Just my thoughts.....

[Rossy_Claret]

Hi All,

I very rarely post on this board, so much so that I didn't have a clue what my username was so had to set up a new account to post.

I just wanted to air my thoughts.......

After the Palace win on Saturday we have pretty much secured a premier league place for a second season in succession. It's such an easy thing to say and take for granted but so much more difficult for a club the size of Burnley to actually achieve. People will point and say we borke our transfer record three times so we should at least be competing. They'll say look at all the money now, surely you have a chance. The fact is a lot of our competitors have more money than us, throw bigger wages at players than us and quite a few already had established premier league teams.

I cast my mind back to the play-off final in 2009, the tears of joy I shared with my friends, Burnley in the Premier League, how???

We are now set for our fourth season in eight as a Premier league side. My 9 year old son thinks this is the norm. He doesn't understand the trials and tribulations of the club through the 80s and then trying to move forward through the 90s. I've tried to explain it to him but it's so hard to explain that.

This season, more than most for some reason, I have found myself critical of a few decisions the manager has made in various games.

Why is he not playing Defour?
Why did he not change it sooner?
Why is Brady on the right?

Does it mean I doubt what he has achieved for us, does it mean I want him replaced? No. Sean is the best manager i have seen at the club in my lifetime. The feat of winning the championship after relegation was enormous. Very few teams have bounced straight back, never mind as champions.

When posters criticise or question managers and/or players I think we all need to remember that they aren't doing so just to have a pop. We all want the best for our team, of that I am sure. Let's try and be understanding of everyone's views on here and respect that while they differ from our own, it doesn't mean they are wrong and we are right, it's an opinion. I don't like labelling people as 'doom-mongers' or 'happy clappers'.

I guess I don't really know what I'm trying to say here but I just want to highlight what a marvelous season it's been for the Clarets. I think on the whole, the manager, the players, the board and the supporters have got the balance right.

Let's all enjoy watching OUR club grow both on and off the pitch

[evensteadiereddie]

A fair summary of our position and while I take issue with your admirable faith in some posters not criticising "just to have a pop" - a few did but have, after this weekend, been forced to squirm a little, you are right that we should take stock of where we are. Plenty of hard planning and graft to go into preparing for next season, no doubt, but I wouldn't have anybody else in charge of us.
Hull and Swansea appointed genius managers who apparently can do no wrong - no odd decisions, no questionable tactics and so on - but one of em's going down....we're not !

[Rossy_Claret]

I do believe Silva at Hull is doing a really good job but he too, like us, has found points difficult to achieve away from home. Like you say though, he is still facing a challenge to stay up. It's not easy in this premier league and anybody who thought it would be , in my opinion, clearly under estimates the challenge a club like us faces when competing with the best English football has to offer

[Burnley_Mark]

It's been a remarkable season really. A strong finish from the team can see us get a top 12 finish or higher. It's crazy just how many teams are just about clear of the relagation zone on a similar amount of points. Nice to see a measured opinion on here too, yes, people can criticise the players or the manager without being a doom monger.
Fantastic times at Burnley, long may it continue.

[KRBFC]

I agree with you, this forum lacks middle ground. One extreme to another. Its been the same since I have joined, an example such as...

X fans complain about not spending enough on players (Dyche first PL season)

Y fans respond with "we cant afford to spend the entire bank".

[Rossy_Claret]

KRBFC

I have enjoyed reading your posts over the last few months and more often than not I do agree with a lot of what you are saying. People like yourself and abc take a lot of unnecessary flak on here.

The other threead about Dyche spirit is a good example. People are trying to tell you that if we play the Coyle way we will get relegated. We got relegated playing the Dyche way last time. Neither style is a guarantee of getting relegated or staying up. I, like you, hope we evolve the style of play slightly next season. I guarantee that staying up for three years playing this system and style people will soon get fed up. Just an opinion of course

[Rossy_Claret]

As a comparator, when Cotterill was here he did a good job at the time on reflection. However, I stopped watching for about a year as it was absolutely dreadful to watch and I refused to spend my limited income on that brand of football

[randomclaret2]

I think a lot of the extreme views that KR refers to really serve to prove that we all care passionately about our club. It is doom and gloom when we lose, and elation when we win, but that reflects how many of us feel. We all want the same outcome.

[minnieclaret]

The other threead about Dyche spirit is a good example. People are trying to tell you that if we play the Coyle way we will get relegated. We got relegated playing the Dyche way last time. Neither style is a guarantee of getting relegated or staying up.

Football is 95% about players. Coyle had a goodish attack and a weak defence. SD has always had a stronger defence than attack. The difference this time is the back 4 are a level higher again than 2 years ago. Trips-Duff-Shackell-Mee vs Lowton-Keane-Mee-Ward= no contest.

[Hipper]

I thought the Coyle side could defend when it wanted to, as a team.

[KRBFC]

I thought the Coyle side could defend when it wanted to, as a team.

Defensive master class at Wembley.

[Sidney1st]

Stoke fans put up with Pulis' style for 7 yrs before he got potted and replaced with Hughes.
Are they really that much better off with Hughes?
They've gone from between 14th and 11th places finishes to 9th in the last 3 seasons.
Hardly real progress when you consider the real possibility that Pulis could finish above them this season with WBA.

Will people get fed up if Dyche doesn't change his style?
Depends if the club keeps progressing both on and off the field, because if we can keep finishing mid table for a few years what's the issue?

[evensteadiereddie]

I think a lot of the extreme views that KR refers to really serve to prove that we all care passionately about our club. It is doom and gloom when we lose, and elation when we win, but that reflects how many of us feel. We all want the same outcome.

You'd certainly hope so, wouldn't you ?
I think it's pretty certain that the relaxed nature of our next three games will curb the extremism seen over the past few months and that Dyche, Woan and the lads will get the credit they deserve.