to what happened to football?

Staying the Premier League for a third season would be an achievement and not a backwards step.

You're all nuts, we'll survive by the skin of our teeth this season. Teams have sussed us out at the turf, sit back and grab a point.

I don't want European football. I want us to be comfortable in mid table and keep progressing
As a bonus I want 3 points on April 28th and relegate the team we play on that day

Everton fans got rid of Moyes owing to his pragmatic approach. I don't think they would accept Dyche. More fool them, but its how it is IMO.

Steve1956 wrote:I agree with the Dyche will be gone sceanario, his stock will be rising with each result he is beginning to stack up, it won't be to a team like Palace either, a top six club will eventually snap him up, they can't overlook him for ever, it will be a sad day when he goes but what a time we have had under him, I hope I'm wrong but it's only a matter of time

We've already snapped him up...so job done.

Saxoman wrote:Everton fans got rid of Moyes owing to his pragmatic approach. I don't think they would accept Dyche. More fool them, but its how it is IMO.

You do know Moyes left to manage United, don't you??

claptrappers_union wrote:Staying the Premier League for a third season would be an achievement and not a backwards step.

It would be a backward step logically. If you finish lower than the previous season you have taken a backward step mate, it does what it says on the tin. The only way to progress is to finish higher than the previous season, even if only one place higher. Of course we will all be delighted if we survive again but there must come a time when 'survival' is not enough or you have stagnated. I think we have more than enough to survive actually, I said that before a ball was kicked this season so I'm not getting carried away by the excellent start (I doubt that we will maintain it and I don't think we'll finish 6th) so we should be setting the bar higher even now, aiming for, even if not quite achieving, a top half finish.

Saxoman wrote:Everton fans got rid of Moyes owing to his pragmatic approach. I don't think they would accept Dyche. More fool them, but its how it is IMO.

That’s my history re-written. I’d always thought Moyes left to go to Man U.

houseboy wrote:It would be a backward step logically. If you finish lower than the previous season you have taken a backward step mate, it does what it says on the tin. The only way to progress is to finish higher than the previous season, even if only one place higher. Of course we will all be delighted if we survive again but there must come a time when 'survival' is not enough or you have stagnated. I think we have more than enough to survive actually, I said that before a ball was kicked this season so I'm not getting carried away by the excellent start (I doubt that we will maintain it and I don't think we'll finish 6th) so we should be setting the bar higher even now, aiming for, even if not quite achieving, a top half finish.

Depends on the perspective.

Staying up will be a major progression - as we have never stayed in the top flight for this long in the Premier League era. But it's baby steps.

When we were relegated at Hull, people were questioning why the travelling supporters where still enthusiastic and chanting - and it because as fans, we knew the bigger picture.

If we find ourselves in a relegation scrap but survive, I could take your point but it's still progress - because we will have stayed up.

Ask me in 4 years time, and we are still relegation fodder - then we haven't progressed.

Breaking the transfer record 4 times in a row is progress, a training centre, being financially stable in compassion is progress - higher average attendances too

But it the foundations the club are building. On MOTD2 last week, the pundits suggested Tarkowski could get into the England squad - I think that's progression in itself.

From a media perspective, a call up will see him nationally as Burnley Football Club product - not a product of the Man Utd youth system. Oldham and Brentford will just be a footnote in the narrative.

I don't think you can judge progress purely on League position. I know that what goes into the history books ultimately, but you have to consider where we are, where we have come from and what we are capable of realistically.

Agree with everything from claptrappers_union, progression is based on so much more than league position...

PL Football next season is number 1 priority. And same again season after that. Couldn't care what position right now.

And if Dyche is still with us he has led the building blocks of a club which has made tremendous progress in the last 5 years in so many different areas.

Then we can call ourselves established. I said for years I don't mind being a West Bromwich type yo-yo club, that final settles after a few attempts. And I think we aren't far from that.

claptrappers_union wrote:Depends on the perspective.

Staying up will be a major progression - as we have never stayed in the top flight for this long in the Premier League era. But it's baby steps.

When we were relegated at Hull, people were questioning why the travelling supporters where still enthusiastic and chanting - and it because as fans, we knew the bigger picture.

If we find ourselves in a relegation scrap but survive, I could take your point but it's still progress - because we will have stayed up.

Ask me in 4 years time, and we are still relegation fodder - then we haven't progressed.

Breaking the transfer record 4 times in a row is progress, a training centre, being financially stable in compassion is progress - higher average attendances too

But it the foundations the club are building. On MOTD2 last week, the pundits suggested Tarkowski could get into the England squad - I think that's progression in itself.

From a media perspective, a call up will see him nationally as Burnley Football Club product - not a product of the Man Utd youth system. Oldham and Brentford will just be a footnote in the narrative.

I don't think you can judge progress purely on League position. I know that what goes into the history books ultimately, but you have to consider where we are, where we have come from and what we are capable of realistically.

Good points and a valid argument. It does depend on perspective. See my post below for a 'caveat'.

criminalclaret wrote:Agree with everything from claptrappers_union, progression is based on so much more than league position...

PL Football next season is number 1 priority. And same again season after that. Couldn't care what position right now.

And if Dyche is still with us he has led the building blocks of a club which has made tremendous progress in the last 5 years in so many different areas.

Then we can call ourselves established. I said for years I don't mind being a West Bromwich type yo-yo club, that final settles after a few attempts. And I think we aren't far from that.

Good points but I think the 'urgency' to become established is greater than most people think. Dyche will go and with every day that we continue in the way we are that day will get closer and closer. If he went tomorrow or next week or next month I believe we would be in real trouble whereas if we can hold onto him till a least the end of the season and finish in a relatively decent mid-table/ top half position we would then be in a position to attract a better quality replacement and better players for next season, it's a kind of snowball effect. This is why I believe that a good position finish THIS season is imperative because (and I hope I am wrong) I cannot see Dyche being with us in another year. We need to be in a position of strength when the inevitable happens, not a team among the favourites for relegation.

claretspice wrote:Biggest risk this season is that people get carried away by a decent start. We've been fantastic on the road so far, and credit to us for that, but it only takes one or two disappointing results and the defeat we should all expect at City and we'll find ourselves with a huge reality check. Had we lost against Huddersfield - and they had the better chances - then the mood last weekend would have been far more influenced by the risk of us sliding back into the relegation pack.

That's not to be negative - its just being realistic about where we are. We're an improved team on last season but we do have our limitations and our flaws and if we were to finish 15th and be safe with 3 or 4 games to go, that would represent an excellent season and genuine progress.

I giggled last week when someone suggested the players would be falling over themselves to find a gag at half time of Spice was the manager, and now we KNOW he should be...... "it's ok lads, the whole world all expects we should be defeated today..... don't run around too much, you'll be able to avoid a shower and we can all get home earlier"

Dyche leaving is an inevitability.

The only thing Burnley have in their court is that Dyche 'has it good here' - a supportive board, job security and the opportunity to help build the club outside the team commitments. He won't have that at Newcastle, Sunderland or any other, mediocre big club.

However, then the right opportunity comes, he has to take it.

But that goes for all clubs with a decent manager.

As for players. Burnley Football Club is a stepping stone really.

Fulham, Villa, Bolton, Sunderland, Wigan, Rovers.....

All 'established' clubs in PL of 5 years+ and all (maybe bar Sunderland) played in Europe. Had one or maybe 2 bad seasons and haven't seen the PL since. That's how fine the margins.

There's can be no false security around us needing some 'urgency' until we become established enough to have some claim to being in the PL. We never will, and neither do the other 14-12 clubs in there.

Literally look for 40 points and then start daydreaming about Europe, which personally is just that.

And then if we are still here next August we repeat the same again.

No club us too big or established to go down, that's what our friends down the road thought and I think we need to always be weary and cherish the wins away at Goodison or the draws away at Wembley. Not being negative, just literally enjoying the moment for as long as it lasts

A Stoke supporting friend told me the first time we came up, that the secret is getting 20 points by Christmas. Never looked back to see if it's true, but it is a nice benchmark.

As for SDs style, one of his major strengths is that his style is whatever best suits the players he has available. You can't make a silk purse out of a pigs ear, and we didn't have the players to play expansive football. The longer we stay up, the better the squad gets, the better the style of football will most likely become.

We've had some great times the last 10 years, but the years to come could be awesome.



P.S. One game at a time

UTC

NL Claret wrote:Don't worry in 2 weeks time half this message board will be complaining that we didn't beat West Ham 5-0.

Nah they will still be moaning about people worrying Tarkowski wouldn't be up to it pre season.