On Sky
The Clarets travel to the Hawthorns on Sunday still hoping to get their first win of the season on the board. West Brom though will be tough opposition and have recently started winning.
The Pre-amble:
Burnley play West Brom at the Hawthorns this weekend and Clarets fans are reminded that this match is played on Sunday and kicks-off at 4pm due to Sky Sports covering the game live.
This is almost a vital six pointer at the wrong end of the table already with both clubs having struggled to amass many points in their opening five games. Burnley though are undefeated in three games having secured three points from three consecutive 0-0 matches. They remain in the drop zone second from bottom but their performances, certainly in defence have been impressive at this level and surely their first win of the season must be just around the corner. The Clarets problem seems to be scoring and it is not helped by two of our key strikers (Vokes and now Ings) being sidelined with injury.
West Brom are not doing that much better but results in the past week have gone their way and they are now in 16th spot with just two points more than the Clarets. They will have been buoyed up by their results of their last two games. Alan Irvine`s men picked up a shock 1-0 win at Tottenham last weekend to notch up their first league victory of the season and they then followed that up with a 3-2 home win against Hull City in the midweek Capital One Cup third round tie. Their home form in the league though has been indifferent and they have still to win a game with one defeat and one draw so far. Burnley are probably now playing the Baggies at the wrong time against a side on a run but football is a strange game and who knows what might happen. West Brom could find Burnley hard to break down whilst Burnley could struggle to test the Baggies defence. Surely though something has to give and the chances of yet another 0-0 draw, a fourth on the trot for the Clarets must be low? I would take that result though! Would you?
West Bromwich Albion Team News:
West Brom will monitor their record signing Brown Ideye after the striker limped off in the midweek Capital One Cup win over Hull.
Another striker, Victor Anichebe is also struggling following a hernia operation
Former Claret defender last season, Chris Baird is also doubtful through illness.
Player to watch: Craig Dawson
Burnley tried everything they could to bring the unsettled defender, Craig Dawson to Turf Moor during the close season but the Baggies managed to hold onto him. Despite a number of West Brom defenders being injured in the opening games of the season, he appears to have retained his place in the starting eleven and Burnley fans will now get the chance to see what all the fuss was about!
Burnley Team News:
The injuries seem to be piling up for the Clarets!
Sam Vokes continues his recovery from anterior cruciate ligament damage whilst fellow striker, Danny Ings also remains sidelined with a hamstring problem. David Jones is a doubt with a calf injury and will be assessed, along with Dean Marney and Kieran Trippier. Matt Taylor has also missed the last two games with an Achilles problem and could be sidelined again.
Both new loans Michael Keane and Nathaniel Chalobah will be hoping to be named in the eighteen. Only Michael Keane has so far made it, being an unused sub in the 0-0 draw at home to Sunderland last Saturday.
Player to watch: Marvin Sordell
Sordell really has to start proving his worth if he wants to remain in the starting eleven. Ashley Barnes is waiting in the wings and some Clarets fans might say he would be the better bet to partner Jutkiewicz until Vokes and/or Ings return from injury. Sordell struggled at Bolton and if he is low on confidence a goal or two at this level would do him a power of good. Another mediocre or low key performance could suggest Sordell is not the right man at this level at the moment but if anyone can get the best out of the striker it will be Sean Dyche.
Team & Tactics:
With so many definite and possible injury concerns, it is difficult to predict how we might line-up. Our midfield looks a little thin at the moment certainly if Jones, Marney and Taylor are all sidelined. Chalobah could be in line to make his debut and it is possible Scott Arfield might have to take up the central midfield role again. Dyche would also have a potential headache at right back if Trippier fails to make the starting eleven and it looks like Steven Reid would have to play in that position. If we assume the worse and all the players struggling with injury remain sidelined then I guess the team could look something like this:
Heaton, Reid, Duff, Shackell, Mee, Boyd, Chalobah, Arfield, Wallace (or Kightly), Sordell, Jutkiewicz
Subs: Gilks, Keane, Lafferty, Ward, Long, Kightly (or Wallace), Barnes
I have to say that line-up would not give me much confidence and we have to hope some of the injured players pull through in time.
Ref Watch:
West Yorkshire referee, Jonathan Moss will take charge of this clash. In his four games so far this season, he has already sent off three players (ouch!) and dished out eighteen yellow cards. Last season though, he only managed to send off four players in total from his 35 games whilst another 105 players saw yellow.
The last time this referee was in charge of a game involving the Clarets was back in August 2012. That day we played Bolton at home and finished up with a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Martin Paterson and Charlie Austin. Three players saw yellow that day.
Match Prediction:
We simply need to pick up at least a point but with West Brom buoyed up by recent victories that could prove tricky. My heart so much wants a win but the head is saying draw! Purely because the chances of yet another 0-0 draw, a fourth in a row looks slim I will go with a 1-1 score line hoping we can shade it 2-1!
Next Match:
Burnley are once again on the road for their next game and have a tricky fixture against fellow-automatic promoted side, Leicester City in the King Power Stadium on Saturday 4th October (Kick-Off: 3pm)
