The Clarets may not be the most thrilling side to watch in this exhilarating league, but their effectiveness has to be admired.
It will be different this time, honest. After their previous two seasons in the Premier League ended in inevitable and immediate relegation, the signs are a little more positive for Sean Dyche’s Burnley this time around.
Though seven points from seven games remains very much verging on ‘relegation form’, the manner in which those seven points were accrued suggests that there is much more to come from a side previously distinguished as hard-working and honest, yet ultimately limited in every department.
However, a superb performance against Watford and a classic smash-and-grab against Liverpool suggests that the Clarets can avoid the May-time blues.
On Sunday, Burnley travel to St. Mary’s for a fixture that appears every bit a goalless dud on paper. The visitors are still without the suspended Andre Gray while Southampton have not been breached in six consecutive games in all competitions.
However, in what is likely to be a war of attrition, Dyche (below) has the armoury at hand to win the midfield war.
If their gravel-voiced gaffer is to be believed, Burnley do not have two bob to rub together, let alone splurge on a 15-goal-a-season international centre-forward. Yet, the combined £20 million splashed out on midfield duo Jeff Hendrick and Steven Defour, labelled by some as the greatest midfielder in Burnley’s history, has added much-needed guile to the graft.
While the physicality and competitive spirit of Sam Vokes may not be enough against Jose Fonte and Virgil van Dijk, two defenders who possess those characteristics in abundance, Hendricks could thrive on the knock-downs in a number 10 role, especially if the Welshman keeps the Saints rearguard occupied.
Southampton’s midfield enforcer Oriol Romeu was man of the match against Leicester last time out but, as Hendrick (below) proved in a goalscoring debut against Watford, his elusive movement and adroit control can cause problems in the final third if not properly tracked.
Meanwhile, while the long shots and dead balls of Defour have headlined his impact so far, he could influence the game in a very different way on Sunday. Alongside the hard-working Dean Marney, the Belgian international will close down the gaps, press high and hassle.
Southampton’s quick interplay in the centre of the park has become their trademark, but Defour should adopt his destructive mode on the South coast, shapeshifting into a powerful and dynamic runner on the counter. With the Saints likely to dominate possession, those opportunities should present themselves.
Furthermore, so much of Claude Puel’s attacking gameplan rests upon the fleet feet and elusive drifting of nominal widemen Dusan Tadic and Nathan Redmond. With freedom to roam and drift into pockets of space around the edge of the box, they are a danger to even the most experienced defenders.
However, Burnley’s wingers, George Boyd and Johann Berg Gudmundsson (below) will track back and create a flat midfield five ahead of a traditional defensive four, restricting the Saints playmakers from providing Charlie Austin with the sort of service he thrives off from close range.
Therefore, much will rest on the ability of Matt Targett and Cuco Martina to step up in the absence of full-back flyers Cedric Soares and Ryan Bertrand. As demonstrated in their 0-0 draw with Hapoel Be’er Sheva in the Europa League, though, they may not be up to the task.
Sean Dyche may not be the most fashionable tactician in the league but, as Burnley have shown on a few occasions this season, simplicity is often key.
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