The probable could become definite this weekend. Burnley will be demoted if they lose to Hull City. Even victory may not be enough to save them. This is the most understandable of struggles, and there are reasons for relegation.
Money woes
Burnley are in a different league from everyone else financially. Their wage ceiling is thought to be around £20,000 a week (Dh111,700). They were outbid by second-tier clubs. They have a Championship budget. When asked what he would have done differently, manager Sean Dyche said: “Got the chequebook out.”
Summer striking troubles
Burnley wanted to sign Troy Deeney last summer. Dyche said they could not afford the Championship striker, who then scored the goals to get Watford promoted. Instead, they ended up with the cheaper Lukas Jutkiewicz and Marvin Sordell. Neither has scored.
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Over-reliance on Ings
Forward Danny Ings did bring potency. Yet he has not scored in 10 games, and Burnley have only struck once in nine. Lacking excellent alternatives in attack, Burnley’s fortunes have risen and fallen with Ings.
Lack of depth
Dyche has named the most unchanged starting XIs in the Premier League. Continuity is a sign of a lack of depth. Burnley have depended on an overworked core of about 14 players. Many have now lost their sharpness. Tellingly, they only have one league goal from a substitute all season and rarely score in the final 20 minutes of games.
Midfield shortages
Burnley failed to bring in Henri Lansbury and Graham Dorrans at the end of January — both of whom are now playing in the Championship — and when the influential Dean Marney was then injured, it left them with only one fit specialist central midfielder, David Jones. Winger Scott Arfield has moved infield, but Burnley have rarely played as well since then.
Lost leads
Burnley were playing some excellent football in winter. In successive home games against Crystal Palace and West Brom, they surged into two-goal leads. A potential six points became one as Palace won and Albion drew. Burnley, with their lesser resources and inferior group of players, could not afford such results. They had to win when playing well.
Paying the penalty
Burnley have twice missed from 12 yards this season, both with considerable consequences. Palace’s Julian Speroni saved Arfield’s 86th-minute spot kick in a September stalemate while, last month, Matt Taylor’s penalty clipped the post against Leicester. Within a minute, City had scored the decisive goal.
Heading for trouble
Underdogs have to excel at the basics but Burnley have been strangely poor when defending set-pieces. They have conceded 17 headed goals this season, the most in the division. One reason is that goalkeeper Tom Heaton is an excellent shot-stopper but less convincing at dealing with crosses and reluctant to leave his line.
The great gulf
It comes back to the great divides. Burnley’s budget is a fraction of the size of their relegation rivals, let alone the top clubs. Probably only Ings and right-back Kieran Trippier will be signed by top-flight clubs in the summer. The talent gap and financial gulf gave them no margin for error. Their mistakes have been costly.
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