Carlisle in top team again

He was rightly awarded a place in the league team following our recent draw at Bristol City. He'd played well and also scored the late equaliser with the overhead kick. However, if one Burnley player was to be in the side this week I'm not so sure Carlisle would have been on my list of likely candidates.

I thought our strength on Saturday was in the midfield, and I thought all four of them had excellent games. Any one of them could have won the man of the match and any one of them could have made this league team.

Carlisle missed a couple of good chances when he went up for set pieces and didn't, for me, look at his best. However he must have impressed the Football League observers at the game and they have included him in this week's team alongside former Burnley favourite Gary Cahill in the centre of the defence.

The team this week is: Marton Fulop (Leicester), Kevin Foley (Wolves), Gary Cahill (Sheffield United), Clarke Carlisle (Burnley), Lee Hodges (Plymouth), Michael Kightly (Wolves), Stephen Clemence (Leicester), Kevin Nicholls (Preston), David Martin (Crystal Palace), Ricardo Fuller (Stoke), Marcus Tudgay (Sheffield Wednesday).