In what might seem an anti-climax after the Rovers game on Saturday we now play our second home match in succession with Birmingham the visitors on Tuesday night
The Pre-amble:
The Clarets really have to lift themselves on Tuesday night following the disappointment of only a draw against our East Lancashire rivals on Saturday. The 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers at Turf Moor could so easily have been three points but for a mixture of bad luck and an Arfield back-pass blunder but it wasn`t to be. That draw certainly felt like a defeat but we now have an ideal opportunity to immediately bounce back with Birmingham City the visitors on Tuesday night. Burnley are still riding high in fifth spot but with other teams around us winning at the weekend , we are now five points behind the top two clubs (Blackpool and QPR) with eleven points from six games. A win against Brum though could put us right back in contention and keep up the pressure on the other leading clubs.
In contrast, financially-stricken, Birmingham have had a poor start to the season and are currently languishing in 20th spot with just four points from six games. But for goal difference they would be in the relegation zone and they are only two points above the bottom two clubs, Millwall and Bolton with no Championship win now in four games. Birmingham City manager Lee Clark is certainly under some pressure to reverse their fortunes but Burnley should be good enough to beat them based on current form providing the Cotton mill Derby has not taken too much out of them.
Burnley Team News:
There is no news of any fresh injury worries after Saturday`s big game with only Ross Wallace now in the treatment room following knee surgery. He is still some weeks away from making a return. The big question for Sean Dyche to resolve is in relation to his other wingers. New loan winger, Michael Kightly made his debut for the Clarets against Rovers but tired in the second-half to be replaced by Junior Stanislas. He went on to score a stunning goal whereas his opposite number, Scott Arfield made a momentous blunder that led to Rovers equaliser! Keith Treacy too will be hoping for a return so it`s anybody`s guess which flankers will start.
Player to watch: Two from Four Wingers?
Not one player but two from four this time! There is an interesting battle going on at the moment for a starting place on the wing! Wallace might be watching from the sidelines whilst he recovers from knee surgery but that still leaves Kightly, Stanislas, Arfield and Treacy fighting for the two flank positions. All four of them too have been reasonably in form so it will be interesting to see who lines-up against Brum! Whoever starts could play for their lives in light of the competition.
Birmingham City Team News:
24 year old right-back Neal Eardley has been ruled out for the rest of the season. He ruptured his medial ligament and suffered a partial tear in his anterior cruciate ligament in Brum`s recent 1-1 home draw with Ipswich Town at the end of last month. The Wales international only signed from Blackpool on a three-year deal in May.
Birmingham will also be without captain Paul Robinson for the game. The defender is sitting out a one-match suspension having already collected his fifth booking of the season in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at QPR. Midfielder Hayden Mullins (calf) will be assessed before the game while it remains to be seen whether fit-again quartet Nikola Zigic, David Murphy, Akwasi Asante and Koby Arthur make the eighteen.
The club also cancelled striker Marlon King’s contract recently to reduce their wage bill and have also released 19-year-old midfielder Eddy Gnahore by mutual consent.
Player to watch: Paul Caddis
Birmingham moved quickly to find a replacement for the injured Neal Eardley bringing in former Swindon captain, Paul Caddis. They signed him on transfer deadline day for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal. The 25-year-old Scot was first loaned to Blues a year ago after falling out with ex-Swindon manager Paolo Di Canio and it had been hoped he would join the cash-strapped club on a permanent deal earlier but the deal kept falling through due to the financial situation at Birmingham until recently when somehow the club managed to find the funds.
Team & Tactics:
Junior Stanislas may well have done enough to earn a starting eleven place on Tuesday night after his impressive thunderbolt of a goal on Saturday. He could start ahead of Kightly who he replaced on Saturday but then again Kightly needs more games to get up to full match fitness so could still be in contention. It is however possible that Scott Arfield could also be dropped. His back-pass blunder on Saturday may well have condemned the player to the bench with Stanislas clearly on fire. Keith Treacy too might feel he has been harshly treated and will be hoping to be back in contention after sitting out the Rovers game on the bench. With a plethora of fit wingers, once again the subs bench might be devoid of strikers which could be bad news for Noble.
I would not be at all surprised if we lined up as follows:
Heaton, Trippier, Shackell, Duff, Mee, Kightly, Marney, Jones, Stanislas, Ings, Vokes
Subs: Cisak, Edgar, Lafferty, Long, Stock, Arfield, Treacy
Ref Watch:
East Yorkshire referee, Mark Brown is in charge of this clash. In his 8 games so far this season, one player has seen red and another 8 seen yellow. Last season he was quite prolific in sending players off, notching up a rate of 1-in-4 games with 6 players seeing red from 24 games. Another 61 players picked up a yellow card. His last game involving the Clarets was our 2-1 away defeat to Ipswich at Portman Road back in November. Three players saw yellow in that clash.
Match Prediction:
Burnley really need to show they mean business after the disappointment at the weekend. We have an ideal opportunity to quickly get back on track against a less than impressive Birmingham City side. Brum are in a financial pickle being cash-strapped and up-for-sale but we still need to be on our guard. We will be so 3-1 Clarets!!
Next Match:
It`s a tricky War of the Roses clash on Saturday 21st September. Burnley travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United (3pm Kick-Off). Leeds are currently just behind the Clarets on goal difference in sixth spot
