West Brom boss Mowbray warns that Burnley will be on a high
Jan 23 2009 by Robert Tanner, Birmingham Post
Fatigue may not be a factor when Burnley arrive at The Hawthorns on Saturday for an FA Cup fourth round clash just three days after their gruelling Carling Cup semi-final.
After clawing back a three-goal deficit from the first leg against Tottenham Hotspur, Owen Coyle’s Clarets suffered heartbreak at the death in extra time.
However, Mowbray rejected suggestions this could be the perfect time to face the Championship promotion hopefuls after a physically and mentally draining experience.
Mowbray is a big fan of Burnley’s style and believes the experience might galvanise them for another cup run.
“They possess a lot of quality,” Mowbray said. “They have beaten Arsenal, Chelsea and Fulham, and very nearly beat Tottenham, so I am very respectful of the way they play. I can see similarities to how we played last season in the Championship, the shape they are using and the extra man in midfield.
"They are moving the ball around well and scoring. They have hit a sticky patch in the league, going three or four games without winning, so maybe there is a case for saying cup football is catching up with them a little, because they went to extra time against Queens Park Rangers in the last round and against Spurs.
“But with the perceived adversity of too many games they can rally around and keep going. They may see the FA Cup as a shot for nothing really as there are no league points at stake. They can come here and have a go, play their attractive football and see how they get on.
“I am looking forward to the game and think it will be a little like Middlesbrough last week. I can imagine at the start they will have a fair bit of the ball because I can’t see us dominating possession against them because they have players who don’t give the ball back quickly.”
Mowbray is relishing locking horns with Coyle again. The Albion boss came up against his Burnley counterpart on many occasions when he was playing for Celtic in Scotland and is expecting an equally tough time now they are both managers.
“I have always been impressed with Owen,” said Mowbray. “I played against him a lot. He was a whole-hearted, 100 per cent footballer who never stopped running, was always on the go and never gave you a second. I think he manages like that, with the same intensity and adrenaline. He likes his teams to play and I think they do play. They are a good team. They have Eagles coming in off the right, Blake playing, and Johnson and Paterson up front. They are good players. He has got them spread across the pitch and playing an expansive game, which is how I like to see football played. I like Owen and the way he plays. I like his mannerisms and his respect for other coaches and teams. He is a good guy.”
Striker Luke Moore could be fit after a hamstring strain but despite returning to training, tomorrow’s game has come too early for Gianni Zuiverloon (knee) and Abdoulaye Meite (hamstring).
Albion have six others unavailable. Jonas Olsson (knee), James Morrison, Leon Barnett, Shelton Martis (all hamstring), and long-term absentees Neil Clement and Ishmael Miller (both knee) all remain in the treatment room.
