Dave sees the light! Arsenal Review.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Dave Thornley takes off his myopic glasses and truly sees the light. One wishes Alan Pace and Vincent Kompany would follow suit. Unlike the (un)fortunate Dave, I was there, and it was horrible to watch such a humbling experience. (TEC).

Due to having my body mass lightened to the tune of one cataract the previous day, and never being one to flout medical advice, I was unable to take up my seat at Turf Moor for yesterday’s Premier League home game against Arsenal.

It is therefore hard for me to put into comment first-hand on what was by all accounts: radio commentary, Match of the Day lowlights and vitriolic social media posts, a complete and utter shambles by the Clarets.

Yes, Arsenal are a fine team possessing high-quality players in top form, but to surrender with such meekness and so abjectly should be a source of shame for all involved, both the players on the field and those responsible for putting them there.

Having achieved a spectacular promotion from the Championship last season, the club’s ownership seems to have adopted a “fake it ‘til you make it” approach to this Premier League campaign. They hubristically spent heavily on a slew of players, few if any of whom have improved the team, whilst side-lining many of those who made significant contributions to last season’s successes.

A few seasons ago, Fulham were promoted to the Premier League and promptly overhauled the playing staff in pretty much the same way; they were relegated the following season. When they came up again, they did not make the same mistake and kept faith with most of their squad. Fulham learned their lesson; Burnley’s owners did not heed it.

And what of Vincent Kompany? He can’t be enjoying this, he looks haunted in interviews, he gives guarded replies to even the blandest of questions and he inspires little confidence that he knows how to fix what needs fixing.

Why would he? His career as a player presented entirely different challenges at the opposite end of the table. The contrast with Luton’s Rob Edwards is a stark one. Edwards always appears that he knows exactly how to get the best out of the resources at his disposal, Kompany just looks confused and bewildered.

Seated close to me at Turf Moor is a young lady who travels to each home game from Blackpool by public transport. Unhelpful bus and train timetables see to it that her journey consumes at least two hours each way, meaning it is gone midnight by the time she gets home from midweek matches.

She is undoubtedly not alone in demonstrating that level of commitment, both in terms of time and finance, to supporting her team.

Owners who haphazardly splash the cash on unproductive players; coaches who fail to address and correct even the most basic of tactical failings and players who cruise lazily and ineffectively through matches need reminding that it is fans like my friend who you are letting down and shame yourselves into doing better.

We simply must do better! (TEC.)

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[ClaretinBudapest]

I agree Arsenal are a fine team in sumptious form but the lack of fight in our team was startling.