|
Brian Laws has said it, we need to start winning games, and there is no doubt that it is time we got the maximum against West Ham.
Our last win against them came in September 1978. We were 2-0 down in that game but goals from Ian Brennan, Paul Fletcher and Jim Thomson turned it round and we won the game 3-2.
Since then we've met ten times (8 in the League and 2 in the League Cup). Twice in the 2003/04 season we drew, 2-2 at the Boleyn Ground and 1-1 at Turf Moor, but the other eight games all ended in defeats.
A win would see us climb above them today.
West Ham have, for the last year, been in the 'crisis club' category as their Icelandic owners went through, shall we say, some difficult times. It added further controversy to the Tevez affair of 2006/07 when they were allowed, somehow, to stay in the Premier League.
This season, Gianfranco Zola's first full season as manager, has seen them struggle and ahead of today's game they sit in 15th place in the Premier League but out of the bottom three only on goal difference.
Things have changed recently with the acquisition of the club by former Birmingham City owners David Sullivan and David Gold. They have assumed the position of Joint Chairman whilst the new Vice Chairman is Mrs Peschisolido.
Zola had been unable to make any changed during this recent transfer window until that was complete but this week has finally made his move and brought in no less than three new strikers.
Benni McCarthy has arrived from our local rivals Blackburn, Brazilian Ilan has signed from St Etienne and Egyptian Mido has signed on loan from Middlesbrough for £1.000 per week.
Add that to a defence that has conceded just one goal in 2010 and the West Ham fans are gaining confidence in their side's ability to stay up.
Zola has his three new signings to select from and also has both Scott Parker, so impressive against us in November, and Carlton Cole, injured in that game, back in contention after coming on as subs last week. Also available are Kieron Dyer and Herita Ilunga.
Last week they drew 0-0 at home to Blackburn and their team was: Robert Green, Julian Faubert, James Tomkins, Matthew Upson, Jonathan Spector, Jack Collison, Mark Noble, Radoslav Kovac, Valon Behrami, Alessandro, Diamanti, Frank Nouble. Subs: Herita Ilunga, Marek Stech, Scott Parker, Carlton Cole, Freddie Sears, Manuel Da Costa, Junior Stanislas.
Brian Laws also has new faces to select from. Jack Cork, the latest of his signings, could come into the midfield whilst Danny Fox is hoping to shake off a groin problem to get the nod at left back.
There's further good news with David Nugent available again, and this will be the first time Nugent has been available for successive games since Laws took charge.
The only players definitely ruled out with injury are captain Steven Caldwell and player/coach Graham Alexander which means, as was the case last week, we'll be captained by Clarke Carlisle.
Stephen Jordan is fit and should Fox miss out then he's likely to come back in for Christian Kalvenes at left back whilst Chris McCann is likely to resume in the midfield for his first home game since the home win against Sunderland in September.
If all but Caldwell and Alexander are fit, the team could be: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Leon Cort, Danny Fox, Wade Elliott, Andre Bikey, Chris McCann, Chris Eagles, David Nugent, Steven Fletcher. Subs from: Nicky Weaver, David Edgar, Michael Duff, Stephen Jordan, Joey Gudjonsson, Jack Cork, Kevin McDonald, Fernando Guerrero, Robbie Blake, Steven Thompson, Martin Paterson, Frédéric Nimani.
West Ham were last at Burnley almost five years ago for a Championship game during a season that ended with them winning promotion.
It ended in a 1-0 win for West Ham in a game where Danny Coyne returned to the side for the first time since the previous October when he'd suffered a serious knee injury at QPR.
Very worrying on the night was the abuse aimed at Graham Branch during the game that escalated when he was loudly booed off by home fans when he was substituted.
In a close game West Ham won it with a late goal from Edward Sheringham who turned in an outstanding performance.
The teams were;
Burnley: Danny Coyne, Frank Sinclair (Tony Grant 87), Gary Cahill, John McGreal, Mo Camara, John Oster (Jean-Louis Valois 83), Micah Hyde, James O'Connor, Graham Branch (Michael Duff 75), Dean Bowditch, Ade Akinbiyi. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, Lee Roche.
West Ham: James Walker, Tomas Repka, Elliott Ward, Anton Ferdinand, Chris Powell, Shaun Newton, Nigel Reo-Coker, Hayden Mullins (Carl Fletcher 76), Mark Noble (Matthew Etherington 76), Marlon Harewood (Bobby Zamora 85), Teddy Sheringham. Subs not used: Stephen Bywater, Gavin Williams.
They were in the First Division during the 1975/76 season when we were relegated. The week before manager Jimmy Adamson gave debuts to goalkeeper Gerry Peyton and midfielder Kevin Kennerley.
Peyton kept a clean sheet against Liverpool and both players retained their places in an unchanged team against West Ham in December 1975. Again Peyton kept a clean sheet as Burnley won 2-0.
Ray Hankin got the first goal and the scoring was completed ten minutes before half time through Kennerley, his only first team goal for Burnley.
The Burnley team was: Gerry Peyton, Mick Docherty, Keith Newton, Billy Ingham, Colin Waldron, Jim Thomson, Mike Summerbee, Kevin Kennerley, Ray Hankin, Brian Flynn, Paul Bradshaw.
Previous 20 Seasons | |||||
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
2003/04 | 1 | a | 2-2 | 31,474 | Facey I Moore |
| . | . | h | 1-1 | 12,440 | Branch |
2004/05 | 1 | a | 0-1 | 22,119 | . |
. | . | h | 0-1 | 12,209 | . |
2009/10 | PL | a | 3-5 | 34,003 | Fletcher(2) Eagles |