Exciting times for Burnley - Season Preview

Exciting times for Burnley - Season Preview

As season 9 is about to get under way, there have been some exciting developments coming out of the Burnley camp. Long-standing manager Hazr Poland has made some major changes to his squad, and the newly strengthened outfit have been formidable so far in pre-season. So what exactly is it that has got the fans so excited?

New Faces

Four new players have been drafted in by Mr Poland, the first of whom being Antoine Griezmann. Griezmann is an exciting, young French talent who has all the makings of a star, and Poland has a firm belief that his team at Burnley can mould him into the world beater that he clearly has the potential to become. Griezmann was bought in alongside Nicolas N'Koulou and Lucas Ocampos. N'Koulou is a solid 23-year-old Cameroonian centre back who is both fast and solid. 'It is rare to find a quality defender at such a young age, and we have done fantastically to have two in the heart of our defence'. N'Koulou is set to form a formidable partnership with Stefan Savic, one which strikers throughout the league will fear. Lucas Ocampos, the third part of the deal, is a young Argentinian attacker who is returning to his original club in 7046. Poland signed Ocampos originally in September 2011, though he left soon after in a deal that saw goalkeeper Diego Alves coming into Burnley. However, Poland has remained a fan of his ever since, and has tried to re-sign him on a regular basis, and his dream has finally become a reality. 'Ocampos is the future of Burnley' is all Hazr Poland had to say about him. Lastly, Jose Callejon has been brought in in a deal that has smashed Burnleys club transfer record - a mammoth £15million. This hefty fee does not seem so bad though when you consider what a player Jose is. He will add another dimension to Burnley's play, he provides great depth and, even at 26, he is looking like he has not yet realised his full potential. All in all, this new era at Turf Moor is giving the fans in Lancashire a great deal to shout about.

 Old Faces

Despite the influx of new faces, it is not ALL change at Burnley for the coming season. There are plenty of long-serving fans favourites that will return to action with a vengeance, proving once again why Hazr Poland places so much faith in them. Xabi Prieto, a midfield utility man has served for multiple seasons at Turf Moor, and, at 30, he is as good a player as ever. Another veteran that fans adore is newly appointed club captain - Fabio Quagliarella. He is coming into his 9th season as a Burnley player, and he is loved by everyone at the club. Its not just the veterans that are big names at the club. Alexandre Pato, the clubs top scorer last season, is as clinical as ever, and at 24 he is still a young man with plenty of places to go. Gonzalo Castro, the man at the heart of Burnleys midfield is also a big player, breaking up plays and creating goals with a gusto. The creative spark in the clarets side came mainly from Arda Turan last year. The Turkish playmaker has vision that is unrivalled by many in the world of football, and he will again make the team tick this season.

Pre Season

Pre season has been a successful affair at Burnley so far this time around. The team have enjoyed to major scalps, beating Arsenal and Liverpool. In these two wins, Alexandre Pato has been the star man, and he has shone, sweeping aside the might of the two Red's and firing home 3 goals that anyone would be proud of. 'A strong pre-season is an integral thing to a team, especially one that has so many new faces in it. They need time to gel, and to play against some of the best teams in the country is as good a way as any to do this. I am delighted with how the boys are playing, and it gives us all hope that we can finally achieve out goal of promotion this time around'.

Aims for this Season

In a recent press conference, manager Hazr Poland has spoken out about what his aims for this season will be.

'The last two seasons we have been disappointed to lose in the play-off's, and this season we are hoping to put an end to this disappointment. This season we are going to be bold. This season we are going to be better. This season, we want to win the league. Second place will be a failure, third place will be an embarrassment. We will show the league that Burnley are a name to fear, that no one will come to Turf Moor with any hope of going away with anything, and that when we travel to other teams, they will lock up their daughters and brace themselves for the rampage of devastating drive and brutality that my men will show them. We will stampede them. They will weak up the next day with trembling legs and wet beards, as we WILL show them who are men. We WILL show them how to play. We WILL make them cry, and they WILL run for the hills, for WE ARE BURNLEY and THEY ARE NOTHING'.