Simple Burnley FC switch could open the flood gates for Scott Parker’s side | OneFootball

One simple midfield switch could help Burnley's attacking issues

It's been a peculiar season for Burnley, as although their league position would suggest all is well within camp, there have been several rumblings of discontent among the fan base, primarily at the brand of football being played.

Assessing Burnley's season can be viewed one of two ways depending which side of the fence you sit on, but the facts are they're firmly in the promotion race in the final third of the season.

The Clarets certainly haven't been the most entertaining side to watch this season, finding goals incredibly difficult to come by, which hasn't been helped by the fact they've been playing without a recognised number nine for most of the season and failed to sign one in January.

On the flip side, they boast the best defensive record after 31 games in English Football League history, so they've at least nailed one side of the game.

That solid defensive unit gives them the platform to win most games by just a single goal, something they managed against Oxford in midweek, although the fact they needed an own goal to win did paper over a few cracks.

Bringing Jonjo Shelvey into the side could help Burnley's attacking unit

To Burnley's credit, they should've been out of sight against Oxford before they actually went 1-0 up, missing five gilt-edged chances in the first half, and on another day the victory would've been much more handsome.

The facts are though, that it wasn't, and Burnley again struggled to get over the line, with 10 0-0 draws this season proving that it's been something they've struggled with for the entire campaign.

Parker has tried many things to find a solution this season, changing strikers, wingers and central midfielders, but so far nothing has really worked.

One of his January recruits could hold the key to unlocking Burnley's true attacking potential though, as Jonjo Shelvey made a brief cameo against Oxford as he continues to get back up to speed.

Burnley fans often complain that they lack incision in the middle of the park, and Shelvey could bring that in abundance - Josh Cullen is conservative, Josh Laurent is a runner and Josh Brownhill doesn't possess the kind of technical ability on the ball that Shelvey does.

He showed in his three-minute cameo against Oxford that he's got the ability to find forward passes, spraying a near-perfect 60-yard forward pass to Jaidon Anthony in the dying moments on Tuesday that was probably the most excitement the Turf Moor faithful had in the second half.

Burnley miss a player with Jonjo Shelvey's passing range

The main problem Burnley have had this season has been breaking down low blocks, but in Shelvey they have someone who can break lines and has an eye for the spectacular too, so he's a weapon they must look to deploy.

Cullen, Laurent and Brownhill are all fantastic footballers in their own right, but they're all conservative, whereas Shelvey has the ability to not only take risks with the ball, but also execute it.

Passing forward with urgency will certainly help bring the best out of Burnley's wide players, who are very often no more than passengers in the current system, largely because it takes so long for the midfield trio to get them in the game.

If Shelvey could come in and find them as a matter of urgency, then it would certainly help in the final third, and undoubtedly see the goals start flowing on a more regular basis.

After Hannibal's solid performance in midweek, a midfield trio of Cullen, Shelvey and Hannibal could be the way forward for Parker if he has the stomach to keep his captain on the sidelines for the greater good of the team.