Lincoln City welcome struggling Burnley to Sincil Bank, looking to build on last Saturday’s stalemate at Millwall.
The Imps will hope to make it sixth time lucky and record our first home win of the campaign against a side we share a famous past with.
Burnley Form
Clarets boss Nicky Hayen is a man under pressure following his side’s hugely disappointing start to the season. Last Friday’s defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers means a year has passed since Burnley last won at Turf Moor. They twice threatened to end that sequence last week, leading on two occasions against Charlton Athletic and going a goal up against Wolves.
However, the Addicks twice battled back to take a point, scoring in the 96th minute to snatch a share of the spoils. Meanwhile, despite veteran striker Jamie Vardy opening his account for the East Lancashire outfit five days ago, the Clarets’ defensive fragilities allowed their fellow relegated rivals to turn the contest on its head.
All that means their impressive 4-0 victory at Watford after the international break feels like a false dawn, a result which finally ended their winless start to the Championship campaign. Goals from Jacob Bruun Larsen, Zeki Amdouni, Reo Hatate and Marcus Edwards earned Hayen his first victory as Clarets boss against their fellow second-tier strugglers.
Late goals have proved to be their undoing on several occasions this season, blowing advantages against Derby County and Bristol City last month. Despite their dismal start to the season, Burnley have taken points off two of the Championship’s top three sides, West Ham United and Middlesbrough, inside the opening few matches of this campaign.
Before the season got underway, plenty expected the Clarets to be in that conversation for promotion, if not automatically, then via the play-offs. The season may only be 11 games old, but it would take quite a turnaround for Burnley to win a third successive promotion to the Premier League immediately after being relegated. Coming into this weekend’s fixture, they occupy the final relegation spot, and defeat could spell the end of Hayen’s short reign at Turf Moor.
Burnley Team News
While Lincoln will be missing several players this weekend through injuries and suspensions, the Clarets are also in a sticky spot when it comes to those unavailable for selection. Anel Ahmedhodzic can’t feature due to concussion protocols, while Amdouni’s absence will be longer following an ankle injury earlier this month.
Longer-term absentees include Hannibal Mejbri and Jordan Beyer, who are both expected to return in the new year. Josh Cullen has spent an extended time on the treatment table after an ACL injury, but he is expected to step up his return by playing for the U21s on Friday. That will rule the Clarets captain out of facing us the following day.
Speaking to the press before facing Wolves last week, Hayen has been left frustrated by the constant alterations required to his line-up due to those injuries.
“I think that every manager wants consistency in his team and it’s something that we’ve been looking for through the weeks and months. But you see, when we find a team, or even when we pick one different change, then you have another injury, or two injuries.
“So, we’ll look again for the best selection possible, and that’s what we’re doing, we’re trying to pick the best players.”
Summer Business
Understandably, relegation from the Premier League meant that some of the Clarets’ better performers last term departed. Loum Tchaouna, Zian Flemming and Jaidon Anthony all remained in the top flight, each leaving for eight-figure fees. Centre-half Maxime Estève was the big-money departure, joining Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig, while Luca Koleosho now plays his football in the French capital.
Portuguese midfielder Florentino left the Clarets without making a senior appearance, joining Ipswich Town just two months after moving to East Lancashire from Benfica. Hatate was acquired from Scottish Premiership winners Celtic, while former Sheffield United defender Ahmedhodzic moved back to England from Feyenoord.
Ugo Raghouber and Grégoire Coudert joined from French duo Lille and Stade Brestois, respectively, while the loan market was utilised to sign Largie Ramazani and Max Alleyne from the Premier League. Vardy was undoubtedly the biggest name to arrive through the door at Gawthorpe, joining as a free agent after the window slammed shut.
Previous Meetings
Well, there’s only one place to start this section. Lincoln made FA Cup history in 2017 by becoming the first non-league side to reach the quarter-finals of the competition in 103 years by defeating the then Premier League Clarets. It was a ‘cupset’ of epic proportion and a run that helped build the foundations for the three promotions that have since followed.
The first meeting between the sides came at the end of the 19th century. This latest clash will end 27 years without facing each other in the league, when both encounters ended in a stalemate. That represents two of the 11 matches that have ended level, with Burnley recording 27 wins to City’s 17.
What Can We Expect?
While the Clarets’ poor season to date should give us increased confidence of picking up that much-needed first home win of the campaign, it won’t be as easy as the table suggests. Burnley have proved to be slightly better on their travels, winning their solitary game this campaign on the road. And the convincing manner in which they dispatched Watford a fortnight ago should provide a warning sign of what this group of players can achieve.
However, the truth of the matter is that we aren’t anywhere near the same opponents as the Hornets. Getting an early goal, just as we did against Millwall last Saturday, will get the home atmosphere rocking and increase the tension in the away end. The Clarets faithful have turned their attention to protesting against owner and chairman Alan Pace, and that could make for a toxic away end if the Clarets go behind.
This feels like an excellent opportunity to get up and running at Sincil Bank this season.
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