Sean Dyche may have lamented the price of the market this summer, but his two record signings have already proved their worth.
Jeff Hendrick and Michael Keane headed Burnley towards their second Premier League win of the season on Monday night as Sean Dyche’s side outmuscled and outnumbered a toothless Watford.
But what can we learn from this most industrious of encounters?
Brilliant Burnley
No matter the opponent or occasion, hard work and team ethic are a must for Sean Dyche. For a side generally lacking in top flight quality or elite level resources, maximum effort could be the difference between scrapping to survival or plummeting without a trace. Monday’s performance, then, was everything Burnley’s bulldog manager would have asked for.
Dean Marney, Jeff Hendrick and Steven Defour (below) worked relentlessly in midfield, pressing as a unit and cutting the supply lines to Watford’s attack. Walter Mazzarri’s side dominated possession but to little avail, restricted to long, hopeful balls towards Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo with dangerman Etienne Capoue and Roberto Pereyra rendered anonymous by Burnley’s high press.
The frequency with which Watford were harried into hopeful hoofs or forced all the way back to Heurelho Gomes would no doubt have overjoyed their manager.
Money talks
For all of Burnley’s industry, however, it must be remembered that running stats and workmanlike pressing often isn’t enough to sustain a side across a 38 game season. After all, the Clarets tumbled immediately back to the Championship in their last top flight campaign despite following their managers’ orders to the blueprint.
However, the additions of Defour and Hendrick, both record signings this summer, have provided Burnley with an extra spark of quality and the ability to make a difference in hard fought encounters. Experienced Belgian international Defour showed exactly why Manchester United were so keen all those years ago, scrapping for possession, distributing effectively, and assisting both goals with quality deliveries from wide areas.
Hendrick, too, combined excellently with lone frontman Sam Vokes, drifting into pockets of space in behind the Watford midfield. His headed goal on the stroke of half-time was his first ever Premier League strike. On this evidence it won’t be his last.
Sam steps up
Welsh battering ram Vokes didn’t scribed his name onto the scoresheet on Monday night. Nor did he force Watford ‘keeper Gomes into anything resembling a save. Yet, there’s much more to his game than goals. Vokes (below) led the line terrifically in the absence of star striker Andre Gray, bullying 6ft 4ins centre back Sebastien Prodl and offering a reliable outball when Burnley needed a breather.
Vokes’ physicality and tireless work-rate meant the likes of Johann Berg Gudmundsson could afford to whip enticing balls in his direction with minimal risk, allowing Burnley to adopt a more direct gameplan less reliant on intricate build up play.
If anyone was concerned about Gray’s absence ahead of the game, Vokes’ impressive display would certainly have calmed the tension around Turf Moor.
Watford lacked an outball
In all 90 minutes, Deeney and Ighalo mustered one meaningful attempt between them, the former lashing straight at Tom Heaton moments after half-time. However, the blame cannot be apportioned to Watford’s old-school strike pairing alone. Capoue and Pereira had virtually no impact on the game, screened effectively by Burnley’s banks of four, but Mazzarri will no doubt be wondering why his team made it so easy for the Clarets’ defence.
The high-octane attack displayed in recent wins against West Ham and Manchester United was nowhere to be seen on Monday night, replaced with a ponderous, risk-averse approach characterised by endless amounts of sterile possession.
Too often, Watford’s midfielders passed square and slow due to a complete lack of movement in the attacking half, with only Isaac Success’ late introduction adding some semblance of a spark. Quite simply, Watford lacked ideas.
Mazzarri out-managed
The Italian tactician wowed Serie A and Europe by moulding Napoli into a fluid and thrilling 3-5-2 but, on Monday’s evidence, he has work to do in order to translate the template over to Vicarage Road. In the absence of the injured Daryl Janmaat, so impressive against United a week ago, Nordin Amrabat struggled at right-wing-back, losing concentration defensively and failing to offer his usual menace in attack.
Furthermore, while Watford have been praised for their traditional strike duo, Burnley’s midfield five meant the visitors were essentially playing with nine men. A midfield trio of Capoue, Pereira and Valon Behrami were outnumbered throughout the first-half, forcing Mazzarri to adapt a more orthodox 4-4-2 after the break.
By then, however, the die had already been set.
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