Rival Lines: Burnley have played best against top sides, says No Nay Never

Rival Lines
Burnley v AFCB
10 November 2016
Podcaster Interview: No Nay Never
Twitter: @NoNayNever

It's time to catch up with Burnley FC supporters ahead of our game at the weekend and who better to ask about what is happening at the clarets than our old friend Jamie, at the excellent No Nay Never podcast. There is an up to date episode on the No Nay Never podcast that talks about the Bournemouth game so do have a listen. But in the meantime, here are the questions I put to Jamie and his responses.

CC: Have you seen much difference in the side to how it went about games in the Championship?

NNN: The approach is fairly similar I think - we're trying to sit tight in most games and nick a goal somehow. But obviously the quality of opposition is a lot higher, so our defence isn't as strong and our attack isn't as effective. We need to be more flexible.

CC: Is it all about home form for Burnley or have you got the players and know how to get away wins in the Premier League?

NNN: It is so far! But we can't assume that we'll get 35 points or so from home games, which looks like what we'll need if we're to stay up. At the moment it looks like a different team away from home - there's no confidence and as soon as we go behind heads start dropping, the belief just isn't there. It seems to be a mental problem as much as a team selection or tactics issue right now.

CC: Have you been surprised to get good results against Liverpool, Everton and Man Utd?

NNN: Yes and no - we got results against top sides at home in our two previous Premier League seasons. United looks a bit like a fluke now - Tom Heaton had the game of his life and they missed a lot of good chances - but against Everton and Liverpool we played really well. In fact we've played better against good sides than mediocre ones so far this season.

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CC: Should Sean Dyche invest in another striker in January?

NNN: Goals are always key so it wouldn't hurt, but I really believe Andre Gray will score goals in the Premier League. For me, it's the supply line that isn't working well enough, not the personnel up front. Sam Vokes is on track to get double figures if he keeps up his form and Gray should be targeting the same. Jordan Rhodes has been linked in the press but that doesn't make a lot of sense to me - he's a one-dimensional player and Gray is better anyway.

CC: What have you made of Berg Gudmundsson?

NNN: I really like him. He had a pretty slow start but that was understandable as he was adapting to a higher league. But he's got a bit of everything. He's direct and a real threat, but also does all the defensive work we need from our wingers. It's a shame we don't have another like him for the other wing and we really missed him at Stoke - hopefully he'll be fit for Saturday but it looks unlikely.

CC: Which player is the one you can't afford to see leave the club in January?

NNN: Michael Keane is a key man and we're likely to have a lot of interest in him. But the club has already made it clear he is not for sale and Keane doesn't seem like the type of player to force a move, so I think we'll probably hold on to him until the summer.

CC: Are there any young players at Burnley that could break into the team in the next 12 months?

NNN: Dyche has no record whatsoever of bringing through youth at Burnley, so it seems unlikely. Teenage midfielder Aiden O'Neill had some game-time earlier in the season and appeared to be a decent prospect, but there's been so sign of him for a while now.

CC: Which side is the worst you have played so far and which three teams do you think will go down?

NNN: Hard to say really as all our wins have been close - we've not dominated anyone. Liverpool were pretty rubbish against us but we stopped them playing expertly and Crystal Palace were extremely poor defensively. I don't see Swansea staying up, Hull are going to find it hard and then anyone of about 6-8 clubs could be the last team to go. I'm going for Leicester though - their focus seems completely on the Champions League.

CC: What did you feel about the way the team played against Stoke City in your last game?

NNN: Pretty terrible really. Lots of fans thought the second half was positive and a big improvement, but Stoke shut the game down and we created almost nothing. It says a lot that a 2-0 loss with zero clear chances is being touted as a decent performance, given our woeful away form. There's a real lack of creativity in the team and nobody seems willing to take responsibility in the final third.

CC: How do you expect Burnley to set up against AFC Bournemouth?

NNN: No idea! Dyche went back to 4-4-2 last weekend and it didn't work, but 4-5-1 has served us quite well at home so it would be no surprise if it was Vokes on his own up front with Gray back on the bench. Whatever system it is, we'll stick a lot of players behind the ball and try and hit Bournemouth on the break.

CC: What is your score prediction for the game?

NNN: Despite being really poor away from home, we've been strong at Turf Moor so, as negative as I've probably come across here, I'm fairly positive for Saturday. Bournemouth can be got at if we press them right and we're due a clean sheet. 2-0 to Burnley.

Thanks Jamie for those answers. It is always fascinating for AFCB fans to see how Burnley are doing following Eddie Howe's association with the club and while it is a long way up to Turf Moor there will be plenty of hardy Cherries who fancy the trip to the northwest. These are three points which I think both teams will feel they can gain if they can play their best game, but it may come down to who can disrupt the other side best and knock them out of their normal game. I expect a close game but not many goals.

Match preview: No Nay Never talks promotion with Cherry Chimes

Match Preview
AFCB v Burnley FC

Blogger Interview: No Nay Never

Cherry Chimes is back speaking with Jamie Smith who is the editor for the very well known No Nay Never Burnley FC blog, he is probably starting to getting a bit nervous with the strong Claret's run continuing, so let's see how he thinks his team is going to do in the run in.

CC: Burnley have continued to defy the odds by staying in the race for promotion, but can you really get a top two finish?

NNN: We're looking good right now but our squad is still quite thin so injuries to key players could cause issues. But we have most of our rivals to come to Turf Moor and we're unbeaten at home in nearly a year so we have a chance. A good chance? Maybe.

CC: If you end up in the play-offs which of the chasing teams do you think would give Burnley the most trouble?

NNN: Losing to Blackburn Rovers in the play-offs is the worst possible result. But we're so hard to beat we'd fancy ourselves against anyone, I'd say. Forest probably have the strongest team of the chasers (assuming QPR get second if we miss out), but Billy Davies has a dreadful play-off record.

CC: The recent draw at QPR was an amazing match, but should you have won it?

NNN: Probably. Danny Ings had a massive chance at 3-2 and if he scores that we win the game, but he's been so brilliant we can't be too critical over it. Their last goal was soft as well. That said, we were quite poor in the first half so did brilliantly to get back into it.

CC: Why do you think the wins have started to slow of late?

NNN: I personally don't think Sean Dyche has been bold enough at times and we've drawn against teams that were there for the taking if we'd been a bit more proactive and forced the issue. But that's a minor criticism, he's been terrific overall this season. We've won our last two and we're unbeaten since December so it's not like our form is bad.

CC: Did the small amount of transfer business at Burnley this January disappointing or was Ashley Barnes all you needed?

NNN: Keeping hold of players is always the main thing for us and we needed a third striker so Barnes was absolutely key. All squads can be improved so I'd have liked to have seen us add another central midfielder and maybe a fast attacker too, but that's being greedy really.

CC: How relieved were you to keep your star players in January?

NNN: Very. But we made it absolutely clear Ings was never for sale, so it would have taken a truly ludicrous offer for us to sell. Kieran Trippier is another we needed to keep, but I don't know if there were any clubs in for either of them in the end.

CC: Do you think Sean Dyche would be tempted to move on in the next 12 months if a big club comes in for him or are you not getting worried every time a Premiership club sacks their manager?

NNN: I'm only 25 but I've seen enough managers come and go not to be worried about it. Nobody is bigger than the club, as Owen Coyle found out when his big move to Bolton backfired. I'm confident Dyche would stay unless he got an offer he really couldn't turn down. But I also know our current chief exec is big on succession planning and has a file on managers, so if and when Dyche does move on we shouldn't get a panicked appointment like Brian Laws.

CC: Do you think Danny Ings can break into the full England team in the next year, even if he is still playing in the Championship?

NNN: Very, very tough as a Championship player but Roy Hodgson has shown willingness to pick players from unfashionable teams so you never know. England lack quality up front so Ings would make a case for himself if he ends up with 35+ goals, which he's on track for. It's more likely he leaves us in the summer and then England will follow assuming he makes the step up well. He certainly has the ability to be an England international in the future and it would be brilliant to see a Danny Ings/Jay Rodriguez strikeforce for England.

CC: What have you made of AFC Bournemouth this season and the game they played at Turf Moor?

NNN: Not seen much of you to be honest, but we didn't play well when you came to the Turf. We all know Eddie Howe isn't big on defending so it's no surprise you've taken some beatings, but you look like you'll be safe and he's doing a tremendous job overall.

CC: Bournemouth must be one of the longest away trips for Burnley so do you expect to bring many travelling fans?

NNN: Believe we've sold over 1,000 tickets and we've already taken some really big followings this season. The London Clarets will be out in force. However many there are, they will be loud.

CC: There are a lot of connections between Burnley players, Eddie Howe, Jason Tindall do you think that makes it any harder for the teams when they play each other?

NNN: Not sure really. Obviously a lot of the current Burnley team were Howe's signings and players like Ings and Sam Vokes are going back to their old club, so it's an unusual one all round. But we should be professional enough to put all that to one side.

CC: If you had a message to give to Eddie Howe what would it be?
 
NNN: I always liked Howe and firmly believe he would have been a success at Burnley if he'd stuck at it, although it was tough with an ever-shrinking budget. But family has to come first and I understand why he went home. However, I don't think he did himself any favours with his Guardian interview and he should accept some blame for it not working out at Burnley. That said, we're better off without him so there's certainly no hard feelings from me.

CC: Another set of great answers from Jamie and the No Nay Never blog. I am glad to see that local rivalries are still a big priority and the thought of Blackburn Rovers in the play-offs is something to be avoided at all costs. I have my fingers crossed that the storms are not too bad this Friday and Saturday and that all those Burnley fans travel down safely, especially those on the West railway lines trying to get down. While Burnley might not have been at their best against AFCB at Turf Moor, I also feel that the Cherries have more to offer at home than we have seen of late so it should be a cracking game and let the best team on the day come out on top. 

Make sure you drop in on the No Nay Never blog to see what has been written from a Burnley point of view in the build up to the game.

Cherry Chimes speaks to Burnley's No Nay Never website

Burnley v AFCB preview

Website Interview

Cherry Chimes speaks to No Nay Never

We thought we would have a little break from tradition and feature Rival Lines on our main page before letting it rest in its usual place. I felt this feature also deserved more of a spotlight because it is one of the matches that we have all been so looking forward to. Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall may have mixed emotions this weekend, but I am sure they will have nothing more on their minds than trying to bring back three points to the south coast.

Cherry Chimes has been stacking up many of these Rival Lines features now and they are great for me to do because it gets me in touch with fanatical supporters of other clubs in the Championship. As you can see we are talking to Jamie Smith author of No Nay Never this week. The popular Burnley website has become the number one focal point for Claret fans to find our what is happening with their club and most of this season's news has been pretty good reading for so far them. 

CC: Burnley have had an incredible run of success but the signs were there in pre-season weren't they? 

NNN: There were positive signs, but you can never assume pre-season form will roll over when you're playing for points. I thought losing Austin just before the season started would have had a bigger impact but we've barely noticed his absence. We're playing some great stuff right now and we have to be talked about as genuine promotion contenders.

CC: Has Sean Dyche been the main factor for Burnley's rise or is it a combination of things?

NNN: Sean is doing a fantastic job considering all his signings this summer were frees and other clubs were splashing money they don't have, as usual. He's got the players incredibly fit and this is key to the high pressing style we're playing. Teams don't get a moment's peace against us. Whether we can keep this up with a small squad all season is another question. Nobody predicted Vokes and Ings would score so many and them stepping up has been a huge factor in our early season form.

CC: What is the atmosphere like at Turf Moor at the moment - it must be quite intimidating for visiting away fans?

NNN: Mmmm not really no. The atmosphere has been quite poor at Turf Moor for a while now - many people have been priced out by £30+ tickets. But the last couple of crowds have been bigger and hopefully people will start turning up again to see a winning team playing lovely football. It was a decent atmosphere against QPR, more like old times, but I'm not expecting Bournemouth to bring a large following so it could be quiet. We'll be expecting to win so a slow start could see impatient fans start to get flustered.

CC: If Burnley do go up are there any plans for a new stadium and would this be money well spent?

NNN: Certainly not a new stadium but there will be changes at Turf Moor to bring it up to meet Premier League regulations. We can't fill the Turf as it is so there's no point building another ground. Two of the stands are getting old and need replacing though, so perhaps something could happen with the PL money IF we go up.

CC: Danny Ings had been injured for most of last season, but he is making up for it now. You must be glad AFC Bournemouth did not succeed in making a successful bid for him last summer?

NNN: Absolutely. There were plenty of people saying we should sell as he'd done so little, but it's a good job we kept him. He's been fantastic. He hasn't really looked a goalscorer until this season but he's been tremendous, absolutely top class, and well deserving of his England under-21s call up.

CC: Who is most important for you to hold on to in January, Sam Vokes or Danny Ings? 

NNN: Tough one. If Ings goes we have a couple of players who could fill in short term, but we have no replacement for Vokes. We'd struggle if either went to be honest, but I'd hope we can fend off any offers if we're still at the top end of the table.

CC: This game will see the return of Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall to Turf Moor. What kind of reception do you think they will receive from Burnley fans?

NNN: Probably mixed. Some appreciate the effort he put in at Turf Moor - most of the current team were his signings - but the way he left upset some and the comments he made to the Guardian were ill-advised at best. Personally I always liked him and it was a shame he wanted to go back to Bournemouth, but it seems to have worked out well for everyone all round. We've not missed him, but I wish him all the best.

CC: If Burnley slipped out of the automatic promotion places into the play-off places in May would you still be happy with that considering where you are now and the strong teams behind you? 

NNN: Probably yeah. I think only one team that's been top at this time of year in the last ten seasons has finished outside the top six, so that has to be the goal now. QPR are certs to go up so the challenge is sticking with them and Leicester are going well too. I'd take sixth spot if you offered it now - there's not enough cover in the squad so a couple of injuries could kill us.

CC: Vokes and Ings have been getting all the headlines but who else is playing particularly well at Burnley?

NNN: The front two have been excellent but nobody has been poor. Scott Arfield has surprised everyone by becoming a really important part of the team and chipping in with a few goals. Jason Shackell has been magnificent at the back. Kieran Trippier and Ben Mee are both very good full-backs. David Jones has been terrific in midfield as well.

CC: Have any of your summer signings made a difference, I imagine Dyche has brought in a few players?

NNN: Tom Heaton has started really well in goal, though he's been so well protected he often barely gets a touch of the ball. Arfield, as I mentioned, has been the surprise package. Jones has been the best of the lot for me - a real improvement on Chris McCann, we basically did a swap with Wigan - so calm and assured in midfield, rarely wastes a pass. Looks a class above.

CC: Who is your best defender this season?

NNN: Shackell by miles. In fact I wouldn't swap him for anyone in the league. Been superb since he got fully fit and looks a bargain at the £1m Howe paid for him (after waiting a year). He's a Premier League player for me, no doubt about it.

CC: Brighton, Bolton and Blackburn are the only three teams to get points off Burnley this season but were they the best teams you have played?

NNN: Brighton was a funny one as Heaton was ridiculously sent off so it's hard to judge and they've been quite poor this season. I thought Bolton looked a good side but they've struggled, they were among my tips for promotion actually so that shows how much I know. We deserved to beat Rovers and they got a scabby equaliser. So no, not really! Reading and QPR were a level above those three but we beat them both at home easily - those victories were a clear sign we have something about us this year.

CC: I am sure your mascot Bertie Bee will be on his best behaviour for Bournemouth's visit but he was given his marching orders for offering some glasses to an assistant referee in the QPR game. Is he always that helpful to the officials? 

NNN: Ha, that was a great moment. Bertie usually keeps out of trouble but he's had his moments - he memorably rugby-tackled a streaker during a Preston match one year so worth keeping an eye on him.

Fantastic. I do like a club that enjoys its football and Burnley has something to be proud of at the moment. To be honest it gives me hope that some of the smaller town clubs can do well in the Championship with good management and players that give 100 per cent. 

Burnley are setting the standards for other to try and beat and all I can say is well done to all at the club for making a great start to the season. Lastly, thank you Jamie for some great answers and lots of insight for AFCB fans ahead of the game. Please take a look at the No Nay Never website, it is certainly one of the best Championship sites and you'll find a piece on Eddie Howe there at the moment.