Season Preview: Burnley Season Preview

Two seasons ago, Burnley gained promotion but they were mired in the relegation zone for the entire campaign and eventually dropped back down to the Championship with a 19th place finish. They were a bit of a one-trick pony and that one trick was Danny Ings scoring from the service of Kieran Trippier. Both were great fantasy assets in 2014/2015 and both were rewarded for their efforts to bigger clubs, Ings to Liverpool and Trippier to Tottenham. Manager Sean Dyche has remained at the helm through the drop and the return back to the top flight, and he has many familiar faces that stayed with the squad during their title-winning Championship season. The question is whether he can learn from his previous experience and add some more tricks to his side so that the Clarets can enjoy life in the Premier League beyond a single year.

Last Season in Brief

The mission for Burnley after selling Ings and Trippier away last summer was to find adequate replacements in order to have a successful season. They were able to do just that. They brought in Matthew Lowton from Aston Villa to replace Trippier and, more importantly, they made an excellent signing in Andre Gray from Brentford. Lowton was not able to match the attacking production that Trippier left behind but he was a steady presence at right back and did his part in a defensive line that conceded just 35 goals in their 46 league games. Gray was lightning in a bottle after having joined the club a few weeks into the season. In 41 starts, he racked up an impressive 23 goals, along with 8 assists, propelling him to win the Championship Player of the Year. With a strong defense and a consistently good attack, the Clarets finished with a goals for vs goals against ratio of better than two to one, losing only five matches and taking the title. The infamous ne’er-do-well, Joey Barton, did his part to help the club find success, managing to go a year without a sending off, an amazing accomplishment in itself. Scott Arfield and George Boyd rounded out the cast that influenced the attack while Ben Mee and Michael Keane provided solid contributions in defense.

The Summer So Far

There has been very little to speak of in terms of signings thus far for the Clarets. The only two new arrivals are a couple of teenagers that do not appear to be in the mix for regular playing time with the first team in the coming season, Jamie Thomas, a striker by way of Bolton and Robbie Leitch, a midfielder from Motherwell.

Joey Barton, sadly, will not be back in the top flight this season. He took a positive year with Burnley and was able to attract the attention of Rangers so he is off to the Scottish Premiership. Some other names you may remember from a couple of seasons ago have departed this summer. Former backup to Tom Heaton, Matt Gilks, is following Barton to Glasgow. Veteran Matty Taylor was released and Michael Duff has retired from football.

Remaining Summer Business

There is much left to be done in the summer window for Burnley if they expect to be competitive in the Premier League this time around and they should have a bit of cash to spend on a couple of solid talents. That budget could expand greatly if Michael Keane is sold. Currently, Leicester City are dangling a £15m offer and if the Clarets sell the young defender, they could use the cash to make upgrades elsewhere. Logic would dictate that upgrades are certainly needed. While the addition of Andre Gray last season served them well and he looks to be a fine replacement for the production Danny Ings enjoyed two seasons ago, the rest of the squad is virtually unchanged. It cannot be expected for Sean Dyche to find success with such a similar recipe, so the club really needs to make a few crucial additions, mainly in the creativity department.

They have agreed to a fee with Charlton Athletic for Johann Berg Gudmundsson, one of the heroes of the Iceland national team in this summer’s Euros. Burnley looks set to go with two strikers in their typical formation and Gudmundsson would be an extra option along with Gray and Sam Vokes. Looking to replace the role that Joey Barton played, the Clarets are attempting to land midfielder Jeff Hendrick from Derby County. The Irishman put on a display with the Republic of Ireland in Euro 2016 that has Sean Dyche interested in his services. While George Boyd and Scott Arfield are respectable in their wide midfield roles, they are not necessarily dynamic. The Clarets need to focus on a playmaker in that area of the pitch to provide service to Gray and score a few goals himself. With the club as it stands at the moment, Stephen Ward is your left back and David Jones has a spot in central midfield. Both of these spots could use an upgrade.

Salary Cap Superstars

Andre Gray – Gray looks hands-down the brightest star for Burnley in this coming season’s fantasy game. He should make for a solid option as a budget third striker in the FPL game when he is in form and should be a target for managers in draft leagues as a secondary striker option.

That is pretty much the extent of “superstars” from this current squad. There are other players worth targeting in draft leagues or as budget options in the FPL game should they keep their starting jobs. Boyd and Arfield are candidates for 5th midfielder options in the FPL game with the former showing some promise in that role two seasons ago. Michael Keane looks the best option for a defender in fantasy having scored five goals last season, tied for fourth-best on the team, but we will have to wait and see if he stays with the club. Tom Heaton in goal and Lowton in defense look safe options.

Draft Details

Andre Gray – There is little doubt that Gray will be the first Burnley player to come off the board in fantasy drafts. The question is, how early do you take him? Striker is the high-profile position in fantasy and some managers may want to play coy while names like Kane, Aguero and Vardy fly off the board, stock up on other positions with premium players and wait until a later round to anoint Gray as their primary striker. This could be a boom or bust strategy. It will all depend on how Gray transitions to a higher level of opposition. Plus, it can be a bit dicey to rely so heavily on a Burnley player in a draft league. It will not be an easy road to stay up this season and it could make for a painful nine months if Gray doesn’t provide returns you would want from a first-choice forward. Depending on the size of your league, he would be a great #2 option if you can get him.
Ben Mee – If you look at the various sources of information that provide ratings of players, Ben Mee proved to be Burnley’s best defender last season. This is in a “reality” situation though and does not necessarily translate into fantasy appeal. Mee was joint-top in yellow cards accumulated last season, unsurprisingly sharing the lead with Joey Barton. However, he was the only defender to start every game last season. In draft leagues, this is the player to grab and use him in favorable matchups on a week-to-week basis.
Sam Vokes – Vokes looks to be a solid punt as a late round pick for those in need of a second or third choice forward. He probably will not match the 15 goals he scored in the Championship but, assuming Dyche sticks with a 4-4-2, he will give you starts and find the net on enough occasions to warrant a spot on a manager’s roster.

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