Burnley v Fulham Preview: Managing Expectations

"I think we're going to have a really rough August, leading to a few panic buys before the Window shuts and we'll eventually stabilise getting to high Mid-Table with the ambitions of Playoffs- but then around March/April time we'll completely go off the rails and settle at around 10th-14th."

Fair to say we're now at the "high Mid-Table with ambitions of Playoffs" part of my Pre-Season Prediction. If we can perform as we have in the last two games for every game between now and the end of the season- we will go up, I don't think that's even disputed. But, we won't- yes the last two games have been great. But does it completely cancel out everything that happened before it in this Calendar Year? No. The thing about being unbeaten in October, while factually accurate is annoying to me- because if we are serious about Playoffs we wouldn't be blowing two goal leads to Charlton and relying on our Goalkeeper to keep us in the game at Home to Leeds. With that said, you also have to say if we're serious about Playoffs we have to be taking points off of the teams above us as we have done with Boro and Reading. It really is a mixed bag- hence why Mid-Table is the most likely outcome.

Tomorrow's game is definitely an interesting one, as just said if we are serious about Playoffs we have to be taking points off the teams above us. But, I can't shake the feeling that tomorrow's game is a complete write-off. Historically we're never good up at Burnley, and with the quality Burnley have I can't see that luck changing tomorrow. With Birmingham on Saturday, especially with the current blip Birmingham are in that game is much more winnable- and it comes down to game management.

A lot's been made of the new system we used against Bristol City, and while it (obviously) worked- it's hard to say whether it'll work long-term because of it possibly being a short-term shock tactic combined with the fact Bristol City were absolutely dire at times. I think it's a fairly safe assumption that Burnley will provide more of a challenge- so it'll definitely be interesting to see if the new system is actually used, and if it is how it holds up.

One selection that isn't really in question is Andy Lonergan. It's annoying because he could and really should have had a Clean Sheet on Saturday, but we'd completely switched off by the time they the Kodjia goal went in. In fact, we'd completely switched off to the point they didn't even catch the Kodjia goal in the 4 Minute Highlight Package they put up. The lack of Clean Sheet isn't enough of a reason to give Joe Lewis a sniff of getting back in the team then.

The defensive selection for tomorrow is definitely going to be interesting. As I said, despite the obvious success with the new system on Saturday I do have my doubts over it being a long-term success- but that'll only be proven with time. The main thing when it comes to the defence is the fitness of Husband and Ryan Fredericks. I'm just going to work under the assumption that both are fit, and with Jazz Richards presumably still out injured there's not really an alternative selection given how both are currently playing. One thing I'm definitely going to be interested in going forward is when Jazz Richards gets a chance in the 5-3-2/3-5-2 and seeing how he plays in the role he plays so well for Wales. If we decide to change formation back to 4 at the back which we might depending on the degree to which we prioritise the Birmingham game, Dan Burn will be the one to drop out with Stearman and Ream carrying on as a pairing.

I've got a really weird feeling that Scott Parker's going to start tomorrow, I'm not even quite sure why to be perfectly honest. I definitely have doubts over Jamie O'Hara's fitness, and with the quick turnaround of games I'd rather he be fully-fit for Birmingham on Saturday. That of course means someone has to come in, and I have this weird feeling it'll be Parker. Cairney and Tunnicliffe aren't "defensive minded" enough to fulfil that role, and frankly I don't want their roles to change based on their performances on Saturday. With that in mind, it really is either Parker or Matilla to come in for O'Hara. As I said, I don't want Cairney or Tunnicliffe's roles to change after Saturday's game and I want it to continue as such should we be keeping to the system we used on Saturday that's that. If we revert to a 4-4-2 or a formation where we're playing with "conventional" wingers it opens the door for Alex Kacaniklic to come back into the team. If there was one thing that looking back I'm annoyed about from Saturday is that Kacaniklic didn't get a minute. I realise he didn't necessarily fit the system- and as already said I acknowledge the system did work, but to me it seems that Kacaniklic simply can't "catch a break" and if we won't give him a run in the team then we might as well just let him go in January.

In a vacuum, Moussa Dembele will be starting tomorrow and hopefully carrying on his impressive scoring run- and I do think he will. But we definitely have to be wary of overworking Dembele, because that's what I think happened with Christensen last season to be honest. Christensen was one of the best players in the league at one point, and then he got a knock that wasn't really anything just before the New Year- we tried rushing him back and he hasn't really been the same since. I'm not saying Dembele will tail off, and touch wood he won't get injured- but it's definitely something we need to be aware of and hopefully Kit's learned from Christensen. As such I do think Matt Smith is an option for tomorrow, but as I've said throughout the season- Matt Smith is best used coming off the bench and changing the Striker dynamic late-on. McCormack is a given, everyone is susceptible to being overworked- but the difference between McCormack and Dembele is McCormack's done the Championship song and dance so many times now- while this is Dembele's first proper season of any kind at senior level.

Team(s) for Burnley

The fact we do have the players to play multiple systems, in it's infancy successfully is an invaluable asset for us in the Championship. It can keep us relatively unpredictable, and crucially we have the depth in the squad to pull it off. The system we used on Saturday is one Kit knows, in fact the only way I knew how to lay out the "new" formation was to check how the Wales version was laid out. With that in mind, I am quite hopeful of it being a success for us- and as previously said we've got players like Jazz Richards who know the system and have shown they can perform in it. But, as already said- Bristol City isn't definitive proof that it does/will work. Especially when you consider we were effectively matching their formation- and I don't think any Bristol City fans would argue we have better quality players.

When it comes to Fulham, I'm almost always a pessimist. Even on Saturday when we were 4-0 up and running riot I was worried about us somehow managing to blow it. But, if we're still on this much talked about unbeaten run in a week's time- I think I'll be much more optimistic about our future. Whether or not we will be- well only time will tell.

Thanks for reading as always, the Review will be at Midnight tomorrow like usual so stay tuned for that. Tomorrow's game is definitely going to be an interesting of us, because despite the unbeaten run and general good feeling around the Club after the last two games- Kit's position and our confidence are still quite fragile at the moment. Anyway, as I said where hopefully I'll be celebrating another 4 Goals- Thanks again for reading, and let's just hope for the best eh?