Welcome to the Jungle: Previewing Burnley Away

 

Here we are again, standing on the precipice of a brand-new season, blinking into the harsh August light and wondering how on earth we managed to arrive in the Championship. It is a splendidly confusing state of affairs, really. One moment you are boasting about European trophies, and the next you are staring down the barrel of a Sunday afternoon trip to Lancashire.

Our grand maiden voyage in this division begins at Turf Moor, which is hardly what the fixture computer would call a gentle landing. Burnley are, by all accounts, planning an immediate escape back to the top flight. They have acquired themselves a shiny new manager in Nicky Hayen, brought in a flock of fresh recruits, and possess that most formidable of footballing weapons: home field advantage on a breezy day in the north.

If one were looking for crumbs of comfort, our recent record against the Clarets is oddly glorious. We are unbeaten in our last eight meetings with them and have developed a bizarrely respectable habit of coming away from Turf Moor with something in our pockets. Classic West Ham move, really. Performing best in the places where you least expect us to function.

Yet, despite the historical numbers, my stomach is doing its customary pre-season somersaults. I remain profoundly nervous about how Nuno intends to set us up for this one. His tactical blueprint often feels like a beautiful enigma, and our current midfield situation is a genuine cause for sleepless nights. Losing key figures to fitness niggles right on the eve of the campaign is precisely the sort of tragic luck we wear like a heavy winter coat.

I remain foolishly hopeful for an opening victory, because hope is the engine that keeps us travelling across the country every weekend. Realistically, my head dictates a cagey draw. A defeat, however, would be utterly unacceptable. Losing on day one would send me directly into full-blown, arms-waving panic mode before the tea has even gone cold.