who will get the shout, or could it be both?
Stephens not really ever had a run of games to showcase what he can do, due to injuries,bad luck, maybe today's his day to shine .

Should be Stephens, but will definitely be Cork.

I’d start Stephens but it will be Cork. Cork has been poor this season and Stephens is better than he gets credit for.

I thought Stephens did ok when he came on at Man U but he’s been unused in the two league games since.

Maybe today he’ll get his chance.

Expect Cork and Lennon to start

Stephens has been a poor signing, but nobody really knows how effective he could’ve been for us due to a lack of game time.

Cork, on the other hand, has been abysmal this season, so I hope Stephens starts.

I think a lot depends on whether Dale still wants to go home due to our town not being up to his high standards

Goobs wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 05, 2022 3:56 pm

I think a lot depends on whether Dale still wants to go home due to our town not being up to his high standards

He’s from Bolton which makes Burnley look like Monte Carlo.

If we go 4-4-2 as usual the I think Lowton will play RB and Roberts RM alongside Cork Westy and McNeil. Hopefully Cornet and WW up front
However and taking into account no Dennis for Watford and their awful defense we should go 3-5-2
Pope
Collins Tarks Mee
Roberts Cork Westy Stevens McNeil
Cornet WW
I am assuming no Taylor. We will know soon but we have to be aggressive and go for the win

I hope Stephens but I think it will be the tried and tested Cork. There's been two team selection threads already if you want to see what others think:
http://www.uptheclarets.com/messageboar ... =2&t=59823
http://www.uptheclarets.com/messageboar ... =2&t=59918

Stephens for me, he deserves a proper chance now to stake a place in the team.
I’d even go so far as suggesting that if he doesn’t get it now , Dyche’s confidence in him is limited

I’ve really seen nothing from Stephens to say he should get a start

That’s the thing , none of us have seen much of him.Maybe he’s been judged more because of his age than his ability .

Stephens confirmed as starting

Well Stephens it is ,time to shine utc

Hope DS takes his chance-good game for him to start

Glad he's getting a game, although so think he'd be better in a 3.

Anybody still thinking Stephens ?

joey13 wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 05, 2022 6:47 pm

Anybody still thinking Stephens ?

Cork hasn't been much better in his appearances.

I think either would just be as useless

Stephens not to blame for team set up. Cork would have been equally overrun

Murger wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 05, 2022 6:50 pm

Cork hasn't been much better in his appearances.

That’s the worst midfield performance I’ve seen in a long time , including Cork

joey13 wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 05, 2022 6:52 pm

That’s the worst midfield performance I’ve seen in a long time , including Cork

Although not brilliant, it's yet another game that Westwood has contributed sweet fa. I just don't think any of our midfielders can play in a 2.

Murger wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 05, 2022 6:53 pm

Although not brilliant, it's yet another game that Westwood has contributed sweet fa. I just don't think any of our midfielders can play in a 2.

I just don’t think any of our central midfielders are any good.

Cork or Stephens? Neither, get rid and take Westy and Lennon with them.

Stephens started well and got worse and worse and worse as the game went on.

I’d rather have me out there

I’d have preferred Norris

It is funny though. People with eyes could see Cork was over the hill 3 1/2 years ago. He’s still here. He’s still getting touted as a starter.

Think the question should be why the hell is Westwood guarantee a start? Constantly giving the ball away on the half way line, sideways passing poor pressing intensity

I want Stephens and Brownhill- not that I think Brownhill is good but at least he has some added athleticism

The conditions were terrible & had a huge impact on the quality of the game.

Probably the worst midfield performance of the Premier League era. Absolutely dreadful.

cant believe we just had a whole month to sign an actual decent centre mid and we haven't. embarrasing

DCWat wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 05, 2022 8:09 pm

Stephens started well and got worse and worse and worse as the game went on.

You can see why it took a season and a half to start a PL game. Potter got one over us

Stephens needs Velcro boots, spent 80% of game trying to tie his laces

Dale Stephens played like the overweight hungover mate you call in when you are short at Sunday League.

Looked like one of the old lads who used to turn out in the ‘Masters’ 5-a-side on Sky.

Started ok but within 10 minutes was so far behind the play and with some of the worst 5 yard passing I can remember. Sad state of affairs having to call on him.

Is Helm worth a go v United?

Cork or Stephens? Like being asked which testicle you would choose to be removed without anaesthetic, left or right......

Had his chance against a side almost as bad as us. Does not need to start again-how long is Brownhill out for ?

I’m sorry but how on earth could we not recruit in this area Westwood is the best of a bad bunch of central midfielders we have at the club, just any midfielder willing to get his head up look forward and work for the team it’s not rocket science

Cork.

Stephens was pretty useless. He kept giving the ball away. Cork surely would have been a better option.

Tonight the answer was definitely not Stephens unfortunately. Dreadful performance.

Hopefully DS has made some decent property investments over the years. If so he's pulled it off. Well done.

Cork still has more to offer than Stephens ever could. I can't believe for the life of me how he was picked ahead of JC. Our midfield is like running a high powered car with no torque.

Dean Dyche does make some strange decisions sometimes. Stephens was that bad that I was surprised he wasn’t replaced at half time. And Lennon should have stayed on. I thought he was playing well.

warksclaret wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 05, 2022 8:38 pm

Had his chance against a side almost as bad as us. Does not need to start again-how long is Brownhill out for ?

Brownhill was only a 1 match suspension, so he will be available to face Utd.

TBH it doesn't matter which midfield combo or even trio we select, they simply aren't good enough to compete at this level anymore, and why we didn't move heaven and earth to recruit I have no idea, surely AP & SD must see how poor we are in the engine room, and that's even before I mention our shocking lack of creativity.

tiger76 wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 06, 2022 3:19 pm

Brownhill was only a 1 match suspension, so he will be available to face Utd.

TBH it doesn't matter which midfield combo or even trio we select, they simply aren't good enough to compete at this level anymore, and why we didn't move heaven and earth to recruit I have no idea, surely AP & SD must see how poor we are in the engine room, and that's even before I mention our shocking lack of creativity.

Yeah, in my mind, it’s essentially the repeated failure to replace technical quality of Defour that has been our downfall. Successive chairman have been negligent there, but the one constant has been Dyche and the recruitment team, presumably.

Whilst accepting players of that quality must be hard to find on our budget, we don’t even seem to have made any effort to recruit someone similar - able to take the ball under pressure, keep hold of it, create space for themselves, pick a positive ball forward.

I don’t think it’s just us though and think we underrate our own players sometimes. I had a look at the Watford message board yesterday and saw they were pretty scathing of their own midfield. Ditto Toon.

I’m not one calling for a system change. Particularly not the 3-5-1 being muted as I can’t see how playing an extra central defender gets us more goals. But I think if we did play all Brownhill, Westwood and Cork/Stephens in a 3, we’d find they look better players when not outnumbered.

If we play 3-5-1 we will certainly lose every game. Now 3-5-2 might work very well and help us score more goals. Collins Tarks Mee is a great back 3 ahead of Pope