2017-18 fan season preview: Burnley
By Harry West.
What are your feelings ahead of the new season?
Cautiously optimistic! Staying up last season was wholly unexpected, and if we can repeat our excellent home form again this time around I don’t see any reason why we can’t stay up again. Outside the top seven or eight, the remaining sides are much of a muchness and I’d like to think we can finish above three of them.
How pleased have you been with your transfer business to date?
Very! I liked Jack Cork when we had him on loan in our first season up in 2009-10 and have been impressed with him at Southampton and Swansea since then. Phil Bardsley, another former loanee, is solid at right-back and Charlie Taylor is highly thought of. Jon Walters may not be glamorous but he fits perfectly into our system and he’s an improvement on the likes of Ashley Barnes and Sam Vokes.
How is your team likely to line up?
Sean Dyche will stick with his tried and trusted 4-4-2. He went with 4-5-1 on a couple of occasions last season, without much success. A lack of out-and-out wingers meant we played very narrow, with the likes of George Boyd, Steven Defour and Scott Arfield out ‘wide’. Hopefully Robbie Brady and Johann Berg Gudmundsson will play more of a part this season and give us some width.
Who will be your most important player?
Brady. He had a dreadful first 20 minutes of his home debut against Chelsea, gave the ball away four or five times, and then stuck a free-kick in the top corner. We really need his quality at set-pieces and from out wide.
Who is the unsung hero in your squad?
Ben Mee. In my opinion, he’s as good as Michael Keane but doesn’t get the recognition. He’ll have to take charge of the defence this season with Keane gone - and I’d like to see us bring in a quality centre-half to help him.
What do you expect from Liverpool this season?
Definitely top four again. They’ll be a nightmare to play against, full of pace and in your face for 90 minutes. The most exciting side to watch in the division last year. I still think the title is just out of reach, though. Sorry!
If you could have one Liverpool player in your team, who would it be?
Coutinho. I said the same last season and nothing has changed. An absolute wizard.
Top four (in order)?
Chelsea
Manchester United
Manchester City
Liverpool
Relegated?
Brighton, Watford and Huddersfield.
Surprise package?
Difficult to see anyone breaking the top seven from last season, although I fancy that Spurs, having been so good last time, might drop out of the top four.
What is your biggest wish for the season?
Not very ambitious but we just need to stay up again - try to establish ourselves in the division and build steadily. We need to do a bit of a Stoke, and we’ve set that plan in motion already by signing two of their players!