Anglo-Saxons, Celts and Picts at Turf Moor.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche and
his newly formed recruitment team have been unusually active and effective in
readiness for the new challenges that lay ahead in the imminent English Premier
League campaign.
The arrival of the more “exotic” and
allegedly more technically gifted foreign players for the Turf Moor club still
seems however, to be not too hot on the Dyche agenda. The Burnley gaffer is widely
known for his no-nonsense, high work rate, high pressing game, played in his
favoured 4-4-2 formation and it looks like that is how it is going to stay.
The simple fact is that Sean
Dyche’s Clarets are built around a selection of Anglo-Saxon, Celt and Pict
heritage soccer warriors. The Burnley
staring eleven for the opening encounter with the current Premier League
Champions Chelsea is likely to include Eire internationals, Stephen Ward, Kevin
Long, Jeff Hendrick, Robbie Brady, and recent signing from Stoke City Jonathan
Walters.
These famous five are likely to
be soon joined by the experienced, veteran Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay
Given; it is little wonder the Eire national team boss Martin O’Neil is
seriously considering the benefits of purchasing a season ticket at Turf Moor!
Add to the mix a strong cartel of
English home grown talent which includes the likes of England goalkeeper and
club captain Tom Heaton, Matt Lowton, Ashley Westwood, Ashley Barnes,
Nottingham born Tendayi Darikwa, Charlie Taylor, Jack Cork, Andre Gray, Nick
Pope, Scottish/Canadian Scott Arfield and Welsh international striker Sam Vokes and it is easy to see just where
Sean Dyche is coming from.
It is obvious that Dyche is
building the foundations of the Claret’s first team on the merits of players
with a British or Irish heritage. Dyche has put enormous faith in home country
talent and that faith has been both justified and rewarded with two promotions
from the Championship, one single relegation and up to date a one season
survival in the English Premier League.
Even the present two “foreign”
players at Turf Moor can hardly be described as “exotic”. Icelandic
international Johann Berg Gudmundsson and the supremely gifted Belgian midfield
maestro, Steven Defour both have strong northern European DNA that is extremely
compatible with the rest of the British and Irish contingent, plying their
trade under the watchful auspices of the gravelly voiced Burnley supremo Sean
Dyche.
Loose and rather fanciful media
speculation has recently linked the Clarets to a player from Spanish La Liga
side Eibar, the Argentinian midfield Gonzalo Escalante was reported to be on
his way to joining Burnley. Escalante need not start packing his suitcases anytime
soon!
This speculative rumour is now known
to be without foundation and Dyche has by all accounts reverted to type and is looking
to add Stoke City’s 32 year old former Claret full back Phil Bardsley into the
Burnley squad. It now looks highly extremely likely the former Manchester United
player Bardsley will be reunited with his former Potteries colleague Jonathan Walters at Turf Moor, in yet another knock down fee.
This seems to be the Sean Dyche/Burnley
way. Forget the exotic and rely on the stoic “British Bulldog” in your faces style
of play. One thing is for certain; Turf Moor in the midst of an English winter will
be no place for the “Fancy Dan” style of foreign players who relish playing the
beautiful game. Fix bayonets! (TEC).
Source: DSG
