Clarets v Citizens Match Preview.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Clarets Mad - Clarets v Citizens, English Premier League Match Preview.
Venue: Turf Moor, Harry Potts Way, Burnley BB10 4BX.
Kick-off – 20.00 – Friday 11th August 2023.

It’s back, the English Premier League and Vincent Kompany’s newly promoted Clarets open the new season’s proceedings by entertaining the current Champions of Europe.

Kompany’s old team Manchester City and their manager of the year Pep Guardiola arrive at Turf Moor on Friday night to take on the 2021/22 Championship Champions in a match that is certain to catch the imagination of millions of football fans across the globe. The script writer for “Roy of the Rovers” could hardly make this tale up, could he?

The early securing of promotion meant Alan Pace the Burnley FC chairman and manager Vincent Kompany had earned themselves a head start in preparing the Clarets playing squad for their return to the English Premier League.

Vincent Kompany has certainly taken up the huge time advantage to bring in ten new faces to freshen up competition amongst the Burnley playing ranks to grab a starting place against Manchester City.

New faces include James Trafford the multi-million-pound goalkeeping capture from the Etihad, Dara O’Shea from the Baggies, veteran wide man Nathan Redmond, pacy Italian/Canadian winger Luca Koleosho and Swiss striker Zeki Amdouni are all amongst the latest acquisitions.

Dutch striker Wout Weghorst has returned to the Turf Moor fold following last season’s loan spells at Besiktas and Manchester United and Danish international Jacob Bruun Larsen also comes into the reckoning following his loan arrival from Bundesliga side Hoffenheim.

Gone are the days when the Clarets seemingly recruited players exclusively from the British Isles and Ireland. When ALK took over Burnley FC they expressed their plans to use artificial intelligence to identify the next generation of football stars as part of a new partnership with talent identification platform AiSCOUT. The number of young players coming in through the door at Turf Moor suggests the initiative is paying dividends.

One’s to watch: For the Clarets the immaculate Jordan Beyer, for City a list of household names such as Phil Foden, Kevin de Bruyne, the Raging Blonde Bull from Norway, John Stones and take your pick from the rest of last season’s Manchester City’s treble winning team.

Verdict: Way back in August 2009 and the Clarets first home match after an awful long time playing in the EFL wilderness saw them pitched against the then English Premier League Champions, Manchester United. Ostensibly the Clarets had little or no chance of getting anything out of the game. A Brian Jensen penalty save from Michael Carrick and a Robbie Blake “special” helped the Clarets record a surprising 1-0 home win.

The Burnley faithful can “Dare to Dream.” Isn’t that what supporting a football team is all about? I’m hoping for another surprise 1-0 home win but when reality kicks in I fear a real drubbing. Undeniably City will be stung into positive action after suffering a defeat on penalties by Arsenal in Sunday’s Charity Shield.

The new ruling to extend games by “added minutes” saw the Gunners equalise in the 101st minute. The craziness of VAR and the inevitable extension of games after ninety minutes will no doubt provide much controversy and managerial soul-searching during the new campaign.

Footnote: On the odd occasion I love to reminisce and recant personal happy memories from my days following and watching my beloved Clarets. A narrow 1-0 home victory on March 15th, 2015, epitomised exactly why Pep Guardiola talks about the likeness of arriving for a game at Turf Moor to being akin to a “visit to the dentist”.

One of my favourite ex-Clarets Kieran Trippier wafted in a looping free-kick which Vincent Kompany (who else?) headed out towards George Boyd who met it on the half-volley with a rocket left-foot shot which flew low across former Burnley keeper Joe Hart and arrowed into the bottom corner of the Citizen’s net.

Note to myself: Never mind artificial intelligence to aid recruitment, Vincent Kompany could still field a very impressive EPL team with former Clarets who are presently actively playing in the English Premier League.

An opinion and post from The Editor’s Chair – Clarets Mad.

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[outwoodclaret]

Cracking preview to get the season under way BT. Hope City come back from the dentists feeling groggy.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Cracking preview to get the season under way BT. Hope City come back from the dentists feeling groggy.

Thanks Sir Outwood.

[chastenor]

Excellent preview BT, obviously taking advantage of AI

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Excellent preview BT, obviously taking advantage of AI

Have I somehow upset you in a previous incarnation chastenor?

[sinkov]

Excellent preview BT, obviously taking advantage of AI

Be careful Chas, don't keep poking the bear, he once threatened to tw@t me and put me in hospital, I wasn't worried because I was confident I could run faster than he could, but my good friend is not a man to take liberties with.

Although to be honest, he's a pu$$y cat really.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Weghorst won't be playing that's for sure...

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