An international break so late in the season can be an unwelcome irritant, but it does at least, allow for a chance to pause and reflect before the season rounds its final bend and enters the home strait.
So what sort of season has it been for Burnley and their supporters thus far?
On the face of it, it is shaping up to be a successful one, if success is to be measured solely in terms of Premier League survival. That was clearly the goal back in August and if back then, Clarets' fans had been offered a tally of 32 points by the end of March, then hands would certainly have been bitten off.
This has been the latest in a series of masterly displays of football management by Sean Dyche. Blending the talents of this group of players into a whole which is far greater than the sum of its parts and which represents (at home at least) a formidable and durable unit.
The job is not done yet and recent results have precipitated an outbreak of the jitters in the pit of many a Claret’s stomach. But as winter gives way to spring then re-birth, renewal and revival are the order of the day.
As Burnley return to playing at Turf Moor after their long passage of away games, the team need to be lifted by optimism cascading down from the stands and not be shackled by anxiety.
This Burnley team and this Burnley manager have surely earned the right to have the trust of the supporters placed upon them?
It is a rare juxtaposition at any club to have owners, manager, players and fans all pulling together in almost perfect harmony. Burnley currently have that and it is a precious thing to possess and wonderful to behold.
But togetherness can also be tenuous and fragile and should the worst fears of supporters come to pass, then spending next season back in the Championship would be a prospect too hideous to contemplate.
The first promotion achieved by Burnley under Sean Dyche in 2013-2014 came as a wonderful surprise and perhaps in truth, the club were both naïve and under-prepared for life back in the Premier League. Instant relegation under those circumstances was somehow easier to contemplate then, than it would be now.
The stakes are high this squad undoubtedly the finest to represent the club in over forty years would be dismantled. The manager too would probably seek pastures new and the club could well slip back into the relative anonymity of the second tier.
Back to drab fixtures at colourless venues and no one wants that.
So, now is the time for Sean Dyche, his international brigade of players and Clarets' fans to stiffen the sinews, strengthen the resolve and see the job through together as one, because when all is said and done, that is the true core strength of Burnley Football Club.
This article was written by uber Burnley fan and regular feature writer for Clarets Mad, Dave Thornley. (TEC).
Source: DSG
