Burnley are one of very few success stories from the 2017/18 Premier League campaign. Instead of setting their sights on beating the drop, as most sides do, Burnley aspired for greater heights.
A seventh place finish in the Premier League this season, coupled with the fact the two FA Cup finalists are already in Europe next term, means Burnley have secured Europa League football for the 2018/19 campaign.
Burnley may have even finished above Arsenal had they not tailed off towards the end of the season, but Sean Dyche’s side have been a breath of fresh air in the Premier League.
The difficult for Burnley next season is that their campaign will start in July and their squad is already thin as it is. Unless there is an unprecedented summer spending spree, Burnley will surely fail to repeat this season’s heroics.
SUCCESS – NICK POPE
There have been so many plus points for Burnley this season, but it’s hard to look beyond Nick Pope’s story. The 26-year-old has been a revelation for Burnley and now Sean Dyche has a big decision to make in the summer about his No.1 goalkeeper for the 2018/19 campaign.
Many thought Burnley would slide towards the drop after Tom Heaton dislocated his shoulder in September, but Pope has more than replaced the England international.
In fact, Pope finished the campaign in the WhoScored Team of the Season as the highest rated goalkeeper in the division (6.93).
The 26-year-old now looks set to earn a spot in England’s World Cup squad, which is just remarkable when you consider he was an unknown quantity less than 12 months ago.
FLOP – GEORGES-KEVIN NKOUDOU
Burnley’s pursuit of Georges-Kevin Nkoudou on loan from Tottenham in January raised eyebrows, but the 23-year-old’s decision to move to Turf Moor was even more baffling.
Nkoudou said upon his unveiling that Dyche is a manager that likes young players, which immediately made it abundantly clear he knew nothing about the Burnley boss.
In fact, at the age of 23, Nkoudou was the youngest player to start a Premier League game for Burnley all season. Of the eight appearances he made in the league for the Clarets, only two were starts.
Nkoudou failed to score or register an assist in that time and is unlikely to return to Turf Moor in any capacity other than an opposition player.
Grade - A
