We need to keep finding ways to win
Four Italians, one German, two Frenchmen one Dutchman and a strange being from Portugal are included in the managers who have faced Burnley this season, but tomorrow Alan Pardew, the Crystal Palace boss, becomes just the second Englishman to come up against us, the other being Hull City’s Micky Phelan.
Pardew, who took charge of Crystal Palace at the beginning of 2015, is expecting a tough game but is not too concerned about recent results.
Speaking about their last three games, all of which have been lost following a run of three consecutive wins, Pardew said: “We’ve had Leicester away, who won the league, and Liverpool at home, both are tough fixtures; the West Ham game we kick ourselves about. Our fans know that in all three performances we put in a decent display but at times you need a bit of luck or a couple of decisions to go your way, so I am not overly concerned.”
Looking towards tomorrow, he added: “This is a big fixture for both Burnley and ourselves because it could propel one of us into the top ten if we were to win it so that’s what we want to do.
“This group is a fantastic one and a good one to work with and I’m proud to do so. They always give me everything they’ve got, but in the last couple of games we have just fell short but there are no concerns on my part.
“The first goal in a match in the Premier League is vital and it is important not to concede it but we have on too many occasions. Having said that, our reaction has been strong so that bodes well. We will start scoring the first goal in a game and we are a team with a good resilience, so will be difficult to play against when that happens.”
Pardew was asked about Burnley and he said of us: “They have had some fantastic results at home and are a real test for anyone to play against. They are an honest team and you know you are going to have to work very hard and hope that your quality is more than theirs.
“On their home patch at the moment they have good confidence but I think it will be a game where we have the lion’s share of possession, but it will be very difficult.”
The Palace boss also had words for our manager: “He has done a superb job at Burnley, two promotions at that football club tells its own story and he is young manager who has done it the right way.
“He has done all the coaching badges, done the assistant manager’s job and has now stepped up and done the manager’s job to a great level. He brings an honesty and thoroughness to his performances, is a modern coach who will have a long career in this game I am sure.”
Sean Dyche, who will be in charge for the first time in his fifth year with the club, brings us home after winning that fantastic point against Manchester United at Old Trafford last Saturday. He’s seen his side pick up eleven points from the opening ten games, a change from two years ago when we had only secured four points from four draws and were still awaiting our first win.
“It’s different this time with regards to the points we have on the board, but the challenge is still the same,” Dyche said. “It was then and is now. The performances have been good and last time we were performing well and not getting anything and that seems to have changed.
“We are a more solid group this time round and maybe not performing as effectively as we were last time but, of course, we have considerably more points on the table. It’s a results industry we are in and we are getting results, which helps to build belief in the group to go out and get more.”
He said of last week’s draw: “Old Trafford is still a tough place to go for any team, but particularly for us. People say it’s not as hard now but that’s usually the super clubs of this league, but the majority still know it’s a tough place to go to get a point or three.
“Our intention though is to get something from every game. We want to operate in different ways and to be more flexible in the way we play.
“We’ve generally got a good home record, we are strong at home and that’s been recognised. We have got results from some really powerful teams and it’s a good belief raiser when we can get points from those teams.
“We are aware of where we are in the league but we know how hard it is and we know that form can stop quickly. We’re aren’t looking at the table and thinking it’s a done deal because it’s not. There’s a lot more work to do and we know that. We need to keep finding ways to win and hopefully we can do just that.”
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