Or an all round determination to put things right?
Certainly, not a bad performance from any of our team.

Two recognised strikers up front helps.

No. It wasn’t. But Heaton was outstanding today

I thought Heaton performed better than Hart has (of late) but cannot say it was that alone.

I bet Dyche said after that awful display against Everton that everyone shirt was up for grabs, not just now but for every game.

Chuck in a youngster like McNeil and then he excels it throws pressure on everyone.

Very happy overall, a kick up arse we needed after Boxing Day

we passed the ball, loads of triangles and movement - not seen that all season. Hopefully the death of hoofball at Burnley

I always think the keeper is the most important player in a team, strong spine and foundation, I don't think it's coincidence. Also shows how well pope did covering for such a big player.
Their must be substance to the stories that hart is a "character", surprised dyche took the risk.

I nust admit his organisation was great. But...

The system was excellent.
Bardsley was excellent. Made Anderson look average.

There was huge desire.

And fair play to Taylor and McNeill. An inexperienced left side whonplayed excellently.

Heaton was very good.

Also as captain perhaps he took some weight off Mee.

Play like that and we will be safe
Time and time again it said how the defence was protecting Heaton
In my book thats Heaton organizing his defence better UTC

Can't just be Heaton although it sounds as if he was well pumped up for the game.
Others obviously played well and the goal for Wood could be the monkey off his back.
Have to say a huge relief but pleasing in the sense that we played well and deserved the three points.

Clean sheet too.

Come on you Clarets!

Also. Note to Wood. He did miss a chance he shouldve scored.

But his overall game and his movement in particular was top drawer.

Heaton made a massive difference. First half he rushed off his line to win a header that started the move towards a goal, this summed him up - the antithesis of Hart.

He was shouting at his defence the entire game, made a textbook close range stop and got a high claim I doubt Joe would have even jumped for.

The apologists for Hart must surely see now what myself and many others have been clamouring for, for weeks and weeks.

Was he the only difference? Absolutely not - Bardsley and McNeil outstanding, defence really solid (including Taylor - his best game for us) and Cork/Westwood were superb with the press. The forwards defended from the front and we carved out enough chances to have won 4 or 5-0.

Best performance of 2018. WELL DONE THE LOT OF THEM.

Heaton coming in could have been the snowball effect. A good keeper behind you is massive for a defender, which in turn can improve the midfield and attack. I'm sure it was a significant reason why we improved.

jedi_master wrote: Best performance of 2018. WELL DONE THE LOT OF THEM.

Let's hope were not waiting another year before you have to say that again

NO - we played something called football

... and in a few weeks Popey will be fit !!!!

It was a change in keeper that we scored the first goal.

We wouldn’t have seen Hart coming out the area to head the ball like we did with Heaton

Thank you, Sean, for giving us our team back today.

Maybe it's sunk in they're all in line for a massive pay cut.

wilks_bfc wrote:It was a change in keeper that we scored the first goal.

We wouldn’t have seen Hart coming out the area to head the ball like we did with Heaton

Just my thoughts. Beardsley was outstanding

lrac wrote:Just my thoughts. Beardsley was outstanding

Has he come out of retirement?

Tom was pivotal to that win. He created the first goal and was only a couple of touches away from the second. He was shouting and organising throughout and he commanded players to leave what otherwise looked like dangerous balls because he could see they were going clear. #UTC

Well something changed because that was the best I have seen from the Clarets in a long time. Outstanding first 60 minutes, and confidence seemed to be flowing through the team.
Personally, I was glad to see Tom back between the sticks doing his organizing, and somehow it just felt like Burnley again. I really hope he does not leave in January.
Feel much better about our prospects after that, delighted for young Dwight, and good chance to build on that at Hudders on Wednesday.

I will say the atmosphere helped. Was like we had signed a new big name signing.

from BBC...
"...club captain Heaton was restored in goal .

Over 15 months had elapsed since Heaton dislocated his shoulder at Crystal Palace, the last time he featured in a league game for Burnley, but the 32-year-old exerted his influence on those in front of him, barking out instructions and providing organisation and leadership.

That contributed to West Ham managing just four shots on target and Heaton's understanding with his team-mates was evident as he raced out of his goal 15th minute to instigate the move that ended with Wood's goal.

Heaton positioned himself to calmly head the ball to Westwood under pressure from West Ham attackers, and he underscored a good day's work by superbly tipping Carroll's header on to the woodwork late on."

jedi_master wrote:
Best performance of 2018. WELL DONE THE LOT OF THEM.

criminalclaret wrote:Let's hope were not waiting another year before you have to say that again

It won't matter because it'll be 2019 then.

Same at the end when he claimed a high ball and also rushed off his line to ground the ball in the penalty area. And how good was it to hear that "OUT, PUSH OUT". I thought Ben Mee had his best game of the season too as did Charlie Taylor. The whole team looked a different force, and Banes was none stop as Was wood and they obviously play well together. Only gripe is that Wood should have had an easy hat trick, but if thats all I can gripe about then keep it coming.

Heaton was instrumental in creating the first goal, was assured in keeping a clean sheet and put in a captains performance in defence.
Everyone but Dyche was aware that he could do that.
Hopefully it's now onward and upward.

It’s never just been about the keeper.

He’s been a problem but there have been plenty of others.

Hopefully we can look to move Hart on in January now.

The lift his inclusion gave the crowd and the team can’t be down-played. You could hear him bellowing at his defenders all game long.

I said when Heaton came and claimed a cross toward the end that that’ll be the end of Hart at Burnley.

Change of referee certainly seemed to help.

Not the only reason but had a massive effect.
He martialled the defence which they need. Very vocal, re assures the team and played well. The crowd are vocal towards him too.

HunterST_BFC wrote:from BBC...
"...club captain Heaton was restored in goal .

Over 15 months had elapsed since Heaton dislocated his shoulder at Crystal Palace, the last time he featured in a league game for Burnley, but the 32-year-old exerted his influence on those in front of him, barking out instructions and providing organisation and leadership.

That contributed to West Ham managing just four shots on target and Heaton's understanding with his team-mates was evident as he raced out of his goal 15th minute to instigate the move that ended with Wood's goal.

Heaton positioned himself to calmly head the ball to Westwood under pressure from West Ham attackers, and he underscored a good day's work by superbly tipping Carroll's header on to the woodwork late on."

Just about to post the exact same: "exerted his influence on those in front of him, barking out instructions and providing organisation and leadership" is a big part of what we have been missing.

UTC

Not sure on the rules, but can we move Hart on if we wanted to...can a player move twice in a season ?

ewanrob wrote:Not sure on the rules, but can we move Hart on if we wanted to...can a player move twice in a season ?

I suspect he will move to Turkey or China. Cant see anyone taking him here.

I actually think hes a top keeper. But theres too much of a question mark over him here now. Perhaps hes better suited to somewhere with less scrutiny.

Hes good enough to play at this level imo.

Got to feel for him. Hes not been the same since Guardiola publically ridiculed him.

dermotdermot wrote:Has he come out of retirement?

Omg I knew things were getting a bit desperate but Peter Beardsley?

cricketfieldclarets wrote:I suspect he will move to Turkey or China. Cant see anyone taking him here.

I actually think hes a top keeper. But theres too much of a question mark over him here now. Perhaps hes better suited to somewhere with less scrutiny.

Hes good enough to play at this level imo.

Got to feel for him. Hes not been the same since Guardiola publically ridiculed him.

Got to agree with you on that, seems a decent bloke...but I'm not sure he will get over this latest blow to his confidence. The difference between Mee & Tarks today with Tom behind them was incredible.

cricketfieldclarets wrote:I suspect he will move to Turkey or China. Cant see anyone taking him here.

I actually think hes a top keeper. But theres too much of a question mark over him here now. Perhaps hes better suited to somewhere with less scrutiny.

Hes good enough to play at this level imo.

Got to feel for him. Hes not been the same since Guardiola publically ridiculed him.

Depends if hes willing to take a pay cut theres a few teams in championship that would jump at the chance . Preston are on the look out for a keeper

The change of keepers certainly made a difference, the ovation the Tom Hetton received from the jimmy Mac seemed to set the tone for the whole afternoon, playing Dwight McNeil certainly made a difference

Back four looked organised with Tom shouting instructions, at times we played a high line and that was down to Tom.

Dyche has to take the credit today.
Big call dropping Hart.
Second big call is playing on the front foot. We went at them from the off, we pressed further up the pitch and we had good possession. Additionally we had in O’neill and JBG wingers who wanted to carry the ball forward.
What we didn’t see was a lot of hopeful long balls, we passed on the ground and we got the ball out wide and got more crosses in. We also didn’t spend the time fannying about going backwards when we had possession high up the pitch.
Beardsley set the tone, Barnes followed,Westwood, Cork and Wood had their best games of the season and the crowd got involved also. It was a pleasure to be at the game today as we got a result and a performance for a full ninety minutes. Hope it continues UTC

Tom seems happy with it...

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Hart is definitely good enough to play at this level. He has pulled off some fantastic saves this season and put in some really good performances. Apart from the gloomy face today he also seems like a good bloke who fits in well here.

No two keepers are exactly the same, they each have their own particular strengths. It just so happens that one of Toms biggest strengths is his commanding presence and leadership.

Our problems this season have been more about the players in front of Hart. Not so much their ability, but their state of mind. That isn't to say they are mentally weak, far from it, but the unexpected demands of our European journey and the bad run of form since then has shaken them. Tom provided a steadying influence today that settled the team and drew support from the stands that created an uplifting experience.

Tom is the player we need between the sticks for the next few games to steady the ship and get things back on track.

His character is the reason why he is our Captain. That doesn't mean he is a better keeper than Hart, they simply excel in a number of different ways. They are both top drawer players.

Once the ship is back on an even keel I wouldn't have any problems with Hart stepping out for us again. If Hart can learn from Tom and develop his own leadership/command of area skills then he would be immense and easily Englands No1.

After today, the potential problem of having three England goal keepers on our books ahead of a transfer window just got a bit bigger. If we can keep them all happy then I would like them all to stay and learn from each other. A short spell out of the spotlight and the opportunity to improve areas of his already impressive game could be just what Hart needs to step up to the next level.

We are very lucky to have three outstanding goal keeper on our books, even if it does present Sean with a bit of a head ache regarding who is going to play.

No headache as far as I’m concerned. Tom keeps the shirt.

He was brilliant just before kick off motivating all the players. His command of the box his yelling constantly at the players giving advice and options cannot be under estimated

Yes, according to The Times (online - you will also be able to read this in Monday's print edition):

Tom Heaton return inspires Burnley as they outplay West Ham
Burnley 2 West Ham United 0


Tom Heaton looked as if he had never been away. Burnley, meanwhile, suddenly looked a lot more like their old selves.

It would be beyond over-simplistic to suggest that Sean Dyche’s decision to drop Joe Hart, and recall Heaton for a first Premier League appearance in 476 days, led to a much-needed victory after a run of nine defeats in 11 games. Yet the cheer from the crowd as the club captain’s name was read out over the public address system told its own story.

Heaton did not put a glove wrong. The defenders in front of him, who had played with a mixture of haplessness and abject terror as Everton had beaten them 5-1 on Boxing Day, gained in confidence as each minute passed without a goal being conceded.

First-half goals from Chris Wood and Dwight McNeil, the latter scoring for the first time in senior football, then gave the home side the platform on which to construct a victory. It was not enough to lift them out of the relegation zone, as they still trail Southampton on goal difference, but they should go to bottom club Huddersfield Town on Wednesday with the belief to climb further.

There were two moments, either side of Burnley’s opening goal, where Dyche’s side got the luck that gave them a fighting chance. The first came in the opening ten minutes, when James Tarkowski skewed behind to concede an unnecessary corner. It was the sort of error that Everton had punished three days earlier; here, the home side escaped. Robert Snodgrass delivered the ball, Angelo Ogbonna headed down towards goal, but it was straight at Heaton, who gathered comfortably. A team who had conceded 41 times in the first half of the league season blew a collective sigh of relief.

The second moment came when Tarkowski played an awful ball out of defence, straight to Felipe Anderson, a player who had scored seven times in his previous nine appearances. Luckily for the England defender, the ball rebounded straight back to him, as the Brazilian could not react quickly enough.

In between, Heaton had played a small role in Burnley’s opening goal. He dashed from his penalty area to nod clear as Snodgrass raced through, before Ashley Westwood gathered possession, exchanged passes with McNeil and Jack Cork, and angled a pass for Ashley Barnes to head down for Wood to steer a shot under Lukasz Fabianski.

As Burnley grew in confidence, they soon extended the lead. Westwood was involved in the build-up once more, collecting the ball on the right as West Ham failed to deal with a sustained bout of pressure, before playing in an outswinging cross that McNeil forced past Fabianski at the far post.

McNeil almost added a third before half-time, but the ball arrived just behind him from Barnes’ cross on the run, and he swept his first-time shot wide.

A third Burnley goal early in the second half would have blown away all remaining doubts, but neither Wood nor Barnes could take the chances to provide it that came their way.
Wood was the more guilty, managing an airshot when Barnes’ low ball found him unmarked 40 seconds after half-time, and then placing a shot wide after Westwood had played him through with only Fabianski to beat.

Yet Burnley looked comfortable enough, even with Andy Carroll introduced as a substitute to try to rough them up. When Heaton turned Carroll’s header on to the bar from Aaron Cresswell’s cross inside the final two minutes, it was met with a standing ovation. The mood has changed at Turf Moor; Dyche’s decision to switch his goalkeeper paid off.

And Times' player ratings:

Burnley (4-4-2): T Heaton 7 — P Bardsley 7, J Tarkowski 6, B Mee 7, C Taylor 7 — J Gudmundsson 7, A Westwood 8, J Cork 7, D McNeil 8 — C Wood 6 (sub: S Vokes, 90 mins), A Barnes 6.

UTC

Probably lifted the crowd and certainly seemed to bring the best out in Mee.

But a lot of other things today:

- Wood and Barnes up top both moving and causing WHU problems
- Bardsley back in the defence and shutting out Anderson
- McNeill prepared to have a go and a much better balance out wide

All that gave us a better platform to move the ball around - and we moved it round well. First 50 or so minutes we made West Ham look like relegation candidates. We missed some "easy"chances and should have been well out of sight before they rallied for the final 10 minutes.

We looked more like the good side we remember from last season (but then we also did that against Bournemouth so lets hope it's not a one off. Carry this application into the next 2 games and we should be much too good for our opponents. Keep up anything near to this for most of our games and we ought to stay up.

No - it wasn't just that. There were lots of factors - a change back to a shape which suits our attacking strengths (and probably our defensive strengths too), the willingness to use the channels rather than hitting diagonals straight onto the foreheads of the centre backs, a huge hike in intensity and focus, a bit of luck early on (West Ham could have taken the lead with a free header from a corner, don't forget), and last but not least a change from an opponent who obviously had something to prove to a West Ham team who barely bothered getting off the bus.

But - Heaton deserves real credit. Hart wasn't making howlers, but he just wasn't doing enough to protect our goal. I got some stick for criticising his failure to advance off his line to at least try and intercept the danger for Spurs' winner a fortnight ago but I stand by it as one of serveral examples recently of goals where Hart might have done better (even if generally, defenders might have done too). Heaton showed exactly what we're talking about with the cushioned header from inside his 'D' which both snuffed out the potential danger from an early West Ham through ball, and set in motion the move from which we scored the first goal. It was positive, brave and decisive goalkeeping and I don't recall Hart making a similar intervention possibly all season, but certainly not in the last couple of months. Even for his late save, he made it because he got himself a yard off his line and made himself as big a target as possible (before the quite brilliant reflexes took over). And I don't think we can overlook the air of authority he carries and the sense of direction he appears to give the team.

Dyche also deserves credit - this was a big call, especially now with Pope relatively close to fitness, and it not only worked on its own terms, but it gave the entire crowd something to cling onto before the game. It was probably pretty harsh on Hart that Heaton got such a heroes welcome, but it fired up the crowd and gave the team something to bite on. After Everton, we needed that.

There was a point in first half where Bardsley was seeing the ball out for a goal kick near the corner flag all quite pedestrian He was facing Jimmy Mac at time. West Ham player starts comming at him at a million miles an hour.

Then the shout from Tom Heaton as he could see the threat 'MAN ON' repeated three times.

Bardsley picked up the pace and dealt with the potential threat easily. Would Hart have made that shout????? We will never know. But what I do know is the organisation by Tom in that moment made a potential threat into routine defending.

Long Time Lurker wrote:Hart is definitely good enough to play at this level. He has pulled off some fantastic saves this season and put in some really good performances. Apart from the gloomy face today he also seems like a good bloke who fits in well here.

No two keepers are exactly the same, they each have their own particular strengths. It just so happens that one of Toms biggest strengths is his commanding presence and leadership.

Our problems this season have been more about the players in front of Hart. Not so much their ability, but their state of mind. That isn't to say they are mentally weak, far from it, but the unexpected demands of our European journey and the bad run of form since then has shaken them. Tom provided a steadying influence today that settled the team and drew support from the stands that created an uplifting experience.

Tom is the player we need between the sticks for the next few games to steady the ship and get things back on track.

His character is the reason why he is our Captain. That doesn't mean he is a better keeper than Hart, they simply excel in a number of different ways. They are both top drawer players.

Once the ship is back on an even keel I wouldn't have any problems with Hart stepping out for us again. If Hart can learn from Tom and develop his own leadership/command of area skills then he would be immense and easily Englands No1.

After today, the potential problem of having three England goal keepers on our books ahead of a transfer window just got a bit bigger. If we can keep them all happy then I would like them all to stay and learn from each other. A short spell out of the spotlight and the opportunity to improve areas of his already impressive game could be just what Hart needs to step up to the next level.

We are very lucky to have three outstanding goal keeper on our books, even if it does present Sean with a bit of a head ache regarding who is going to play.

Hi Long Time, yes, Joe Hart is a Premier League keeper, but we've been missing Tom's leadership and organisation at the back. That, for me, is the biggest reason why "our problems this season have been about the players in front of Hart." And, what Tom has done today and before his injury, so Nick Pope can also do.

For me, it will be very challenging to keep 3 Premier League keepers. It's probably a big enought challenge keeping 2 guys happy when there is only one place in the team. If Nick is going to be fit in the near term then I'd be offering Joe Hart on loan and keeping Tom and Nick. I'd have no problem keeping Joe Hart, so long as he understands he will be No.3 behind Tom and Nick (or will it be Nick and Tom, once Nick is proven 100%+ ready)?

UTC