Dave does Norwich away...

[The Bedlington Terrier]

It’s not often Dave Thornley is lost for words but here he is writing his shortest match report yet on behalf of Clarets Mad.

Despite possessing what I consider to be a fairly wide and fulsome vocabulary, I find myself resorting to cliché by confessing that superlatives are in scarce and diminishing supply when describing the performances of Vincent Kompany’s Burnley team in this 2022-2023 Championship season.

What a season Burnley are having, and what a squad Kompany has put together and coached to an unprecedented degree of excellence.

Down the years, Burnley fans have suffered too many false dawns, too many slip ups and too many disappointments; all of which have combined to instil caution and pessimism as default settings.

So it was that with a squad depleted by injury and illness and fresh from a stuttering performance in last week’s goalless cup tie in Ipswich, that I was probably not alone in bracing myself in anticipation of a setback when the Clarets visited Norwich City at their Carrow Road home yesterday afternoon.

It is though, a sign of a squad teeming with confidence and pulling in the same direction that such potential pitfalls, and such potentially troublesome opponents, can be swatted away with manifest ease.

It is necessary to point out that the Norwich defence offered a helping hand, a gift-wrapped goal on eight minutes. An early misplaced pass allowed Nathan Tella through on goal only for a last-ditch block by ex-Rover's stalwart Grant Hanley to deny him. The warning went heedless however when shortly afterwards, Tim Krul in the Norwich goal unfathomably placed a goal kick right at the feet of Annas Zaroury who was never going to miss out on so generous a gift. Suffice to say he didn’t.

The home team attempted to rally but could carve out few chances, the best of them a low shot repelled by Bailey Peacock-Farrell’s outstretched leg.

Early in the second half and Tella was replaced by Vitinho as Burnley lined up for a Johan Berg Gudmundsson corner. The young Brazilian had no sooner taken up his position at the near post before he found the ball dropping invitingly on his forehead to double Burnley’s lead as the Canaries’ defence stood motionless.

Only a few minutes later, and another Gudmundsson corner, this time to the far post, Ian Maatsen was on hand to turn the ball back into the centre of the goal, where new signing Hjalmar Ekdal was on hand to apply a Gary Lineker-style close range finish, whilst Norwich’s defenders once again remained static onlookers.

At Ipswich last weekend Ameen Al-Dakhil impressed on his debut, this week also on debut at Carrow Road it was Hjalmar Edkal who grabbed the headlines. I’m not sure who is presently in charge of player recruitment at Turf Moor, but please stand up and take a standing ovation.

Burnley’s ninth consecutive league victory was thus completed, a marvellous achievement. There will come a time when Burnley are a little below par and committed and determined opponents have the better of them, but it is hard to envisage that happening any time soon and even when it does, it is unlikely that it will prove to be anything more than a minor inconvenience.

FA Cup action is up next, an unwelcome replay on Tuesday evening against the Tractor Boys, rendered necessary by that hard-fought goal-less draw at Ipswich. A home win will bring another home tie against lower league opposition and a route to the quarter finals is opening up. It really is a long time since the Clarets were firing on all fronts.

Following that, it is back to Championship business and a meaty local derby is on the agenda when Preston North End come to Turf Moor next Saturday. This game is already fully sold out. It really is like old times at Turf Moor.

Dave gets all nostalgic now; and wraps up his piece by saying, whilst both Burnley Football Club and our much-lauded ex-manager has moved on, it remains appropriate to acknowledge Sean Dyche’s appointment as Everton manager and the win achieved over league-leading Arsenal in his first game. A victory conceived on the playing fields of Gawthorpe as James Tarkowski headed in a Dwight McNeil corner. Welcome back to the dugout Gaffer, its where you belong.

From the Editor’s Chair at Clarets Mad: Might I just add how totally impressed yet befuddled I am at the seamless way Vincent Kompany’s new arrivals just fit into how he wants the team to play. I have no idea how much a sprinkle of fairy dust costs, but our new manager must have a bucketful stashed somewhere.

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[Untinted Glasses]

Absolutely spot on article that. My sentiments exactly.

The last paragraph

From the Editor’s Chair at Clarets Mad: Might I just add how totally impressed yet befuddled I am at the seamless way Vincent Kompany’s new arrivals just fit into how he wants the team to play. I have no idea how much a sprinkle of fairy dust costs, but our new manager must have a bucketful stashed somewhere.

Is often what I have thought about man city. How do players just settle and play like they have been there for years, straight away.
The exact same is with Burnley. I was worried when THB was out, as most of the passes came through him. However Ekdal and Dakhil just slotted in seamlessly. It must be a very easy/simple system to slot into