Burnley’s pre-season has now come to an end – and there’s only a week to go until the real stuff kicks into gear.
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'Good test': Scott Parker's verdict on Burnley's narrow defeat to Lazio in final...](https://www.burnleyexpress.net/sport/football/good-test-scott-parkers-verdict-on-burnleys-narrow-defeat-to-lazio-in-final-pre-season-friendly-5264427 "'Good test': Scott Parker's verdict on Burnley's narrow defeat to Lazio in final pre-season friendly")
Despite the narrow defeat to their Serie A opponents, there was plenty to be encouraged about from a Burnley perspective – which Parker will be looking to capitalise on ahead of next weekend’s opener against Tottenham.
Here we take a look at the key talking points:
A real step up
This is not to say that the games against Huddersfield, Shrewsbury and Stoke were pointless, far from it. We can take something from every encounter. But let’s be honest, in pre-season it’s all about working on the players’ fitness and ensuring as many of them as possible get the required minutes under their belts. This game, however, was a proper test. Not only that, it was the perfect replica of what Burnley are going to face on a regular basis in the Premier League this season. Lazio, who finished 7th in Serie A last season, had the lion’s share of possession, while Burnley were happy to sit a little deeper, soak up a little bit of pressure and wait for their moments. That’s not to say the Clarets were sitting on the edge of their box in a low block, far from it. But, unlike last season in the Championship, the onus wasn’t on them to attack and take the initiative and that seemed to suit them, which bodes well for the coming campaign. In terms of their final friendly before the season begins, this was the perfect fixture to prime Parker’s men for what’s about to come.
Style of play
Burnley and Lazio played out a well-contested friendly at Turf Moor on Saturday (Photo by Marco Rosi - SS Lazio/Getty Images)placeholder image
Burnley and Lazio played out a well-contested friendly at Turf Moor on Saturday (Photo by Marco Rosi - SS Lazio/Getty Images)
After a whole summer debating how Burnley would line up – will it be a back four or a three? – we finally got to see the back three in action, and it has to be said, it looked very promising. While the Clarets lined up with a three at Shrewsbury Town, that was far from being anywhere near Burnley’s strongest side on show. But at Huddersfield and Stoke respectively, it’s been a traditional flat back four. For a start, the fact that Parker lined up with a back three a week out from the season opener is surely a strong indication that’s what we might see at Spurs. It’s clearly something the Clarets have worked on heavily in pre-season, as the patterns of play were there for everyone to see. While Burnley, somewhat unsurprisingly given their defensive exploits last season, looked comfortable and disciplined out of possession, knowing exactly when to press and force mistakes, they were also fluid and incisive with their build-up play. Aided by their crossfield balls and quick switches of play, the Clarets moved the ball with real intention and there always seemed to be an extra man available. If Burnley can replicate this on a regular basis in the Premier League, they could well be onto something. But at the same time, I wouldn’t expect the Clarets to play a back three in every game. Parker has already suggested he’ll look to remain flexible and adaptable this season and change system and tactics depending what the game requires.
Standout performers
While the most encouraging aspect of Burnley’s display was their team cohesion, there were also plenty of individual performances that caught the eye. Quilindschy Hartman continued his fine pre-season form with another impressive display at left wing-back, with pace and energy aplenty. A lot of Burnley’s joy came down their left too, which was no coincidence, with Hartman and Jaidon Anthony linking up particularly well. It was only a couple of seasons ago Hartman was a member of Feyenoord’s Eredivise-winning side under Arne Slot, played in the Champions League the subsequent season and was regularly capped by the Netherlands. Get back to that form prior to his serious injury and he could well be a top player for Burnley this season. Elsewhere, Kyle Walker provided another Kyle Walker performance, this time on the right of the back three. Hjalmar Ekdal was producing another confident display before his clumsy foul for the Lazio penalty, which was well saved in James Trafford-esque fashion by Max Weiss. Despite that, the Swedish centre-back has still done enough to put himself in contention for a starting spot in North London next week. Oliver Sonne was also a constant outlet down the right-hand flank in a wing-back role that really suits him. He could easily have scored on a couple of occasions too, denied by the crossbar with one particular close-range header.
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