Former Clarets striker backs current crop to deliver the goals

Burnley's first £1m man Ian Moore has backed Burnley’s strikers to fire again.
Ian Moore evades the challenge of future Claret Jon Harley against FulhamIan Moore evades the challenge of future Claret Jon Harley against Fulham
Ian Moore evades the challenge of future Claret Jon Harley against Fulham

The Clarets are the lowest scorers in the Premier League with nine from 17 games.

The fewest goals the club have scored in a season is 28 in 38 matches as they were relegated from the Premier League in 2014–15, while they will also have to improve their strike rate to avoid an unwanted record – Derby County’s 20 goals in 2007/08 is the Premier League’s worst tally.

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After 17 games, only seven other clubs in Premier League history have scored nine goals or less, including Sheffield United this term,.

And five of those sides were relegated: Manchester City (1995/96), Sunderland (2002/03), Derby (2007/08), Swansea (2017/18), Watford (2019/20).

Everton in 2005/06 are the only side to survive.

Chris Wood currently has three goals in 21 appearances this season, Ashley Barnes one in his last 23, while Jay Rodriguez is without a goal in 19 appearances – the worst drought of his career – and while Matej Vydra has three goals in the cups, has not scored in 21 Premier League appearances, predominantly off the bench.

Burnley sit four points clear of the drop zone, however, and Moore, who netted 50 goals exactly in 214 appearances after joining the club for £1m in November 2000, backed the quartet to deliver the goods.

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He feels it is a case of perseverance, putting in the hours in training, and getting that break: “You speak to people in the game, and I was listening to Darren Bent a couple of days ago on Sky, talking about practising finishing, and he said Clive Allen had said to him not to practice like that, but I didn’t agree with that.

“The more you practice, the more you become aware of how good you are – keep doing it, getting in positions.

“I was quite surprised Clive Allen had told him that.

“I was always told by top strikers to keep practising.

“John Aldridge when I was at Tranmere was the perfect example.

“He wouldn’t score from 25 yards, but in the box he was the best finisher I ever played with, and I played with Andy Payton, Robbie Blake – good finishers.

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“Aldo was the best by far though, you’d be practising finishing all the time.

“I’d say 99% of the people you ask will tell you, keep practising, keep getting in positions and your luck will change.

“It always does.

“Burnley have quality strikers, and that’s why they have played and scored at that level.

“They just have to believe in themselves, keep getting in the positions and their luck will change.”

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Wood has hit double figures in the Premier League in all three seasons with Burnley before this, netting 10, 10 and 14, having been top-scorer in the Championship with 27 with Leeds in 2017.

Barnes netted nine in the league in 2017/18 – 10 in all competitions – and 12 the following campaign, while Rodriguez hit 15 for Southampton in 2013/14 before a serious knee injury, and netted seven (11 in total) as West Brom were relegated in 2018, 22 back in the Championship, and eight (11 in total) last season back with Burnley in the top flight.

Vydra also has goal pedigree, scoring 20 Championship goals for Watford in 2012/13, and 16 two seasons later, while he was the Championship’s top scorer in 2017/18 with 21 at Derby.