Notes for the New Season - Part Three: Burnley, Blackburn and Preston Friday, 24th Jul 2015 11:00 by HarryFromBath In the third of a series of pre-season reports, HarryfromBath assesses the mood around the Championship clubs by delving into their forums. The spotlight falls today on the East Lancashire valley when we look how things are progressing at Burnley, Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End. Burnley - We Mean Business This Season“Look at the Championship. I don’t feel scared of anyone and I bet Sean Dyche is licking his lips”, “I’m all for optimism but please be realistic. I don’t want us to get carried away, thinking we have to turn up for pre-season and assume promotion is assured. It will be a long, hard slog whatever happens.” Clarets are approaching the coming season quietly confident having planned for relegation both on and off the pitch. They have replaced two departing first-team players with like-for-like replacements and held out for the best deal possible with the one player prised unwillingly away. Sean Dyche“Business is being done, dosh is rolling in and Sean Dyche is a godsend. I’m quietly confident about our prospects”, “The Ginger Miraculous One is one of us. He has the chance to become a Burnley legend in his own lifetime”, “Outstanding at getting the best out of a squad without splashing cash.”  The Burnley manager was linked with the then-vacant position at Sunderland when Dick Advocaat resigned for a short period at the end of the season. Clarets viewed both the prospect of losing him as well as the wisdom of taking the position on with equal horror. “You reap what you sow. Sunderland are the best example of this. If you continue to bring in short-term solutions rather than seek out long-term success you will find that the good managers shy away from you. Why would anyone with ambition go to that club?” Transfer Dealings“I’m a little concerned we have done all our business”, “We have two decent players for every position in the side. Some additions would be nice but are not essential”, “I feel confident in what we have.” With two arrivals and five departures this summer, Burnley have kept a stable squad despite relegation. Veteran centre-back Michael Duff has signed a one-year extension and keeper Tom Heaton has signed one for three years. Two new arrivals at Turf Moor this summer have been striker Jelle Vossen and full-back Matthew Lowton, high calibre replacements for high profile departures. Midfielder Steven Reid has retired and winger Ross Wallace has joined Sheffield Wednesday, while the transfers of striker Danny Ings to Liverpool and right-back Kieran Trippier to Spurs have been more widely publicised. Clarets feel a little differently about both major departures. “Trippier’s heart was always in it at Burnley. He was a talented player who gave his all. You can’t fault the way he went about leaving, what a professional he is”, “I will always remember him as a terrific 100% player with a smile on his face”, “An outstanding ambassador for the club.” “Danny Ings did great things on and off the pitch for us”, Regardless of his words about wanting to do his best for us he decided to engineer a move as soon as we were promoted, not as obviously as Raheem Sterling but the intent was the same”, “He should have been sold 12 months before he was.” Many fans are simply magnanimous to both departing players. “Ings and Trippier were both really good lads who put a lot into the club over the years. Both showed the club in a good light and have been a credit to us, and both left while giving us a profit.” Jason Shackell“Thank God for that. I was getting sick to death of it all. We all knew he was going to Derby and it’s not the disaster some think”, “Money talks but it’s a shame he has gone to a promotion rival”, “Whenever we sell to a promotion rival we ourselves get promoted, although it’s usually QPR.”  The news yesterday that the 31-year-old centre-back was returning to his former club was greeted with a weary shrug by many Clarets. “Shackell has been fantastic for us and it’s a shame it had to end like this. He’s probably the best defender I have seen play for us.” “All in all well handled by the club — it probably solves the left-back dilemma as Stephen Ward will play there with Ben Mee moving to the middle”, “Mee is a good player at this level who has the added benefit of already being familiar with the system and his potential partners.” Not everyone is happy with this move. “We’re losing the best centre-half in the division to a rival. Pound signs or not this is not a nice thing”, “It would be foolish to go into the season with three centre-backs”, “Berra would be a good shout, but I’m not sure he would be a realistic target.” “Shackell has had his head turned by an offer we simply couldn’t compete with”, “Derby seem determined to spend their way out of the division and follow the successful path taken by clubs like Reading, QPR, Portsmouth, Cardiff, Wigan…” Matthew Lowton and Jelle Vossen“Lowton is a great signing”, “While not Trippier, as good a signing as could be hoped for.” Joining from Aston Villa, the new arrival “has only turned 26 but has plenty of experience in the Premier League, having been first choice for two years. It’s a really great deal”, “I’m very pleased about this”,  “Hurrah, hurrah, we’re signing a star!”, “Jelle set for three years with us. I settled for ‘Jelle Set’ in the end but was close to using ‘Jelle Deal’”, “Two signings done and dusted by the first week of July”, “He’s got a bit of talent. He’s very accurate in front of goal, particularly from the edge of the box.” The Belgian played on loan at Middlesbrough last season from KRC Genk, but chose the Clarets when this option became available to him. “A poll of Boro fans had 78% of them wanting him to stay. We have pulled off a cracker of a signing”, “An intelligent, talented footballer and a precise finisher.” Blackburn Rovers - Hope is All We Have“As we limp into another season under the ownership of Venky's, I’m sure I’m not the only person questioning where all this is going to end. With every passing season our fortunes have deteriorated and they are unlikely to improve in any was in the future." Rovers are struggling under the yoke of a transfer embargo this summer. With no major arrivals and two regular starters from last season having already departed, many fans fear the worst for the coming season. “Losing the goals of Rudy Gestede and adding in our defensive fallibility makes us easy to beat.” “Barring the odd person, expectations have been set and they are very low”, “I feel strangely optimistic that we will finish as high as 15th”, “I think we could surprise a few of our own fans and push on from the few flashes I have seen in the last two seasons.” Venky's“A rudderless ship will inevitably crash upon the rocks”, “The debt we have now, the embargo, the league we are in and the talent drain are down to the owners”, “I just get the impression even Venky's don’t know what to do now and probably think there is no way out.”  Despite calls to bring the bed-sheets out again by a militant minority, most fans have no appetite for protests which could inflict more damage on the club. “In our current state we need Venky's more than they need us”, “Let’s not try to rock the boat otherwise we might really be in trouble.” “They are not universally unpopular. I recall a game last season when someone was singing they wanted Venky's out in the Darwen End. He nearly caused a riot when a number of supporters told him to shut up.” Gary Bowyer“Bowyer has his work cut out and I feel sorry for him. He will have a difficult task in replacing at least one quality striker with no money to spend”, “Bowyer is tactically poor and cannot set the team up to be tight at the back. He has no plan B when the match is in progress.”  Supporters are struggling to answer the problem of a porous defence and the loss of at least one important striker. “Over the past few years defending has been a problem. Even under Bowyer there have been times when we were back up to conceding the two per game we saw under Steve Kean.” Transfer Dealings“The embargo is a Catch-22. It is designed to bring down costs but you have no incentive to sell players because you cannot replace them”, “There is no way we can progress until we can buy players again.” Rovers have recruited two free agents and are hopeful of bringing in a third. The new faces arriving this week are French striker Bengali-Fode Koita, a 24-year-old striker from French Ligue 1 side Caen and French 23-year-old “tough tackling” midfielder Sacha Petshi from CA Bastia, who were relegated last season to the French fourth tier. “Bengali has played consistently in the French top tier for two seasons”, “He has 60 games in Ligue 1 and 40 in Ligue 2. He has all the makings of being a replacement for Josh King.” Fans are happy to see a striker with some top-flight pedigree arriving, but are more circumspect about his compatriot. “The signing of Petshi signals we are looking to balance the books”, “The fact that a struggling French third-tier team decided to let him go means we should not be looking at him”, “A Varney-esque making the numbers up signing”, “With a one-year deal, he’s a shirt filler.” “If Kim does sign it will be very good news.” Speculation has been rife over the hoped-for signing of South Korean Kim Bo-Hyung, the 25-year-old midfielder having been released by Wigan this summer. If this move is successful, the international is seen as a replacement for Tom Cairney. The two who have departed so far have been Norway international winger Joshua King (to Bournemouth) and midfielder Tom Cairney (to Fulham). While King’s departure has been greeted philosophically, many fans are upset by the loss in Cairney of one of their creative midfield linchpins. “King was one of the few players with pace in the squad with pace”, “We all know about his pace, but he couldn’t finish and didn’t know when to pass the ball. At 23 years old, he is not a player breaking through either”, “Howe is a shrewd manager and maybe sees something Bowyer hasn’t.” Tom Cairney“How utterly stupid”, “One of our best players has gone to a rival club”, “I can’t really make sense of it from anyone’s perspective”, “With David Dunn having left we are looking limited creatively”, “I’m completely baffled by this move. The money received will hardly make a dent in the debts.”  “To weaken our team and strengthen a rival just seems madness”, “A silly decision to sell”, “Cairney was the only player with vision and ability to put a defence on the back foot with a pass. We badly missed him when he was out and will struggle to create chances without a replacement.” Jordan Rhodes and Rudy Gestede“Watford are opening negotiations again for Rudy”, “For anybody harbouring thoughts of him staying, he 100% isn’t. He will never play for Rovers in a professional game again. It’s just a case of who buckles first. Will Venky's accept a lower bid or will Watford put the money up?”  “I hope our owners don’t budge an inch on Rudy’s asking price. Watford will do what they will.” Supporters are resigned to losing the former Cardiff marksman and believe that it is a matter of time before the club strikes a bargain with Watford. “I love Jordan, but for £14 million it’s a no-brainer to sell.” Yesterday’s newspaper reports of a bid by Middlesbrough for Jordan Rhodes provoked much comment. “Venky's will want a minimum of £12 million up front and won’t deal in add-ons”, “We should have sold him before the embargo.” “Gestede is beyond our control with interest from a Premier League side. We can only get as much cash as possible. Rhodes is different. We aren’t talking about a step up here, but a club that finished five places above us”, “You can’t replace 40 goals per season with a replacement on £10k a week.” Preston North End - Excitement Giving Way to Concern“This season PNE finally won the play-offs and in utter style, scoring eight, conceding none and nailing our opponents at Wembley. It was one of the most exciting, perfect, brilliant seasons ever and the best day I have had as a Preston fan. What a release when the final whistle went.” Preston fans are still basking in the afterglow of a memorable season. “Wembley was great. I waited 51 years - all that time since I sobbed my eyes out as a lad at the end of the 1964 FA Cup final - to see us win at Wembley”, “I am enjoying the summer and cannot wait to get going again.” The reality of this season’s challenge is quickly dawning. “The excitement I had at Wembley is very slowly turning to concern and doubt. I just don’t think this pre-season is going to plan”, “The positivity of Wembley is almost a distant memory. We need a few signings but there is still time.” Simon Grayson“I know that he has achieved outstanding success but Grayson’s football can be frustrating to watch”, “We have had a habit of trying to defend leads early on instead of going for a second goal. We end up retreating and leaving the strikers isolated”, “Bring on a second striker and go for it.”  “He plays cautiously at home but goes for it on the road.” While supporters appreciate all their manager has achieved they have been occasionally frustrated by his caution. “Grayson is Mr Safe, using substitutions to counter the opposition rather than playing the game on our terms.” Transfer Dealings“In Simon we trust, but even the most pessimistic fans would have expected more new faces by now, I reckon”, “The forward line is fine, but the midfield and especially the defence need strengthening.” Preston released eight players this summer once the play-off final was won. Seven relocated to lower league teams - defenders Scott Laird and Scott Wiseman and midfielder Jack King (to Scunthorpe), keeper Thorsten Stuckmann (to Doncaster), defender David Buchanan (to Northampton), midfielder Keith Keane (to Cambridge) and winger Lee Holmes (to Exeter). Veteran striker Kevin Davies was also not offered a new deal. “Although we had him in the twilight of his career, I enjoyed watching him and he always gave 100%”, “He added a touch of class and quality to the team at an important time. The Championship at 38 years old is a step too far though.” “The current squad are good enough to secure a mid-table finish. Spending millions on eight new players wouldn’t get us promoted and would seriously damage morale”, “We need to settle into the Championship with the group we have and fill the few vacant positions which have arisen.” The Lilywhites have focused on retaining their existing squad this far, with eight of last year’s permanent players offered extensions. Two, winger or frontman Paul Gallagher (from Leicester) and striker Jermaine Beckford (from Bolton) who played at Deepdale last season have also signed permanent deals. “How many goals will Joe Garner score in the Championship?” The 27-year-old signed a three-year extension and his retention has generated most discussion. “He will do well with better service from midfield plus Championship referees not knowing how slippery grass can be with Joey’s boots on.” Will Keane“Very happy with this”, “Sheffield Wednesday fans said he would be good alongside a prolific goalscorer as his hold-up and link-up play was good, but others criticised his lack of goals. Bringing him in seems like a decent move considering we have decent goal scorers in Garner and Beckford.”  The 22-year-old striker is the one new face so far this summer, arriving on a season long loan from Manchester United, having played with the Owls last season. “He offers something different to what we are used to - a hold-up front man who has both pace and the ability to get behind defenders.” Sam Johnstone“I really hope that the Johnstone situation is resolved very soon and that Grayson has some back-up sorted if it is not.” The 22-year-old Manchester United keeper played on loan last season with Preston and is widely hoped and expected to return. For many fans, this cannot come soon enough.  “He’s a great goalie, sound as a pound in League One, keeping clean sheets, organising the defence and he has a half-decent kick on him. He hardly put a foot wrong last year. He is young, ambitious, confident, has a great future in front of him and he has already won his first medal at Wembley.” Defensive Reinforcements“Grayson has stated that he wants to sign full-backs and a goalkeeper, but quality players take longer to acquire as they will have more bargaining power”, “It would be nice to do a bit of business, but squad strengthening is gradual. Grayson does well with long-term signings outside the window.” Fans are delighted with Garner, Gallagher, Keane and Beckford lined up as a strike force, but have major concerns about both full-back positions and they would ideally like to see an additional keeper alongside Sam Johnstone. Many fans are urging patience. “Give it a rest, people. Open your eyes and take a look at our rivals. Blackburn, Bristol City and Hull have signed nobody. There’s too much panic and pessimism”, “All good things come to those who wait”, “Sit tight, stop moaning and enjoy the news as it’s released.” Message BoardsThe busiest Burnley forum is Burnley Mad , while the most active Blackburn Rovers site is Rovers Talk. Preston’s liveliest message board is PNE Online. Harry's Notes by ClubBirmingham
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