Burnley face their second away game in five days following their 3-2 defeat at Middlesbrough on Tuesday night and now play Huddersfield Town this Saturday in the John Smiths Stadium
The Pre-amble:
The Clarets third league game of the new season is against newly promoted Huddersfield Town in the Galpharm (now called John Smiths) Stadium. Huddersfield return to the Championship for the first time since their relegation in 2011. Burnley play the Terriers this Saturday hoping to put behind them their narrow 3-2 defeat at the Riverside against Middlesbrough on Tuesday night. The Clarets new Championship season got off to a flying start against Bolton at Turf Moor on Saturday but the gloss has been taken off that victory a little after the Boro defeat and Eddie Howe and his team will be hoping to quickly get back on track away to Huddersfield. In contrast, Simon Grayson’s men have had an indifferent start to their Championship season managing to pick up only one point from their two league games so far. They needed an injury-time penalty to earn a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest at home on Tuesday night having lost their opener 1-0 away to Cardiff. The Terriers were also knocked out of the Capital One Cup earlier this month after going down 2-0 away to League 1, Preston so at the moment Burnley clearly appear to have the better form.
Huddersfield Town Team News:
There are no reports of any injury concerns following the Forest game in midweek. Hot shot in-demand striker Jordan Rhodes missed the opening day defeat at Cardiff with a hamstring injury picked up on international duty with Scotland but he was fit enough to play in midweek against Nottingham Forest at home scoring their injury time penalty. Blackburn have reportedly bid for the player but he is unlikely to have left the club before Saturday`s game with Huddersfield`s valuation of a player who scored 40 goals for them last season being somewhat high and the player expressing a desire to stay.
Player to watch: Adam Clayton
Burnley were reported to be interested in signing the 23 year old midfielder from Leeds United earlier in the summer but in the end he joined Huddersfield in July 2012 for an undisclosed fee reuniting with his former boss at Leeds, Simon Grayson. It will be interesting to see what all the fuss was about!
Burnley Team News:
There is currently no news of any injury concerns following the game against Boro on Tuesday night. Danny Ings is already out of action for 3-6 months after tearing his cartilage in the pre-season defeat at Rochdale. Keith Treacy has also been struggling with a groin problem and news is awaited to see if he is back in contention. Eddie Howe also does not appear to think Martin Paterson is back to full fitness yet and he was dropped against Boro despite putting in a good shift and scoring against Bolton in the season-opener. They appear to be being cautious with Pato after his trail of injury problems these past few seasons so it will be interesting to see if he returns to the eighteen on Saturday.
Player to watch: Charlie Austin
Austin is scoring for fun at the moment and has hit the back of the net in all three of our games so far this season not to mention scoring regularly in the pre-season friendlies. He was reported to be interesting Huddersfield in the summer but if there was any truth in the rumour it all seems to have died a death. If Austin once again gets on the score sheet this time scoring against the Terriers It would be certainly be ironic!
Team & Tactics
At the moment based on the opening two Championship games we appear virtually settled on a starting eleven and tactics which involves playing two strikers up front. The striking options currently would appear to be either Austin/Paterson (as per Bolton opener) or Austin/Vokes (as per Boro game). Although we lost against Boro, I suspect Howe will still be tempted to name a similar starting eleven although it is anybody`s guess who will partner Austin up front. If he is fit enough Pato looks the better bet at the moment and I would name the same eighteen that faced Bolton. So that would be as follows :
Grant, Trippier, Shackell, Edgar, Mills, McCann, Wallace, Marney, Stanislas, Paterson, Austin
Substitutes: Jensen, Mee, Duff, Stock, Bartley, MacDonald, Vokes
Ref Watch:
Sunderland referee, Geoff Eltringham is in charge of this clash. His last game involving the Clarets is not a particularly good omen considering it was our 3-1 home defeat against Leicester City back in November last year although at least he didn`t show a single card, red or yellow to any player of any side. He seems quite cautious in sending folk off if last season is anything to by. In 39 games he only showed red five times and only even a modest 95 yellows although already in two games this season seven yellow cards have been handed out.
Match Prediction:
We need to get back on track after the narrow defeat at the Riverside and three points would do us a power of good! Huddersfield have had somewhat of an indifferent start to the season with just one point from two games. They will have been disappointed to only pick up a point at home against Forest on Tuesday night following the 1-1 draw so now it`s time the Clarets make the Terriers fans even more miserable! 3-1 to Burnley!
Next Match:
The next Championship game will be the home match against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday 1st September (Kick-Off: 3pm) but before that there is the little matter of the second round of the Capital One Cup against League 2 , Plymouth Argyle on the night of Tuesday 28th August (Kick-Off: 7-45pm)
