CHANGE OF SHAPE

RARE are the times when Sean Dyche moves away from the 4-4-2 formation which has yielded so much success for Burnley during his tenure.

It happened only once in the Premier League campaign two years ago, at West Brom, and once last season, in the league defeat at Middlesbrough.

So it was a shock to see the Clarets play three central midfielders on Saturday, but for 45 minutes it worked.

Dyche said the plan was to keep more of the ball and it helped in terms of possession, there were plenty of passing options and the movement was intelligent as well.

The summer recruitment has given Dyche the option to introduce a bit more flexibility this season and it is something we will see more of.

MOMENT OF MADNESS

UNFORTUNATELY that game plan went out the window in first half stoppage time.

It was a poor decision from Matt Lowton to challenge Marc Albrighton aerially when he has never going to win the ball, and the Clarets suffered the ultimate punishment from that mistake. As Dyche himself so often says, the margins are even finer in the Premier League.

When Jon Flanagan arrived on loan it was expected he would challenge Stephen Ward for a left-back slot, but may his chance now appear on the right?

Lowton hasn’t been at his best so far this season and could soon feel the pressure for his place from Flanagan, who impressed for the Under-23s last week and his Premier League experience could be an asset for the Clarets.

FIGHTING BACK

THE disappointment at the way a promising afternoon had turned to dust was etched all over the player’s faces as they filed away from the King Power Stadium dressing rooms on Saturday.

It was particularly frustrating that a surprise result appeared attainable for most of the first 45 minutes.

It won’t be an enjoyable experience when they sit down to go through the video nasty of what eventually played out at the home of the champions in the early stages of this week.

But this squad have shown in the past they can quickly put disappointments behind them and they have an extended break before welcoming Watford to Turf Moor next Monday night.

Home form is undoubtedly going to be key this season and it would be ideal if the Clarets could take out their frustration on the Hornets.