Allardyce’s Toffees to Come Under the Hammer at Turf Moor?
In a football match that promises to include more sub plots than a John
Le Carre novel, Burnley entertain Everton at Turf Moor tomorrow in an English
Premier League televised game with an early Saturday kick off at 12.30pm (GMT).
Rumours are currently circulating
on Merseyside that the Everton manager Sam Allardyce may be given a one way ticket
for “Do One Airlines” at the end of what has been a harrowing season for all
concerned at Goodison Park.
Just before this season’s English
Premier League campaign even kicked off, the neutral observer was inclined to believe
that Ronald Koeman’s big money summer outlay may well have seen the Blues draw
parity with the Reds from across Stanley Park.
The fact that the richly
experienced and acknowledged problem solver Sam Allardyce, had to be brought in
to fix real relegation concerns shows how badly the fatally flawed scheme to buy
the Toffees’ way into the Premier League’s top six failed.
Sean Dyche’s Clarets are looking tomorrow to
bring an end to a winless streak that is jeopardising their aims of a high EPL finish.
Despite Everton’s mediocre season so
far, a few wins on the bounce could well see the Blues challenging for a place
in the Europa League.
Arsenal’s rapid loss of
confidence and lack of form means that a top six finish is not beyond the means
of Burnley, Everton or Leicester City. That is sure to provide this game with
an extra dash of spice.
Ex-Claret and England
international Michael Keane will return to Burnley for the first time since his
own big money move to Goodison Park. I expect nothing less than warm embrace
for the lad from Sean Dyche and some genuine applause from the Burnley fans who
fully understood Keane’s reasoning for a new adventure.
Keane arrived at Burnley four
years ago, still a wet behind the ears wannabe from Sir Alex Ferguson’s school
of hard knocks. Sean Dyche polished,
cultivated and developed the young Keane into a fully-fledged high class, much
coveted central defender. He now seems to be settling in to the Goodison Park
culture after a difficult start to his Toffees career.
England supremo Gareth Southgate
is expected to attend Turf Moor tomorrow but his eyes won’t be focussing on
Keane. Rival goalkeepers Jordan Pickford and Nick Pope are very much on Southgate’s
radar for the next England call-up. Burnley’s Ben Mee and Jack Cork are also
looking to be in the shop window and on current form cannot be far away from
the full England team.
It is beyond ironic that Nick Pope
may get the England nod ahead of Tom Heaton, the man he replaced in the Clarets’
goal following the Burnley skipper’s pre-Christmas nasty shoulder injury. The present
season will no doubt have many more twists and turns and it is not
inconceivable that Burnley could be providing England with two goalkeepers for
the flight to Russia and the World Cup Finals.
Speaking of the World Cup,
Burnley’s Ashley Barnes is also looking to impress and has given notice he
wants to join the Austrian World Cup squad. Barnes already has one cap for the
Austrians at under-20 level and given his current form, a call-up is not beyond
the realms of possibility.
Sean Dyche also has a real selection
headache for tomorrow’s clash. A debilitating injury list is clearing and the
Burnley gaffer looks certain to be able to call upon the services of Chris
Wood, Dean Marney, James Tarkowski, Nakhi Wells and Spurs loanee GK Nkoudou,
who impressed with a couple of goals in a behind closed doors friendly on
Monday.
Second guessing Sean Dyche on
team selection and tactics is a really difficult way to pass time but I expect
the team to line up in a 4-4-1-1 formation: Pope, Lowton, Mee, Tarkowski, Ward,
Lennon, Cork, Westwood, Gudmundsson, Hendrick and Barnes.
Aaron Lennon has settled in nicely
into Dyche’s all action playing style and it is extremely likely he will start
against the team he left to join Burnley in January.
It should be a real old fashioned game of football tomorrow and given
Burnley’s determination to return to winning ways and Everton’s poor recent away
record on the road, a home win looks to be the banker bet (TEC).
Source: DSG
