I mean, I think I get it, but still disappointing.
The Result:
Bournemouth 2, Burnley 0
How It Happened:
It started out pretty even, but Bournemouth got on the board first, and after a volley of Burnley shots early in the second half were either saved or more commonly, missed the mark, the Cherries tacked on the dagger on a penalty late.
Burnley was playing a reserve lineup, with Ben Mee, James Tarkowski, and Nick Pope all sitting, along with Erik Pieters, who was initially listed as a starter before someone alerted Burnley that starting him would result in a forfeit because he was suspended for this FA Cup match, having received yellow cards in each of the last two. These are the things we hoped for when we became Burnley fans.
What It Means
FA Cup’s over. EPL from here on out.
What’s Next:
Burnley goes to Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Other News:
Not a whole lot. The Pieters thing was hilarious. Still is, really.
General Thoughts:
Water, man. We drink a lot of it.
Burnley Thoughts:
It would’ve been fun to keep the Cup run going, and it seems like it would’ve been good for the club’s relevance. I buy that the EPL takes precedent, and avoiding hurting Mee, Tarkowski, and Pope when the team’s already banged up seems like a good call. But the loss, as many pointed out, does speak to the lack of depth, and it also speaks to how close to relegation Burnley still is: Were Burnley not just three games away from the relegation ranks, would Sean Dyche have played a more competitive lineup?
Hopefully Bournemouth draws Man City in the quarters and we don’t have a bunch of what-ifs.
