Here we go again

Wow. The nerves just increase by the day don’t they?

Sunday lunchtime plays host to latest instalment of the East Lancashire derby and it should make for fascinating viewing. Burnley fans think they’ve got Rovers fans on the ropes, Rovers fans are trying to protect a proud 34 year streak of being undefeated against their arch rivals.

It’s going to be a tense afternoon.

Our boys have the extra incentive of needing to prevent a third straight loss after two lacklustre home performances, but in order to change that manager Henning Berg has admitted that changes are likely, possibly needed and with David Dunn and Fabio Nunes both potentially fit and ready the options are there.

“We will have to think about how we play the Burnley game,” Berg told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“Kaz (Kazim-Richards) was more like we would like him to be every time. His pass for the goal was very, very good, he used his strength he was winning balls he was difficult to play against. That is what we want to see every time he is on the pitch.

“Morten put good deliveries into the box and that has maybe been lacking a little bit.

“If we start the Burnley game the way we finished the Bolton one we will be fine. If we don`t we will be in big trouble.”

Questions over whether the Rovers players will be ‘up for it’ have been dismissed, with the need to perform and fight (not literally obviously Burnley, let’s not chuck our toys out of the pram like 2000) in the derby well documented.

Berg continued – “It shouldn`t be difficult, we play Burnley. Everyone knows what that means. If you can`t pick yourself up for a game like that then you shouldn`t be in football.

“We don`t play football just for fun, this is our profession. With that comes a worth ethic and standards that has to be met.

“Professional footballers have to be able to learn to take defeat and handle wins. That is a big part of football and I expect them to be ready for Sunday.”

Get ready.