Burnley play Nottingham Forest at Turf Moor on Easter Monday and will be hoping for their first win on home soil since Crystal Palace back in January.
The Pre-amble:
The Clarets are currently in 13th spot on 50 points with seven games left to play starting with high-flying Nottingham Forest at Turf Moor on Easter Monday. Any hopes of reaching the play-offs appear to have long since evaporated with Burnley now ten points behind sixth-placed club, Brighton and games fast running out. Perhaps worryingly, the Clarets are also only five points away from the drop zone so we need to be careful we don`t lose the plot and finish up in a relegation dogfight. Our target must simply be to finish as high as possible, preferably in the Top 10 and certainly above the hated Blackburn Rovers. The play-offs remain a mathematical possibility so we have to still go for it even though just playing for pride and a mid-table finish looks to be the more likely scenario. Standing in the way on Easter Monday will be fifth-placed Nottingham Forest. In February 2013 it was announced Billy Davies would return to Nottingham Forest as manager, having signed a three and half year deal. He replaced Alex McLeish who had been just 40 days in the job after replacing yet another sacked Forest manager, Sean O` Driscoll back in December 2012. Davies becomes the fifth manager to manage the club in 20 months but he seems to have done well so maybe the Kuwaiti owners will now stop messing about and no longer interfere in Forest`s progress. Forest are undefeated in the eight games Davies has been in charge, a run that includes six wins and two draws. All good runs though come to an end sometime and Burnley will be hoping to spoil their Easter party on Monday.
Burnley Team News:
Dean Marney could remain sidelined with the calf injury that has kept him out of contention for the last five games. Ben Mee though could return after sitting out a one-match suspension against Watford at Vicarage Road on Good Friday following his red card at Ewood Park in the previous game for a second bookable offence. News is also awaited of Michael Duff. He pulled up in the pre-match warm up on Good Friday, Kevin Long taking over in the centre of defence.
Player to watch: Charlie Austin
Austin needs just two more goals to reach the 30 target and become the first Burnley player to score that many since Willie Irvine in the 1965-66 season. His brace against Watford on Good Friday will hopefully spur him on against Forest.
Nottingham Forest Team News:
Forest could remain unchanged for the match at Turf Moor. They do have a list of injuries though. Defender Dan Harding has been struggling with a calf injury and it is not clear when he will be fit enough to return. Another defender, Daniel Ayala is back in training following a hamstring problem. Goalkeeper Khaled Al Rashidi is also out of contention with a back injury. Midfielder, Stephen McLaughlin is not expected to be fit enough to play until May following a knee and ankle injury picked up in training earlier this month. Marcus Tudgay is also back in training. He sustained a broken collar bone whilst on loan to Barnsley back in December.
Player to watch: Billy Sharp
Forest leading goal-scorer, Billy Sharp seems to be out-of-favour somewhat at the moment with Billy Davies tending to name him on the bench but bringing him on in the second half. We can probably expect to see him on the pitch at some point in the game and Burnley will be hoping to stop him adding to his eleven goal tally notched up so far this season. The 27 year old striker joined Nottingham Forest on loan from Southampton in August 2012 for the remainder of the 2012-13 season.
Team & Tactics:
There could be a good argument for keeping a similar team to the one that earned a point away to automatic promotion chasing Watford on Good Friday. Ben Mee though is likely to replace Danny Lafferty at left back after returning from a one match suspension. Michael Duff also seems preferred to Kevin Long so if he is deemed fit I expect he too will return to the starting eleven with Long back on the bench. Martin Paterson too might be expecting a recall to the starting line-up. He was effectively rested on Good Friday being demoted to the bench following international duty with Northern Ireland. Danny Ings though might have something to say about that!
The line-up then could look something like this:
Grant, Trippier, Shackell, Long (or Duff if fit), Mee, Wallace, Bartley, McCann, Kacaniklic, Paterson, Austin
Subs: Jensen, Lafferty, Stock, Stanislas, Vokes, Ings.
The tactics could be to start 4-4-1-1 with Paterson or Ings playing just behind Austin and then if things need changing move to 4-1-4-1 with Brian Stock coming on as holding midfielder. I must admit though i would love to see Sam Vokes make a start in 4-4-2 alongside Austin up front!
Ref Watch:
Co Durham referee, Nigel Miller is in charge of this one. This will be his second game involving the Clarets this season and Burnley fans will want to forget his first one! He was the man in the middle for our away game against Cardiff City. The current league leaders thumped Burnley 4-0 that day back in October but at least only one yellow card was shown. So far this season in 32 games, Miller has dismissed 4 players and shown yellow to another 89.
Match Prediction:
I have this feeling we are going to have a good run-in and miss out on the play-offs by a handful of points. Buoyed up by a late goal and point at high-flying Watford on Good Friday, the Clarets could well have a surprise in store for Forest and boy do we need some joy on home soil with no win at Turf Moor now in five games. The poor run has also included three defeats. Time for Burnley to raise spirits! 3-1 Clarets!
Next Match:
Hooray the first Saturday home game since Birmingham towards the end of January is upon us! Yes January so how ridiculous is that? Somebody has to get a grip and make sure this ridiculous fixture situation does not happen again. Struggling Bristol City are the visitors on Saturday 6th April (Kick-Off: 3pm). The Robins currently propping up the Championship in bottom place will not be relishing the long trip to Turf Moor.
