Match Day Thread Burnley FC v Sunderland AFC - Saturday 23rd August 2025 - KO 15:00

That's the double edge sword with how the fixtures came out. At least we'll be in form when we have our hard run. That will help with our title challenge

 

Was thinking this past night. Better looking games at the start might actually hamper us. I don’t believe we lose to Burnley if we play them in 6 weeks.

Flip side, there’s multiple sides who look worse than I thought. Brentford beating Villa was a bit of a vote on the Arsenal though.

 

Hope we’re not upping our games against the so called big teams & slacken off v the so called smaller clubs

This is where RLB needs to learn to change things in game rather than stick to a tested formula

 

I’ve been worried about how we’re approaching all of this with the still very real threat of relegation looming over us, but I console myself with the fact that we’re clearly a very smart and well run club now and I believe them when they say they have considered that eventuality and have a contingency plan for it should it come to pass.

I’m confident that if we go down then we’re still in a healthier position as a club than we have been for quite some time.

 

Watched it live, then watched it back in peace early this morning, I, hand on heart, think, had Mayenda put that relatively easy chance away, (mind in my prime I would have swung and missed, so it’s a view not a criticism aimed at the young lad), and Ballard landed right, worst we would have had is a draw. Can’t overestimate imho how important Ballard , or a Ballard type, is to this team, and we have to take as many chances in the pl as we can, but genuinely happy with 3 from 6. Ktf

 

This may well be where yesterday benefits us.

Have the lads looked at it and thought ‘we’ve got this’, then got a culture shock that this isn’t Ligue 1 or whatever?

It could be the making of us. Nothing is a given it’s the Premier League.

 

Last night was ridiculous mate.

Feels like we’re getting close to the point where we’re going to have separate match threads because as soon as even the smallest bit of criticism, probably from certain posters, it’s going to end up in chaos. And that would be a massive shame tbh.

Apologies as I know people are trying to get the thread back on track but I think it’s important that these threads aren’t going to be ruined (especially as I unfortunately feel like the lads might lose a few times this season lol). Not sure what the solution is, but I do think moderation could be better in some situations, that’s just me though.

 

I think if people get so riled up by certain posters then just need to put them on ignore

For the most part this thread was fine, there were comments about the match and noone went OTT

I'm not going to say any more on it other than I'm buzzing for the week ahead to see how we react

 

Bloody hell, absolute God complex stuff.

 

Quoting myself I know but a few points on similar lines. A lad at the talk in with Speakman tried to ask a question about how much the club had plans and considerations for relegation and was widely derided for doing so but I would have loved to have heard a proper answer to the question. I think it could have helped provide a lot of reassurance for people further down the line.

What we have done will mean a huge amount of upheaval would be necessary but if it’s properly planned and well executed, with the extra resource we’ll suddenly have compared to the rest of the division, then it needn’t be too problematic and we could probably look forward to another cracking season.

Hopefully it’s all elementary anyway. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’m uncomfortable with what we’re doing this summer (as impressive as it is) but now we’ve gone this far I think we really need to go further and spend big on a couple more or we risk ending up falling between two stools. Clearly the club are thinking the same based on the live links (Lucimi, attempt for Laurriente etc).

 

This thread is beyond help.

 

As your lord and saviour, the man who everyone listens to, with a heart of gold, I can explain just what will happen in the event of relegation. Which is very likely after losing to League One Josh Cullen.

We will sell a few players for big money.

 

Watched the match again this morning and the game would have had a better outcome if Mayenda puts his chance away, love the lad but at this level you have to take those chances or you get punished and we did. Not sure Wilson would be in that position as he tends to create his own chances if that makes sense. Guiu put himself about when he came on and looks like a livewire when the ball arrives in the box, it’s a squad game these days so let’s give the lad a start next week and see what we have on our hands

 

Gutted we lost to Burnley but not all that gutted we played a lopsided and inconsistent game.

12 new faces, there are going to be some hiccups between now and the end of the season. Just need to bounce back next time out.

Would have loved to have stuck the boot into Burnley but I'm anything but shocked we got tonked.

 

On a bit of a positive, I really like what we do with set pieces at times. That Mayenda chance was really well worked, we seem to have a few of these each game. Ballard going off didn’t help us in the attacking box either. I do wonder if mukilele will play cb on Tuesday instead of right back with ballards injury.

 

Having been the one banging on about catastrophising bad performances/results I should probably clarify that my musings have nowt to do with the result yesterday (unfortunate thread for it to be on I know).

It will be more complex than just selling a few players. We’re buying lads of such high calibre/promise that few would want to stick around. Do we retain Ghisolfi or any of the new coaches at that level? How do you scale down everything else (eg on marketing or corporate sides)? I find it fascinating and it’s hugely complex but I have faith that the club will have it all covered and hoped we don’t see it come to pass anyway.

 

Nailed on he plays CB now. He’s played a lot of games at CB for attacking, progressive sides there’s no issue for me him filling Ballard spot.

 

Feels a really clever signing him like, delighted with it

 

Aye incredibly smart. Good pedigree, good price. No naivety about big leagues and clubs.

He will be a top pick up.

 

you’re hitting on my largest cause of worry with the club at the moment. We’ve “levelled up” so significantly across the board that I can’t even imagine how we would react to relegation so quickly. Clearly we won’t just go back to how things were. And clearly we’ll have some assets to sell (albeit with a relegation on their CVs).

More pressingly it will feel impossible to ever sustain in the premier league if this squad wasn’t able to.

Which is why defeats in winnable games feel so major. A 6 point swing to a club like Burnley in a season where both clubs are likely to at most only get 7 times that feels massive.