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The Season Ahead Part Six : Burnley

Published by Ian John on September 1, 2009

Prospects for 2009 :
It’s all doom and gloom! They are such a small club! The Premier league is a vast sea of sharks and whales ready to gobble up minnows like Burnley. Only I don’t think that for one moment. Owen Coyle proved last season his side can match up well against the bigger sides. Ask Chelsea. For that matter ask Manchester United and Everton this season. It won’t be easy for the side from Turf Moor but I think Burnley are going to surprise a few teams this season and I think they have the quality to avoid the drop and defy the bookmakers predictions for a swift return to the Championship.

2009 is a big season for :
Owen Coyle. The much travelled former striker and Republic of Ireland international may well find himself very much in demand if the heroics he has performed with Burnley continue deeper into the current season. Not content with earning promotion last year, and registering cup victories over Chelsea, Fulham, Tottenham and Arsenal along the way, he has led his side to two incredible home victories over Champions Manchester United and UEFA Cup qualifiers Everton. If Coyle can preserve Burnley’s status in the top flight this season, or perhaps push on towards mid table, the fact he has just signed a new long term contract at the club may well become irrelevant as he will be a wanted man come May.

Guaranteed to irritate in 2009 :
Fans and commentators love an underdog and it is fair to say that Burnley’s miraculous transformation into a Premier League side has now placed them firmly in the position of the weekly underdogs in almost every game they face. This will no doubt be a cue for the media to preview every Burnley game as a David v Goliath battle where the plucky Burnley face off against the mighty (insert Premier League team of choice here), where comparisons between the mighty and affluent and the poor and starving of Burnley litter the pages. It’s all very romantic but entirely inaccurate and a little unfair to Burnley. They are in the Premier League because they play good football and win games. Not how many fans they have had in the past or how much money they make. Their success isn’t a flash in the pan victory for the tenacious underdog, it’s because the team and manager have worked their socks off to achieve it. So please, shut up with the “little team” nonsense and give credit where credit is due.

Things they’ll moan about in 2009 :
To be honest, I can’t really see what Burnley or their fans will have to upset them in the coming season, other than the usual refereeing calamities and injustices that can befall any other team at any point in the season. This season must be a fairytale for the club, after all it was not so long ago that they were 90 minutes away from going out of the Football League altogether. There should be a sea of happy faces for the season at Turf Moor. Well, at least until the papers keep linking manager Owen Coyle with any half decent job that becomes available in the Premiership.

Song that sums up their chances in 2009 : “Keeping the Dream Alive” by Freiheit
With Coyle at the helm and key players such as Robbie Blake and Wade Elliot producing the goods, then Burnley will defy the bookmakers and remain in the Premier League this season. Furthermore they may well surprise a few people at just how well they do.

Image Courtesy of ***EamonCurry123*** at Flickr.com

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