FITNESS FOCUS

The Burnley defender Kieran Trippier said that the improved focus on the fitness of the team has started paying results. Burnley have been moving up the table in recent weeks, and the defender Trippier has attributed the fitness of the players to this improved form. The team has managed to go on a run of four victories in the last five matches, which has put them just below the play-offs positions. Trippier has also said that he never felt fitter, while attributing the incredible hard work that he has been doing in the last three months.

Burnley’s fortunes have completely transformed under the management of Sean Dyche, who has been able to take the club from mid-table position closer to the play-off positions. Burnley will be facing Birmingham during the weekend. Trippier is once is again expected to play a key role in the team, and the defender has said that the players feel extremely confident ahead of this match. He has said that the weekend’s 1-0 victory over Millwall could have easily become a 2-1 defeat for the team earlier in the season because they are not fit as they are now. However, they managed to hold out for the victory in the match.

“We’re fitter and stronger. When we were winning 1-0 at Millwall on Saturday, they were piling everything on us. At the start of the season we possibly could have got beat 2-1. Going back to the Watford game last year, we were winning 2-0 and got beat. But we’ve put that right now, we’re winning and not conceding late goals. You need to be fit these days to play at this tempo,” said the Burnley defender. After going a run of five matches without a victory, but they have now suffered one defeat – against promotion chasing Leicester City – in the last fight.