Couldn't see an existing thread unless I've missed it. Thought I'd start one.

Looking at social media I've noticed Dubravka and Ugochuckwu posting about the match, along with the usual suspects. Indicates they're probably in the squad.

I usually make the thread at 2pm when the team news drops. Looking forward to the new season getting underway

Ah, I'm clearly too eager whiffa. Sorry for stealing your thunder

Haha it makes no difference at all mate, don't worry! Doesn't matter who starts the thread does it. Let's get behind the lads today! UTC

whiffa wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:40 pm

Haha it makes no difference at all mate, don't worry! Doesn't matter who starts the thread does it. Let's get behind the lads today! UTC

Just hope you haven't been preparing a title for the thread since 18th June

Line up dropping earlier this season?

Live on the Irish sports channel. I’m going to squirrel myself away in my man-cave/hovel.

wilks_bfc wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:46 pm

Line up dropping earlier this season?

Hour 15 before ko In the PL

And is it just me that doesn’t like the way the numbers don’t line up?

UTC - come on Burnley

Our opponents today.

Tall Paul wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:47 pm

Hour 15 before ko In the PL

Didn’t realise that but seems an odd time tbh

So we are starting the season with a weaker side than last season.

Who would have imagined Laurent, Sonne, Foster and Ekdal would start the season when we were celebrating promotion??

I miss holycustard match threads and Madge.

burnley007 wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:49 pm

So we are starting the season with a weaker side than last season.
Not good at all.
Who would have imagined Laurent, Sonne, Foster and Ekdal would start the season when we were celebrating promotion??

Didn't take you long to be negative did it mate, let's just get behind the lads.

wilks_bfc wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:48 pm

And is it just me that doesn’t like the way the numbers don’t line up?

I hate it.

burnley007 wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:49 pm

So we are starting the season with a weaker side than last season.
Not good at all.
Who would have imagined Laurent, Sonne, Foster and Ekdal would start the season when we were celebrating promotion??

We’ve still very little idea on Sonne. Today will tell us a lot.

burnley007 wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:49 pm

So we are starting the season with a weaker side than last season.
Not good at all.
Who would have imagined Laurent, Sonne, Foster and Ekdal would start the season when we were celebrating promotion??

Rubbish.

Injury’s and late arrivals unhelpful but we look woefully short of quality. Need a massive effort from everyone today.

burnley007 wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:49 pm

So we are starting the season with a weaker side than last season.
Not good at all.
Who would have imagined Laurent, Sonne, Foster and Ekdal would start the season when we were celebrating promotion??

We knew that already though, didn't we? With a few injuries and others like Broja and Lesley had been confirmed by Parker last week they probably wouldn't start today

That's...well...an odd selection, should we say. What's the point doing business early again..?

wilks_bfc wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:46 pm

Line up dropping earlier this season?

I think we'll find it very difficult today with this line-up, not that we wouldn't have anyway.

Hopefully the players selected can prove Parker right.

Procrastinate B wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:50 pm

I hate it.

It’s the leading 0 in the single digits and the 11 that throws it all out

burnley007 wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:49 pm

So we are starting the season with a weaker side than last season.
Not good at all.
Who would have imagined Laurent, Sonne, Foster and Ekdal would start the season when we were celebrating promotion??

I don't know how you can definitively say that when we've added a 6-time PL winning defender to the lineup.

Going to be a very difficult afternoon, I would imagine.

TPClaret wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:52 pm

Rubbish.

You think this is a stronger side?
I'm not sure it is.

whiffa wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:50 pm

Didn't take you long to be negative did it mate, let's just get behind the lads.

I don't think it's negativity, it's a sad reality. Very poor lineup.

Tall Paul wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:47 pm

Hour 15 before ko In the PL

Same in the rest of the leagues too

TPClaret wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:52 pm

Rubbish.

How is that rubbish? Ekdal, Sonne, Laurent and Foster were backup last season in the Championship, now they’re starting.

A ridiculously woeful lineup.

wilks_bfc wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:48 pm

And is it just me that doesn’t like the way the numbers don’t line up?

No.

It’s called a “proportional font” so different characters take different widths. For it to line up you use a “non proportional font” where all characters take same width.

Exciting to be getting underway again, but with a sense of reality - and already thinking that anything less than a tanking today is a positive.

Have to agree it's a weaker starting line up than we had last season sadly, for now anyway. Shame.

Kyle has a big job on his hands this afternoon.
Let's hope we can cling on for a point.

KRBFC wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:55 pm

How is that rubbish? Ekdal, Sonne, Laurent and Foster were backup last season in the Championship, now they’re starting.

A ridiculously woeful lineup.

Foster and Laurent started more games than they sat on the bench. Sonne may have been bought specifically to play wing back with an eye on the PL, knowing that we were going to play 3/5 atb

burnley007 wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:49 pm

So we are starting the season with a weaker side than last season.

Who would have imagined Laurent, Sonne, Foster and Ekdal would start the season when we were celebrating promotion??

Mate!!! SERIOUSLY give it a rest ffs! ...........I bet you are straight back on the "Parker bashing" like you spent all of last year with.

I thought today's team would be pretty much the same as the one that started against Lazio.

Hopefully we've at least got an upgrade in goal, though.

Guys lets focus on the game today please. Back the lads. We can all bicker later.

KRBFC wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:55 pm

How is that rubbish? Ekdal, Sonne, Laurent and Foster were backup last season in the Championship, now they’re starting.

A ridiculously woeful lineup.

They're still backup though aren't they? But the players they're backup to aren't fit/ready yet.

First game in the PL, and the negative nellies have already started without us kicking a ball.

SP can only pick who's fit and available for selection.

Let's just enjoy it.

This could be a painful afternoon , a real patched up side .Though with few of the new guys upto speed we’ve gotta make do , SP will have picked his best options . If we can hold them until HT and plenty of decent subs we could yet make a game of it .

I wouldn’t read too much into this line-up on the first day of the season. Late arrivals, those recovering from injury, etc. Laurent won’t be starting in the near future I wouldn’t imagine, but until then Scott trusts him.
Anyway, it’s good to be back.

I honestly really like that team today. Spurs have but a young lightweight midfield out. If we get in to them I fancy us to get something from this.

We've got a player who used to be the best right back in the world playing CB, with a RB who is a complete unknown at this level playing. A centre half that was deemed not good enough last season starting. Laurent starting. Edwards dropped to the bench and Foster starting up top. It's not really what I was expecting to be honest and I would think a lot might feel underwhelmed. And that's not slight on players like Laurent who were great for us but they arent the quality required to start games for us at this level.

Hopefully we can dig in tonight and get a point.

The best we can hope for today is a 0-0 no chance that team has any goals in it

wilks_bfc wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 1:52 pm

It’s the leading 0 in the single digits and the 11 that throws it all out

Even on the official app, the line-up is all over the place.

Conroy92 wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 2:01 pm

We've got a player who used to be the best right back in the world and then transitioned into being one of the best RCBs in the world playing RCB in a back 3

Fixed that for you.

Afternoon all from a sunny Rhodes Old Town , 29c a tad windy but very humid .
This is it all go from here on , fridge full of beer and I have the taste for it .
Over to you SP .

Surprised to see Sonne and Laurent getting in the first XI at this level, but I guess despite the incomings we're facing a few injuries just now.

CoolClaret wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 2:02 pm

Fixed that for you.

The point remains we have Kyle Walker playing CB and Sonne playing RB.

Conroy92 wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 16, 2025 2:04 pm

The point remains we have Kyle Walker playing CB and Sonne playing RB.

No,

Sonne will be playing as a wing back, and Kyle will be playing RCB.

Unless you think Esteve is playing LB?