Although Burnley’s attacking underlying numbers are underwhelming for an automatic promotion outfit, the defensive mentality and spirit amongst the group is tremendous. With the Championship being an intense season from a workload perspective, having strong mental qualities as a group is integral for success, as many challenges arise. One of those challenges for Burnley was overturning a 1-0 deficit against Norwich at half-time, with Josh Brownhill and a wonder strike from Zian Flemming achieving this task.
First half struggles
Burnley started the game against Norwich negatively, as they were losing duels frequently across the first half, due to the Canaries displaying bravery to get touch tight to Scott Parker’s men. This was proved statistically as, according to FotMob, Norwich won every stat from a duel perspective — highlighting their superiority during the early proceedings.
Jose Cordoba connected to a Marcelino Nunez corner after Callum Doyle blocked off one of Burnley’s aerially dominant defenders. Although Norwich only scored a singular goal from a set-piece, they were a constant threat throughout the game from corners, winning the first and second contact of deliveries consistently.
The Clarets also struggled to adapt to Kellen Fisher & Callum Doyle inverting into midfield – creating a 2-3-5 structure during the first half. With Doyle & Fisher demonstrating fantastic precision in deep areas, it allowed Norwich to gain subsequent control of the game, as well as increasing the ball speed in Burnley’s defensive half.
Burnley’s bright wide threats
Despite Burnley’s attackers looking uninspiring in settled possession, they carried a significant threat in transition due to their ball-carrying qualities. Luca Koleosho & Jaiden Anthony remained high and wide regularly across the game, ready to run with the ball when their teammates got the ball into them.
Koleosho & Anthony were successful at gaining territory for the Clarets, resulting in Norwich retrieving into a relatively passive 4-3-3 structure in their half. As a collective, Norwich invited Burnley into the game from the start of the second half, but Kellen Fisher retained his aggression on Luca Koloesho, diving into tackles and reinforcing his presence in the game.
Parker’s tactical tweaks
Due to Burnley starting the game poorly, Scott Parker had to adjust at half-time. This tactical switch involved Josh Brownhill and moving his position into more advanced zones instead of playing him as a double pivot next to Josh Cullen.
Given that Brownhill is Burnley’s top scorer this season by a considerable margin, moving him closer to the forward line made sense, as it allowed him to burst into the box more frequently, getting on the end of second balls regularly. This was demonstrated at the weekend, as Brownhill occupied a free position on the right side of the box before anticipating a loose ball and converting home into the bottom corner, past Angus Gunn.
Getting extra bodies in the forward line has been an effective tactic by Scott Parker in recent weeks, as his side had huge difficulty creating chances during the autumn months.
Whilst the numbers still aren’t overly convincing from an attacking sense, the patterns of play are more convincing compared to a few months ago. With more players entering the box, their combinational play is becoming more fluid, subsequently increasing the tempo of their attacks.
Scott Parker was satisfied with his team’s attacking play across the encounter, as he praised his side for constantly ‘probing’ the Norwich backline, as per PinkUn. Whilst Norwich arguably gave them too much respect during certain moments, they pinned the Canaries back successfully due to their sustained periods of possession throughout the second half.
Defensive rearguard
This match wasn’t the perfect example to highlight Burnley’s defensive superiority, but it displayed another key characteristic of their defensive unit, which was their formidable squad depth.
With Maxime Estève collecting an injury during the first half, experienced centre-back John Egan replaced the Frenchman just before half-time. Egan only made his first start for Burnley against Middlesbrough two weeks ago but stood up to the occasion fantastically and delivered a fine showing.
Egan provided leadership in the backline, as well as adding defensive security against fast, athletic forwards. The ex-Sheffield United defender was a reliable mechanism in possession, assisting his team in establishing control in Norwich’s half with numerous short-distanced passes.
One individual that aided Burnley’s push to collect three points was James Trafford. The young goalkeeper made numerous critical saves, including a goal-line clearance which was destined to ripple into the net if it wasn’t for his recovery speed.
According to FotMob, Trafford made five saves during the encounter, underlining his importance to his team. One of those stops was a powerful palm away from a Borja Sainz long-range effort, as well as a few imperative stops during the latter stages of the match.
Additionally, the keeper showed supreme confidence with the ball at his feet, finding his teammates impulsively with fast-paced passes to his fullbacks. Considering many of those passes were executed towards the start of the game, it speaks volumes of his confidence and personality to perfect high-difficulty passes so early on.
Conclusion
Overall, the Clarets were not at their best on Sunday afternoon, with Norwich inviting them back into the game during the second half. As any consistent side does, Burnley ground out a result when they weren’t playing at a high level, meaning an automatic promotion spot is firmly up for grabs.
They also demonstrated their individual quality in certain moments, as Zian Flemming scored a wonder goal from approximately thirty yards out. Considering Flemming started the game on the bench, it’s a scary proposition for the rest of the division if Burnley can bring players off the bench with that level of high calibre.
Similarly to Sheffield United & Leeds United, to an extent, Burnley has the mental toughness within the group to win points unjustifiably. Coupled with the player experience and the manager’s promotion credentials, it’s a powerful force which could guide them back to the Premier League.