Rampant Wolves Maul the Hapless Clarets

Last updated : 17 September 2018 By Dave Thornley

Matches between Burnley and Wolves have always had a certain frisson attached to them. Two venerable institutions of English football; steeped in, and mindful of, time-honoured traditions and values. The Claret and Blue versus the Old Gold, two grand old clubs who have produced many stirring contests down the decades and across all four divisions.

But whilst Burnley still cling to those traditions, Wolves have recently taken a divergent path; newly moneyed and able, through their relationship with the right agent, to tap into a rich seam of mainly Portuguese talent they have swaggered into the Premier League with a squad immediately equipped to make their mark.

Whilst it may be hyperbole to suggest it, yesterday’s game at Molynieux between the two teams seemed to represent a paradigm shift in how newly-promoted clubs approach their enhanced status.

When Burnley achieved promotion, they were well-served by a group of talented, but workmanlike players who were disciplined, well-organised and tactically solid. Wolves by contrast built a team capable and willing to attack with pace; pass with imagination and toy with the opposition using intricate passing moves. It was all too much for Burnley.

Often a 1-0 defeat away from home is the result of a touch of bad luck in a tightly-contested game; not yesterday. Make no mistake about it, Burnley were handed a thrashing every bit as comprehensive if the final score been three, four or five nil; and but for some profligate finishing and heroics from Joe Hart, it would have been.

Out-paced, out-manoeuvred, out-thought and out-classed; Burnley were frankly awful yesterday, and the signs are becoming writ ever larger that Burnley’s way of playing is not fit for purpose when confronted with the fast-paced, technically adept play that Wolves and others are adopting.

In previous pieces, I have defended the players and management from criticism; mainly out of gratitude for all that those players and their manager have done for the club and its supporters, but performances like yesterday’s cannot be tolerated.

Burnley’s form, and with it their confidence, is in a tailspin, it has been since the back end of last season, and whilst a truncated close season, Europa League commitments and an indifferent transfer window can be offered up in mitigation, all that is in the past and both manager and players need to take a hard look at themselves.

In his post-match interview, Sean Dyche spoke of a fog engulfing the club. Those were not encouraging words, the tone was one of defeatism and confusion when defiance, clarity and resilience are called for.

There are thirty-three games remaining; twelve of those need to be won; that is the mathematical reality of Burnley’s predicament. I still believe that there is sufficient ability within the squad to achieve those dozen victories; but they need to start accumulating them immediately.

As for Wolves, although they are not my concern, I wish the well in the Premier League; they will inevitably face far tougher challenges that that which Burnley could muster yesterday; let us hope that one of those challenges will come in the return fixture at Turf Moor.

Written by Dave Thornley, an uber Clarets fan who contributes weekly to Clarets Mad.