Clarets need the lift of a win against Huddersfield

For the second time this season we've gone on a run of five league games without a win. The last time we followed it up with four wins in five and I think that's the sort of run we need now.

The season has been one where we've never seriously looked as though we might leave the Championship one way or the other. We did drop into the bottom three once earlier in the season and hovered for a couple of weeks just above the drop zone. We also flirted with the play offs more recently, hitting seventh place in the table, a position we held going into this month.

But generally we've looked a middle of the table team and that's been reflected in the results obtained since Sean Dyche arrived as manager that have seen us win seven and lose seven Championship games.

Still confident according to Brian Stock

He was being hailed as a good manager a few weeks ago on the message board but on Saturday one poster described him as deluded following his post match comments and suggested it was time for him to go.

He's been here for just twenty games, less than half a season. He took over a team that had, under the previous manager, won just 11 points from 10 games. Yes, the goals are not being scored quite so often but there again the ridiculous goals against column is improving. Remember, in the five games before he arrived we conceded fourteen goals and there was a clean sheet in that. We were defensively worse than in the 'Throw One In' season of 2002/03 and had we continued at the rate we were going we'd have created a club record for goals conceded in a season.

Anyway, to tonight, and there is no doubt that a win would give us a lift, a massive lift, and it is one definitely more than achievable against a Huddersfield team who are far from in the best of form.

One player confident we can get the season moving forward again is midfielder Brian Stock. He's been back in the team for the last two games and said today: "We believe we are good enough for the top six but in the last five games we have come away from it a bit.

"We have nothing to lose and nothing to fear and if we can go into games full of confidence and give it a go you never know where it will take us.

"The last couple of games we have done well. The manager has given us good feedback, but we need to win games. Although performances have been there or thereabouts we need to turn those into wins. We need a win but the lads are still confident."

Stock will be hoping to continue in the midfield and it is very likely he will. The players who missed out, through injury, on Saturday are still out. That means no Ross Wallace again, and I think he's been missed, with Michael Duff also ruled out.

Kevin Long has replaced David Edgar in the centre of defence for the last two games and has done well. He came in for special praise from Dyche after his performance on Saturday and it was fully deserved.

I think the team could be similar to the one that played Brighton but I suspect Danny Ings could come in for Junior Stanislas.

If so, we could line up: Lee Grant, Kieran Trippier, Kevin Long, Jason Shackell, Danny Lafferty, Brian Stock, Danny Ings, Dean Marney, Chris McCann, Keith Treacy, Charlie Austin. Subs from: Brian Jensen, Luke O'Neill, David Edgar, Joseph Mills, Marvin Bartley, Junior Stanislas, Dane Richards, Martin Paterson, Sam Vokes.

What a run Huddersfield are on. When they beat Barnsley on the second Saturday in November they were nicely positioned in sixth place in the league with 27 points from 16 games.

Since, in an horrendous run, they've won just once in 17 games, beating Crystal Palace four weeks ago. They've won a total of 11 points in those games in which they've conceded a total of 36 goals.

They have, however, kept clean sheets in two of their last three league games against league leaders Cardiff and last Saturday against Ipswich.

The run cost Simon Grayson his job and he's since moved in at Preston. His replacement is Mark Robins who moved from Coventry. Robins has previously managed Rotherham and Barnsley.

This run has seen them drop to 20th in the table and, right now, they are three points ahead of Wolves who occupy the highest relegation position.

Back in August they beat us with ease when Joel Lynch and Jordan Rhodes scored their goals. Rhodes certainly won't feature tonight but Lynch could although he was an unused substitute on Saturday.

Two others who played in the match at Huddersfield in August, Keith Southern and Danny Ward, are ruled out with Achilles and metatarsal injuries and striker Jermaine Beckford won't play because of a hamstring injury.

Anthony Gerrard and Adam Clayton face fitness tests but both are expected to be fit. There could also be a first start in Huddersfield colours for Theo Robinson. He's singed on loan from Derby and made his debut three days ago as a substitute.

Huddersfield are expected to select from: 1. Alex Smithies, 3. Paul Dixon, 6. Anthony Gerrard, 5. Peter Clarke, 2. Calum Woods, 10. Oscar Gobern, 20. Neil Danns, 16. Scott Arfield, 8. Adam Clayton, 9. Lee Novak, 18. James Vaughan, 13. Ian Bennett, 4. Oliver Norwood, 32. Jack Hunt, 33. Joel Lynch, 15. Murray Wallace, 7. Sean Scannell, 17. Theo Robinson, 19. Alan Lee.

Last Time They Were Here

We have to go back exactly twelve years and two days for Huddersfield's last visit to Burnley. They looked set for promotion to the Premier League in the previous season but sold leading goalscorer Marcus Stewart to rivals Ipswich in February and it all went wrong.

The 2000/01 season was not a good one for them. Manager Steve Bruce went in the October and was replaced by Lou Macari. They were next to bottom ahead of the game, with only Tranmere below them, and both were to be relegated along with QPR.

Steve Davis scored the winner

Burnley weren't in the best of form either. We'd been on a run of eight defeats in ten but on the Tuesday prior to this game we beat league leaders Fulham and made it two wins in two with a 1-0 win against the Terriers courtesy of a Steve Davis goal three minutes into the second half.

It would have been a more convincing win but for the goalkeeping of Nico Vaesen who made a succession of saves to deny us although it was Burnley goalkeeper Nik Michopoulos who was the hero at the end. He'd hardly had anything to do until brilliantly saving from Chris Lucketti five minutes into stoppage time.

Manager Stan Ternent was relieved to see his side back to winning ways and he was pleased with the performance. He said: "Their goalkeeper made, if I'm not mistaken, five stops with his feet, good saves.

"We created a lot of chances and then right at the end my old player Chris Lucketti, and I would have strangled him if that had gone in, got in a header and Nik made a good stop, so overall I think we shaded it."

He added: "I'm just happy to win. It's three good points. All you can do is create chances and the players go into that situation.

"Gareth Taylor could have had a hat trick, Mooro could have had a couple and Micky Mellon got in at the end when the keeper made a good save.

"We played some decent stuff and certainly Glen and Weller down the right hand side caused them problems." Despite the win, Burnley remained in tenth place.

The teams were;

Burnley: Nik Michopoulos, Paul Weller, Steve Davis, Gordon Armstrong, Mitchell Thomas (Andy Payton 73), Graham Branch, Glen Little, Kevin Ball (Lenny Johnrose 71), Paul Cook (Micky Mellon 71), Ian Moore, Gareth Taylor. Subs not used: Paul Crichton, John Mullin.

Huddersfield: Nico Vaesen, Craig Armstrong, Chris Lucketti, Steve Jenkins, Adie Moses, Chris Holland, Thomas Heary, Ben Thornley (Kenny Irons 81), Martin Smith, Delroy Facey, Kevin Gallen. Subs not used: Martyn Margetson, Kevin Gray, Jon Dyson, Scott Sellars.

Previous Games against Huddersfield

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