We move forward now
Burnley travel to Molineux tomorrow to face Wolves and a first ever meeting with their manager Nuno Espirito Santos who won promotion to the Premier League in his first season in charge.
He was delighted to get a first clean sheet of the season last time out against West Ham and said ahead of tomorrow’s game: “The standard we achieved in previous games we have to do again on Sunday. We achieved the first clean sheet against West Ham.
“That must be the first step, a clean sheet, you’re always closer to winning a game if you have a clean sheet. Let’s keep our defensive organisation, our intensity of duals, all these aspects. We as a team have a lot of things to improve. We have to be more clinical. We can think about our talents, style, the way we achieve and create chances is good now but let’s make it better.”
Despite having nine players away on international duty last week, he said: “As a squad, our routine didn’t change. We didn’t change because of the competition we’re in. The same thing we do today, we did last season, only in a more positive way.
“When there’s no competition during the weekend everything is different, but it doesn’t mean you can relax. You have to focus on other aspects that doesn’t regard the competition. Everyone is looking at us as a club, as a squad, as a team. We know we’re not under the radar anymore. We have to be better because we will not create surprises. In a high competition, even if you don’t have a game on the weekend, you can’t relax. You have to prepare yourself.”
“All clubs try and find the right balance between work and rest, which we did and were quite happy with that. It was good for us this time round because there’s been a lot of games, a lot of travelling and a lot of different scenarios, so it was a bit of a ‘clear the mind’ thing.
“Obviously a few of the lads were away but the lads who stayed here did well and had a couple of days training and a couple of days off. I said to the lads that, in a way, it’s a restart. It’s been so different for us and we have seen how it all works and the quirks to it. Now the next game is literally around the corner, and we move forward now on to that.”
Looking at opponents Wolves, he said: “They have done very well and they look like a good outfit to me. I was impressed with them last season, they invested wisely last season in good players and have done the same this summer, but equally have kept the core who got them to where they are. They have a real mixture of talented players and plenty of pace and have defended well this season.
“I think it can be hard playing these teams early as everyone is always up for it. As the season goes on it gets different, especially around Christmas, so it can be difficult to face these teams as they’ve only just come up and are really excited by it all, but we take on the challenge.”
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