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The fake tanned Phil Brown makes his second visit to Turf Moor as a manager. Two years ago he was here with Derby during his short spell in charge at Pride Park whilst his other encounter with the Clarets was our visit to The KC Stadium last Christmas.
He replaced Phil Parkinson at Hull after the former Colchester boss had made a disastrous start to last season and it was very much an uphill battle to survive for the rest of the season. Probably the most crucial decision was the loan signing of Dean Windass from Bradford City.
With money available to him, Brown has been able to do some rebuilding over the summer, although that was hampered at times by the new chairman's desire to bring in a big name. It all started with an unsuccessful attempt to bring in Juninho and finally ended when Brown landed Jay-Jay Okocha who had been playing in Qatar.
He is one of eight new players which also includes Windass, who has made his move a permanent one, and Manchester United youngster Fraizer Campbell who is on loan. The full list is:
Bryan Hughes from Charlton
Richard Garcia from Colchester
Wayne Brown from Colchester
Henrik Pedersen from Bolton
Caleb Folan from Wigan
Jay-Jay Okocha from Qatar SC
Fraizer Campbell from Manchester United (loan)
Their early season form has been mixed with most of their better results coming at home. But we shouldn't be fooled by that and they have beaten Wolves at Molineux as well as earning draws at both Coventry and Crystal Palace.
The Clarets have won only two of the first six home games and it is something we need to start putting right. A good win tonight should move us back into the top half of the table and set us up for a trip to Leicester on Saturday.
When you are desperate, relegation is looming, then go and get yourself a striker fast approaching his 38th birthday and a striker who is playing his football a level lower.
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Dean Windass left Hull in 1995 for Aberdeen. He continued to score goals but three years later returned to England and Oxford United. From there it was Bradford City, then Middlesbrough and loans with both Sheffield clubs before he became yet another striker signing for Neil Warnock.
That didn't work out and it was back to Bradford City and almost another four years before he came to Hull's rescue in February of last season. He hit both goals in a surprise win against Birmingham, got a hat trick in a vital win against Southend and then scored the only goal of the game on the penultimate weekend against Cardiff which virtually meant they were safe, confirmed by Leeds entry into administration.
The permanent move came after long negotiations and eventually Bradford City received a £150,000 fee that could increase. The move gave Windass a two year contract that will see him at Hull past his fortieth birthday.
He's netted four times this season and three of those four goals have been points winning goals. He might be the oldest player on the pitch tonight but he's a player who will take some watching.
Hull turned in a disappointing performance on Saturday at QPR but assistant manager Brian Horton has said there will be no wholesale changes and any changes to the side will be tactical ones.
That suggests they could well line up as they did on Saturday although it is thought that former Birmingham and Charlton midfielder, and once Burnley target, Bryan Hughes will return from injury.
Another player returning is forward Caleb Folan although he is expected to be on the bench in the following side:
Boaz Myhill, Sam Ricketts, Michael Turner, Wayne Brown, Damien Delaney, Richard Garcia, Dean Marney, Jay-Jay Okocha, Bryan Hughes, Dean Windass, Fraizer Campbell. Subs from: Matt Duke, Andy Dawson, Nicky Featherstone, Steve McPhee, David Livermore, Ian Ashbee.
For Burnley it could well be same again but much will depend on the fitness of Stephen Jordan. His ankle injury is going to be something he'll have to play with this season and I would expect him to be passed fit and line up in the same team that drew at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United on Saturday.
Our team is expected to be: Gabor Kiraly, Graham Alexander, Clarke Carlisle, David Unsworth, Stephen Jordan, Wade Elliott, John Spicer, Chris McCann, Kyle Lafferty, Robbie Blake, Andy Gray. Subs from: Brian Jensen, Jon Harley, James O'Connor, Steve Jones, Alan Mahon, Ade Akinbiyi.
Burnley returned to action after the international break last October. It was probably a break we could have done without having gone into it with a 4-1 win over Norwich at Carrow Road.
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We won a corner on nine minutes. Wade Elliott put across a great ball from the flag kick and only a superb save from Boaz Myhill prevented John McGreal giving us the lead with a great header. It would have been his second Burnley goal but, from the resulting corner again superbly taken by Elliott, Michael Duff rose to head home his first ever league goal for the Clarets.
Three minutes later, Micah Hyde won the ball in the centre of the pitch and found Elliott wide on the right. He got an early cross in for Gifton Noel-Williams who made no mistake with his header. Thirteen minutes gone and 2-0, the Clarets were bang in form.
Hull struggled but did get back into the game for a short period just after half time. They didn't really threaten a goal and when Burnley got into gear again you just sensed that third goal would kill the game off.
It didn't come but we coasted through to the 2-0 win and second place in the table, albeit six points behind leaders Cardiff. It was also a good comeback at home after losing out in the previous home game 3-2 against Southampton, who repeated that result ten days ago.
With another home game to come against Southend on the following Tuesday and then a trip to Plymouth there was hope of more points to come ahead of the televised home game against neighbours Preston. Things were looking good at Turf Moor.
The teams last season were;
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Frank Sinclair, Michael Duff, John McGreal, Jon Harley, Wade Elliott (Alan Mahon 84), James O'Connor, Micah Hyde (Chris McCann 89), Steve Jones (Garreth O'Connor 88), Andy Gray, Gifton Noel-Williams. Subs not used: Stephen Foster, Kyle Lafferty.
Hull: Boaz Myhill, Alton Thelwell (Danny Coles 45), Danny Mills, Michael Turner, Andy Dawson, Craig Fagan, Ian Ashbee, Dean Marney (John Welsh 73), Mark Yeates, Michael Bridges, Jon Parkin (Nicky Forster 67). Subs not used: Matt Duke, Ryan France.
Previous 20 Seasons | |||||
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
1992/93 | 2 | a | 2-0 | 5,751 | Heath(2) |
| . | . | h | 2-0 | 9,974 | Heath Slawson |
1993/94 | 2 | a | 2-1 | 11,232 | Davis Deary |
| . | . | h | 3-1 | 10,574 | Pender Eyres(2 1pen) |
1995/96 | 2 | h | 2-1 | 10,613 | Nogan Allison(og) |
| . | . | a | 0-3 | 4,206 | . |
2005/06 | C | h | 1-0 | 11,701 | Akinbiyi |
| . | . | a | 0-0 | 19,926 | . |
2006/07 | C | h | 2-0 | 11,530 | Duff Noel-Williams |
| . | . | a | 0-3 | 17,731 | . |