Forest huffed and puffed, Burnley were the team with their shooting boots on
YOU can't do better than take three points for a win from your first game of the season.
That's my opinion of the Clarets' opening day victory over Nottingham Forest, for all Forest's huffing and puffing.
There's no doubt life would have been much more difficult if Forest, Robert Earnshaw's strike against the post aside, hand anything like their shooting boots on. They are a good side with lots of strength and skill, making the result all the more important.
It's important to remember that Burnley still carried the bigger threat when it came down to it. Both Andre Bikey and Chris Iwelumo forced good stops from the Forest back line and the best move of the game produced Burnley's goal, a perfect mix of skill and strength as Iwelumo held off any defensive challenge to meet Wade Elliott's superb cross for the winner.
I felt on the day that Burnley hadn't held the ball well enough, but the match statistics do tell a different story, with Burnley having 59 per cent of possession.
So despite having to face down the Forest threat particularly in the second half Burnley had plenty of the play and I am sure that they can play better than that.
It's much too early to start talking about consistent form at the moment though, and for this tough round of opening games taking it one match at a time will do.
If there is one team which certainly upset the form book on the opening day it was Ipswich Town, victors at pre-season title favourites Middlesboro.
That is Burnley's destination this Saturday, another early hurdle to overcome in a tight division.
Clarets boss Brian Laws and Ipswich's Roy Keane were team mates under the legendary Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest in the early 1990s, Laws approaching the end of a successful playing career that began at Burnley, Keane soon to become Alex Ferguson's lynchpin at Old Trafford.
- COME mid-August and transfer fever is reaching its peak.
Often without any definite evidence, it blows through any club with the national media making no end of "links" as the deadline draws ever closer.
In Burnley's case it generally boils down to will Chris Eagles or Tyrone Mears stay, and, now endowed with some money and still wearing the patina of being recently a Premiership club, will any late signings be making their way to Turf Moor.
Last week I wrote that the area in which Burnley could use some strengthening is midfield. I'd like to see some defensive midfield cover but I couldn't help be pleased at reading Chelsea were releasing Jack Cork.
Young Cork spent the last half of last season on loan at Turf Moor and as an attacking midfielder looked to have the sort of skills and potential that would see Clarets fans welcoming him back with open arms.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Halifax
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -2 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
