TALKING TACTICS: First goal could prove crucial!

Turf Moor will be the foundation to any success achieved by this football club. It needs to be a fortress. One win from six this season is unacceptable and a major cause for concern.

To the Ricoh Arena, and our opponents tomorrow, Coventry City. Home form has been a lifeline for the Sky Blues in an otherwise disappointing start to the current campaign.

A solitary reverse against Leicester City on the opening day remains their only defeat on home soil thus far.

The outcome of this fixture will be determined by the first goal. The last time Coventry pocketed three points from a losing position? January 17th 2009!

Are Coventry too prepared for each fixture?

Preparation is the key to success, and there can be no argument against that fact. However, there is a fine line between preparing and moulding your side based on the opposition. It appears that Coventry can be classed as the latter.

A team cannot achieve success without a footballing philosophy.

Choose one and stick with it. Short term results may suffer as a result, but long term benefits always ensue.

Select players to fit your style rather than a style to fit your players.

Andy Thorn was employed as chief scout prior to his current role.

Nobody can question his research for each fixture.

However, he needs to choose his own system, rather than adapt one depending on the 11 men on the other side of the field.

Lukas Jutkiewicz will be the main threat this weekend.

From their defensive third, the aim will be to release him in depth, behind our defensive line.

I expect Burnley to eliminate this tactic by instructing Trippier and Easton to close well inside.

This is the natural solution to eradicate the success rate of a long ball strategy.

Where can Burnley achieve success?

Once again the importance of width must be emphasised.

It is evident that both full backs tend to sit on the edge of the box.

This provides two key advantages to our attacking transition.

Firstly, it allows freedom to deliver the ball into the box.

Secondly, the full back will pull out wide in an attempt to block the cross.

The two striker combination between Charlie Austin and Jay Rodriguez can exploit the gap left behind.

Rodriguez and Austin look to attack near post.

One stays whilst the other fakes and arrives back post (see diagram).

The result? A genuine goalscoring opportunity.