Ahead of Wednesday night’s game, with transfer speculation rife, Sam Down speaks to the aptly named Tom Whittaker about the match and the future of Morgan. With thanks to @NoNayNever and @tomclaret for their kind help.
So, past the halfway mark of the season and Burnley are right on the cusp of the automatic promotion places. How happy are you with how it’s played out?
Expectations are higher amongst Burnley fans these days, as the only two seasons we have spent outside the Premier League in the last decade ended in instant returns to the Premier League as champions. However, a chaotic summer transfer window in which every player not nailed down was sold as the deadline approached led to some frantic last minute recruitment, and expectations were set accordingly, with most agreeing a top 4 slot represents a decent showing thus far, given the misshapen squad and ill-thought out transfer policy
What are your thoughts on the job Scott Parker has done?
How much you rate the job Parker has done very much depends on whether you value substance or style- only 9 goals conceded and just 2 league defeats are fantastic numbers, but the football is often painful to watch and a risk averse strategy has seen points dropped to numerous teams who are happy to sit in, put 10 behind the ball, and watch us pass it around slowly in front of them. There is a desire for him to succeed from a patient fanbase, and given the hand he was dealt, he has done well to keep us competitive. Whether we can turn draws into wins will be the big question.
The goals conceded record is nothing short of phenomenal. What do you put that down to?
A few reasons- first of all, personnel. England U21 keeper James Trafford and France U21 centre back Maxime Esteve are the standouts, as you’d expect with both costing 8 figures last season, but even relative newcomers like CJ Egan-Riley and Bashir Humphreys look like future top-level defenders. Ally this to an overly cautious, defensive first playing style, plus the respect given to the Clarets particularly at Turf Moor, where the majority of teams seem more than happy to keep the game at 0-0 for as long as possible, and you have the recipe for what could be a record-breaking season defensively.
Who are your main attacking threats?
Jaidon Anthony is probably the most consistent of Burnley’s attackers, and certainly the most trusted by Scott Parker. Josh Brownhill is our top scorer from midfield but Zian Flemming has started to contribute more regularly from an unfamiliar centre-forward position. Look out for Lyle Foster who is showing some promise in a Marcus Rashford type role, cutting in from the left hand side.
And any weak areas of the team?
Despite the above, going forward is undoubtedly our weakest area, with the team having failed to score more than twice in a league game since August. Luca Koleosho looked a promising talent last season but has flattered to deceive this term, and we are very short of creativity in the crucial no. 10 space behind the striker.
What are your thoughts on the speculation around Morgan Whittaker, how keen are you to see him come in?
As a fellow Whittaker from Derby, I’d be keen to see Morgan come in- his profile fits what we’re lacking, with goals from the wide areas. His patchy form this season and the price tag are causes for concern, though, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see our hierachy baulk at paying north of £10m this month, and reassess in the summer instead.
And finally, a prediction. For Wednesdays game and for the fate of both teams this season?
I think your need for points will play into our hands, as we look a more accomplished side on the road, where teams coming out more plays to our strengths. It’s foolish to predict us not to keep a clean sheet these days, so i’ll go for a 2-0 Clarets win. As for the season, I think our lack of goals will condemn us to a playoff place. For Plymouth, we all saw the rousing speech from your new manager- it all depends on how quickly he can turn things around and whether he is backed with new players, but I fear it could be a big ask.