Dave's take on the Pompey game...

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Dave Thornley comments on a very tiresome afternoon at Turf Moor. How we managed to nick all three points is a mystery to me. (The Editors Chair - Clarets Mad.)

During the course of this Championship season, Burnley are likely to encounter many matches similar to yesterday’s home win against an outclassed, but hard-working and organised Portsmouth team, who hung on for dear life to first three and then one point until deep into a stoppage time extended to eight minutes due in no small part to their determination to break up play at every available opportunity.

The Clarets were slightly ponderous in a first half during which a flicked header from a corner clipped James Trafford’s far post, and a close-range tap-in following an attack down the Burnley right gave the visitors the lead.

As the game unfolded after the break, Burnley became increasingly frustrated with Portsmouth’s delaying tactics, aided and abetted by a referee who, let’s say, didn’t feel under an obligation to allow the game to flow.

Burnley were running low on ideas, so Scott Parker turned to his bench, introducing Zian Flemming and Jeremy Sarmiento and their arrival almost immediately perked the Clarets up.

Sarmiento, cutting inside from his left-wing berth curled a beautiful right footed shot into the far corner of the Portsmouth goal for a superb equaliser.

It seemed inevitable thereafter that if there was to be a winning goal, it would come from Burnley. It did, but not until deep into stoppage time. No longer required to be concerned with his primary defensive assignments, Joe Worral found himself on the edge of the Pompey box, from there, he slipped the ball to Josh Brownhill whose shot slithered almost apologetically into the corner of former Claret Will Norris’ goal and afforded Burnley another three points.

It is wrong to expect this season to be a replica of the triumphant march of two seasons ago, those seasons come along only once or twice in the lifetime of a supporter of a club the size of Burnley: but that is not to say this won’t be a successful and memorable season, yesterday, and last week at Leeds, the team squeezed six points out of two testing fixtures, without particularly playing at their best.

For me we are lacking the qualities of Tella, Zaroury, Benson and Maatsen. I hope Beyer comes back someone soon. (TEC.)

[outwoodclaret]

Tella is a big miss from our last Championship season BT and who knows how our Premier League season would have turned out if we had signed him but obviously he did rather well for himself at Beyer Leverkusen. Somehow Cardy Parker is going to have to make the most of our current striking options until the January window opens.

It seemed perplexing that in the opening 30 minutes v Pompey we could not muster a single shot on goal off or on target. The second half substitutions fortunately made an instant impact. We are third in the table and hopefully will stay in contention at the top but our last four games have shown what a tough league this is proving to be yet again.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Tella is a big miss from our last Championship season BT and who knows how our Premier League season would have turned out if we had signed him but obviously he did rather well for himself at Beyer Leverkusen. Somehow Cardy Parker is going to have to make the most of our current striking options until the January window opens.

It seemed perplexing that in the opening 30 minutes v Pompey we could not muster a single shot on goal off or on target. The second half substitutions fortunately made an instant impact. We are third in the table and hopefully will stay in contention at the top but our last four games have shown what a tough league this is proving to be yet again.

It looks like the team that can continually grind out results in what appears to be a very level playing field type of Championship this season will prevail.

So far, we seem to be just that sort of team.

[kritichris]

It looks like the team that can continually grind out results in what appears to be a very level playing field type of Championship this season will prevail.

So far, we seem to be just that sort of team.

But we still need a striker (Have i heard this before?) and I can't understand why we've not bought one. January is a long way away.

[Deadlydave]

But we still need a striker (Have i heard this before?) and I can't understand why we've not bought one. January is a long way away.

Kritichris,
spot on. Our biggest single weakness is our lack of striking power and I fear it will cost us big time over the course of the season. We also have to fear the big clubs lining up to take Koleosho in the window as well robbing us of pace on top of it all.

[outwoodclaret]

Apparently Nottingham Forest are the latest in line for Koleosho. They will need to fork out plenty. Perhaps they are thinking of a cash plus Chris Wood deal? Meanwhile Everton look set to have new owners who may decide to take the familiar path of installing their own manager. Southgate rumoured to be their candidate of choice.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Apparently Nottingham Forest are the latest in line for Koleosho. They will need to fork out plenty. Perhaps they are thinking of a cash plus Chris Wood deal? Meanwhile Everton look set to have new owners who may decide to take the familiar path of installing their own manager. Southgate rumoured to be their candidate of choice.

I wonder if we could persuade Forest to relieve us of Foster?

[kritichris]

I wonder if we could persuade Forest to relieve us of Foster?

I thought you had started to believe in Foster BT or are you just fishing again?

[The Bedlington Terrier]

I thought you had started to believe in Foster BT or are you just fishing again?

I'm completely torn with Foster k_c. One minute he looks like a world beater, the next minute he looks like we have dragged him off a Towneley Park pub team.

He needs to shape up & quick.