Where Eagles dare!
IT'S going to be more of the same for the Clarets next season as they look to replicate that dangerous attacking flair that proved pivotal in their promotion to the Premier League.
Owen Coyle's side scored 72 goals during last season's Championship campaign as well as a further four in the play-off fixtures and another 20 in both cup competitions.
The team's positive style of passing and moving, driving forward, utilising the wide men, and crowding the opponents' 18-yard box was rewarded with goals and consequently wins.
Adopting Wade Elliott in a central midfield role alongside Chris McCann and Robbie Blake and Chris Eagles, who flanked Martin Paterson, also proved to be an inspired tactical gamble.
And Coyle will continue to play that same style during the forthcoming campaign despite admitting: "We'll have to be brave and we'll have to be prepared to lose to actually win."
He said: "We'll need quality because in the Premier League there's a lot of pace and power.
"Hard work won't be enough; you're going to have to have the same quality that everybody else has got.
"We need to show the quality to go with the spirit and hard work that it will entail.
"I look to play the same way I have with all my teams since I started. I always enjoyed that as a player and I think it would be wrong for us to change the way we play.
"We got our success from doing that. We know that we're capable of
getting the ball down and playing it, looking to entertain at the same time.
"Obviously there's an element that it's fine to entertain but you must win matches and of course that's paramount.
"I believe that by playing by that style you can win games. It's not a gung-ho style we play."
But despite the side's success going forward, Burnley's backline also defended with purpose and was rewarded with 21 clean sheets during the 2008/09 season.
Coyle added: "We're organised and when we have to defend we defend.
"The clean sheets we picked up in the latter part of the season was there for everyone to see – we had a very nice shape to us.
"But, equally, we had players gifted on the ball. We now have to do that on a Premier League stage and that will be the test.
"We need to make sure that we carry on with this sort of play which gets people out of their seats because they are prepared to go and take players on.
"Within that there'll be times that you'll get punished for it because of the quality you're playing but I'm more than prepared to take the chance. I've no fear in that it's a gamble but I'd rather try to win a game."
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Sunday 05 February 2012
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