Now this is an issue that has been on my mind for several weeks now however, I feel in light of recent events it is the perfect time to evaluate it. Owen Coyle has recently departed Burnley to return to his ‘home’ at the Reebok, a move that Burnley fans cannot be happy with given the success the club have experienced under the Scot and the nature of his move has added further sourness to his departure. However, as much as this may anger some Burnley fans, I think they were on their way down anyway.
Burnley have been the surprise package of the season and have already secured 20 points that will no doubt prove invaluable to the Clarets come May. Their home form in the early stages of the season was not just the talk of the town but also the Premier League as sides of the calibre of Manchester United and Everton succumbed inside fortress Turf Moor.
Yet things have not gone to plan in the last few months and Burnley find themselves sliding down the table. The honeymoon period appears to be over and the side who had a 100% home record in mid-October have not won in nine league games.
It should be noted that Burnley achieved a phenomenal feat in getting promoted to the Premier League as they did so with one of the smallest budgets in the Championship last season however, because of this the side do not have the biggest squad and are feeling the toll of their early season efforts. Should the club experience an injury to a key player such as Steven Fletcher it could spell disaster and unfortunately the side do not have enough strength in depth to establish themselves in the league.
As much as it has become a cliché this season, it is the Clarets away form that they will have to blame if they bite the dust this season. Burnley have only picked up a solitary point on the road this campaign (albeit an impressive point at Eastlands) and thus have become heavily reliant on Turf Moor to see them to the magical 40 point mark. No club can survive in the league with this severe travel sickness and Burnley need to improve their away from and fast if they are going to avoid the drop.
Having mulled the situation over in my head for much of yesterday I eventually came to the conclusion that Brian Laws may not be the man for the job. The Clarets have selected a former club legend, following in the footsteps of Bolton and although Laws has proved in the past that he can be effective with a shoestring budget, I’m unsure of his ability to keep Burnley in the Premier League. His spell with Sheffield Wednesday recently came to an end and his return to football seems a little rushed considering the obvious step up in challenges.
Although I was sceptical of Burnley’s chances of Premier League survival long before Coyle’s departure and Laws’ appointment, I believe this could now be the beginning of the end for the Clarets. There is a big chance that I may be wrong and I hope I am as I have begun to grow fond of the Lancashire club during their time in the Premier League. Either way, Laws and co must prepare for an uphill struggle in the second half of the season.
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