Burnley in confident mood having just beaten last season`s Premier League Champions, Manchester City take on Southampton at St Mary`s this Saturday.
The Pre-amble:
The Clarets are back in action in this Saturday when they face yet another tricky game against Southampton at St Mary`s. The whole club and our fans though were lifted last Saturday when we produced a superb 1-0 win at home to high-flying Manchester City, last season`s Premier League Champions. It was a vital three points too that kept us well in the race to avoid the drop! Burnley are now third from bottom with 25 points from 29 games and managed to steal a march on the bottom two clubs. Bottom club Leicester, albeit still with a game in hand are now six points adrift of the Clarets whilst QPR are now three points behind. Sunderland, who sacked their manager Gus Poyet this week appear to be in freefall having slumped to fourth from bottom with just one point more the Clarets whilst Hull and Aston Villa in 15th and 16th place are both on 28 points. The Clarets will be in with a chance if they can keep within touching distance of the three clubs above them and we also still have to play two of those teams (Hull and Villa).
Southampton are perhaps the surprise team of this season and have constantly been in the top ten. They have perhaps slumped slightly recently particularly at home but Ronald Koeman`s men are still sixth with 50 points from 29 games. If you include their 3-2 defeat at home against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup, Southampton have lost three of their last six games on home soil drawing two and winning only one! The Saints though will have been buoyed up by the point they got at Stamford Bridge last Saturday in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea and they will be keen to keep up the momentum and prevent the visitors getting the double over them following the Clarets 1-0 win at Turf Moor back in December.
Southampton Team News:
Former Burnley striker and ‘one of our own` England international Jay Rodriguez is still sidelined. The striker is desperate to get back to action after missing the entirety of this campaign with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He picked up the injury against Manchester City in April last year. Rodriguez was initially due back in December but then suffered a setback. Koeman said last week:
‘He’s a very good player but we don’t put pressure on him. He has to be fully fit. If that’s at the end of the season then I’m pleased, but if not then next season.
‘For me the fitness of the player is more important than the position in the table.`
There is some talk that he could return to the first team before the end of the month but it looks unlikely he will feature against his former club.
Southampton striker Emmanuel Mayuka picked up a serious groin injury playing for Zambia in the Africa Cup of Nations back in January and is now out for the rest of the season. Winger Eljero Elia also remains sidelined with a foot injury.
Player to watch: Graziano Pellè
The 29 year old striker has notched up 12 goals so far this season for the Saints. Pellè arrived from Feyenoord after signing a three-year deal for ₤8 million in July 2014, reuniting him with his former AZ and Feyenoord coach Ronald Koeman. The Italian international previously played for Lecce, AZ and Parma before joining Feyenoord following a loan spell in January 2013.
Burnley Team News:
Matt Taylor completed 90 minutes for Burnley`s development squad this week in the 1-1 draw with Hull City to continue his return from a long-term absence following Achilles surgery. New signing midfielder Fredrik Ulvestad also featured but both look unlikely to play a part in Saturday`s game at St Mary`s.
Dean Marney and Kevin Long are of course both out for the rest of the season recovering from cruciate ligament injuries.
Player to watch: The Vings Partnership!
Sam Vokes made his first league start for the Clarets last Saturday against City lining up with Danny Ings. Can the partnership repeat their understanding of last season in the Championship and start to rock a few top flight defences and bang in a few goals before the end of the season? Let`s hope so starting with the Saints this Saturday!
Team & Tactics:
Sean Dyche with no new injuries to worry about could name the same eighteen selected for the Manchester City game last Saturday which would mean Michael Duff keeping his place in central defence and Sam Vokes partnering Danny Ings up front. The line-up if so would be as follows:
Heaton, Trippier, Shackell, Duff, Mee, Barnes, Arfield, Jones, Boyd, Ings, Vokes
Subs from: Gilks, Reid, Keane, Ward, Kightly, Wallace, Jutkiewicz,
Ref Watch:
Wiltshire referee Roger East will take charge of this clash. In his 23 games so far this season four players have been sent off with another 89 receiving yellow cards. He only recently took charge of our FA Cup clash against Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor back in January but that day only one player was booked.
Match Prediction:
This is by no means an easy match against once again a top ten side (our sixth of an 8 game sequence) but Burnley will be buoyed up by that Manchester City win and will be in confident mood fearing nobody. I would be delighted with a draw in this one but three points would be amazing and who knows! Let`s go with 2-2 though!
Next Match:
There is an International break coming up now and the Clarets will next be in action on Sunday 5th April when they will face Spurs at Turf Moor in the rearranged Sky Sports Live game. The game will kick-off early too at 1:30pm.
