The Clarets simply can`t seem to win at the moment and after yet another disappointing frustrating draw on home soil against Watford in Saturday`s clash they have now managed just one win from seven games in a sequence of results which has also included three defeats and three draws. Sean Dyche would have been hoping his luck might have changed against his former club but the Hornets stung and took the lead as early as the 11th minute. Following a period of sustained pressure from a sequence of corners on loan Chelsea midfielder Chalobah volleyed into the back of the net from 20 yards out.
Although the goal seemed to take the stuffing out of the Clarets for a while, they gradually regained their confidence and began to impress. From a corner, Marney was pushed to the ground by Abdi in the penalty area and the referee pointed to the spot. Austin made no mistake from the spot kick and Burnley were level with just 28 minutes played. Both teams had chances after that but in the end Burnley had to settle for a draw and another point for the third time in four games. Losing points at home is becoming too much of an habit in recent games and Burnley have not won at Turf Moor now since they beat Leeds United 1-0 on the 6th November. The lack of a win is taking its toll on our promotion chances and after the Watford result we are in 16th spot with 29 points, now seven points behind the new sixth placed club, Millwall. At least we are now level on points with Blackburn who lost 2-0 away to Blackpool
Team Sheet
Sean Dyche surprised a few folk with his team selection. Michael Duff and Chris McCann were both suspended after picking up their fifth yellow cards in the game at Forest last Saturday so changes were forced but the replacements shocked many Clarets fans. Kevin Long was given his full debut at centre back with David Edgar also returning to the side playing a more defensive midfield role. Danny ings was also included in the starting eleven partnering Austin up front and there was a further surprise on the bench with Keith Treacy making a welcome return. Our line-up then was as follows :
Grant, Trippier, Long, Shackell, Lafferty, Edgar, Wallace, Marney, Paterson, Ings, Austin
Subs: Jensen, Mills, Stock, Bartley, Treacy, Stanislas, Vokes
Full Match Report
West Midlands referee, Phil Gibbs got the game underway and Burnley had the first chance to open the scoring when Ings latched onto an Austin knock-down following a Wallace set piece. He just couldn`t get enough contact on the ball though and Watford survived the early scare. It would be the Hornets though who would celebrate the opening goal and it came in the eleventh minute. Burnley had been under some pressure from a sequence of three corners. The Clarets defence simply could not clear the danger and when Edgar attempted to do so with a header the ball dropped kindly for Chalobah to unleash a shot from 20 yards out giving Grant no chance. Burnley now looked a bit down-hearted and their play suffered for a time. But gradually the midfield engine room began to kick in, with Marney in particular charging forward and causing Watford problems. A Wallace free-kick nearly set up Ings and Edgar at the far post but both failed to get the equaliser with the Watford defence conceding a corner. That corner though would lead to Burnley getting back on equal terms after being awarded a penalty. Marney from the short corner was simply felled by Almen Abdi in the area and the referee had no hesitation but to award a spot-kick The Watford keeper, Almunia was clearly an unhappy man and he was even more unhappy when the referee booked him for time-wasting with Austin on the spot ready to take the penalty. Austin was not affected by all the goings-on around him and steered the ball home with confidence to put the Clarets level in the 28th minute. This was Austin`s 22nd goal of the season and his third from the spot.
Now it was Watford on the back foot with Burnley in the ascendency and the Clarets nearly got their noses in front after Almunia spilled a shot from Trippier with ings ready to pounce. Watford defender, Tommie Hoban then saved the day for the Hornets four minutes from the break when he just beat Austin to the ball following a Paterson cross. It remained 1-1 at the end of the first-half with Dyche making no changes for the start of the second half. Zola though was forced into making a change for Watford with their goal-scorer, Chalobah clearly struggling with injury in the first half being replaced by Yeates.
Watford had done very little attacking after their opening goal in the first half but five minutes into the second-half, Burnley survived a scare. On the break, a deep cross found Troy Deeney and he had two attempts but could not get the better of Grant. The Watford striker was looking for a seventh successive goal to equal a club record but Grant was not going to make it easy for him.
Whoever got the next goal would now most likely go on to win the game and it was the Clarets who upped the ante in a remarkable ten minute spell when they had three chances to go ahead all of them involving Austin. The first chance came when Ings cleverly released Trippier to put over a cross. There was Austin diving to head on target and had the ball gone either side of Almunia, it would have given the keeper no chance but it didn`t much to the relief of the former Arsenal stopper. Austin`s next chance came when he put a shot just wide following another impressive build-up from midfield but he would have been most annoyed with his third attempt following an error by Watford`s Fitz Hall. His attempted flick past the keeper was not enough to beat Almunia and once again the keeper saved the day for Watford.
Watford were riding their luck at times and when the ball struck the arm of Marco Cassetti in the penalty area, claims for yet another spot-kick were turned away by the referee. Dyche decided to bring on some fresh legs in the form of Junior Stanislas with twenty minutes to go but it was Watford very much against the run of play who nearly stole all three points! A rasping shot from Joel Ekstra from fully 35 yards out rattled the crossbar and then Grant had to deny Deeney yet again after stopping his effort with some panache!
Burnley though just could not find that elusive winning goal either and Stanislas should have done better with a late effort but his finish was too weak . The last chance for Burnley came in stoppage time. Watford conceded a corner after Vokes flick-on for Austin to shoot led to the ball being blocked. From the corner, the busy Almunia then tipped over Vokes header to once again deny the Clarets victory.
Match Stats
Burnley: Grant, Trippier, Shackell, Long, Lafferty, Edgar, Wallace (Vokes – 90), Marney, Paterson (Stanislas – 72), Ings (Treacy – 84), Austin
Subs Not Used: Jensen, Mills, Bartley, Stock
Goal: Austin 28 (pen)
Booked: Yellow Card for Treacy (88 mins)
Watford: Almunia,Hall, Pudil (Anya – 90), Cassetti, Hoban, Chalobah (Yeates – 46), Ekstrand, Hogg, Abdi, Deeney, Geijo (Vydra – 72)
Subs Not Used: Bonham, Neuton, Battocchio, Beleck
Goal: Chalobah 11
Booked: Yellow Cards for Chalobah(26 mins) and Almunia (28 mins)
Possession: 56% Burnley, 44% Watford (Source: BBC Sport)
Ref: Phil Gibbs (West Midlands)
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Very frustrating times indeed! But we got to get back to winning ways and quickly!
Admit it, you were *****e today and you are still below the supreme Rovers
Supreme Rovers Dont think so your wage bill is 3 times ours you are dropping like a lead weight falling from the top of Blackpool tower with every chance of hitting the deck very soon. after the christmas period you will be below us. The reality is you were in the top six when the club sacked steve keen and hnow you will reap the benefits of your dastidlty deeds
Burnley are now playing very well good team spirit with a team playing like fit race horses. not stuffed chikens
Our finishing today was shocking, lets not pretend otherwise. We had on the pitch in the 90th minute 3 wingers and Austin wtf. Then in the 3 mintes of stoppage time we brought on Vokes with a view no doubt to getting on the end of a cross, which he did but sadly didn’t score. We deserved more than a point. Players playing out of position yesterday, Edgar, Pato, Wallace, Stanislas and I would argue Ings too.
Has to be a good point for us.. U player better than us.. We could (maybe should) have lost today.. Stick with SD he is a good young manager who could take U to the heights.. He started off not too good with us.. I was one that was calling for his head early on.. We stuck with him & he came good.. HHe will start with the defence & work up the park… Good luck burnley……
I think the winless streak is getting to VR perhaps? I don’t mind Sean Dyche changing things around, rather than just trotting out the alleged ‘strongest eleven’ at any time, and definitely not when we’re not getting wins. Also, with a transfer window on the horizon, I like him letting a few more players get a bit of time on the pitch. Were Edgar, Stanislas and Long getting restless when we want to keep them? Was Treacy becoming a player like Bikey who, with better man management, is now contributing to a promotion chaser? Or a load of rubbish we’ll get a bit more money for if we at least show wannabuyers that we haven’t given up on him? But, yes, I’d have had Vokes on sooner, maybe at KO. Who knows? Charlie might have come off the bench with 20 to go and scored 2? Thanks for the kind words, watford1881. Good luck to you too, though I’m a bit concerned that you can have more then the 5 loanees permitted from an English club in from Papa Club Udinese. Meanwhile Eddie Howe’s got Manager of the Month! Has he lost yet on his return to the Court? IAFOG! My guess is that Dyche is saying to Stan and Keith and any other of our wannabe wide midfielders that, if they want to start, they’ve got to show as much heart and effort as Pato. Also that he sees Pato as either a key striker in our future, or one he can sell for decent money, but who needs to be on the pitch and running a lot to get back to – and demonstrate – full fitness. KTF!
minivr has hoped for a long time that Wallace should get the chance to play in behind the striker, maybe that is next? Not sure it is getting to me Couch, am too old for that. I am encouraged by watford1881’s post (thanks and good luck for the rest of the season). I thought we should have won, combine that with Barnsley and Forest and we should and could have had 7 more points in the last 3 games.
Agreed, Vin, that we’re under-accumulating rather than underperforming, and it’s certainly making me frustrated, even if you are remaining calm.
I think that is well put CP. Under accumulating rather than under performing
I’ve got faith in Sean Dyche and I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before this side starts to put some consecutive wins together. He’s obviously trying out various options at the moment , but I really can’t understand why he hasn’t started Sam Vokes up front with Austin or Pato . At the very least give him 20 to 30 minutes ! Oh well, I’m sure he’ll get there. UTC
It must be right that SD started with sorting out the defence, it certainly needed sorting out, and he seems to be succeeding. The attack may be suffering somewhat but we are making chances which is good. I am confident that we are on the right track although the play offs may be too much to expect this season. Another problem is the next transfer window, who are we going to lose? If we sell Charlie there is absoutely no guarentee that the money will be used to buy, I suspect not, so I am hoping for much the same squad.
At the moment you would have to think that Pato may go and possibly McCann, Bartley on loan to AFCB and we keep Charlie until th summer.
Are Pato and Mccann both out of contract in the summer?
Dale, unless I have missed some news I believe the following are out of contract come summer, or available for sale in January!!! Beast, Grant, Duff, McCann, Marney, Wallace and Pato.
While I don’t rule out all hope of a late dash for the play-offs, I find myself thinking longer term… Doubtless any new contracts offered to VR’s list will be at lower wages, except for Beast, who has already had his cut. Who’s coming up through the youth and development squads to take the places of any of these guys, if needed? I love Duffman, but he’s not going to last forever. So Edgar and Long look valuable… better give them some game time! Richards and Porter may yet prove valuable cover for Wallace and/or Treacy. Hopefully Dyche and Hoos have already been scratching their heads about goalkeeper and central midfield, as well as the LB spot, which flok on here have been worrying about. Are Hewitt, Howieson, Goalie Stewart or Jakovlevs ready to step up? Meanwhile I sense that Sean really isn’t interested in the two players we’ve got in on loan till Xmas. For me it makes much more sense to develop our own players unless loanees really are going to make a difference.
Of the players listed above – I agree with CP, all will be on reduced wages – some substantially. The next 12 months could once again see numerous changes to our playing squad. I would estimate at least half of those above will leave.
I think that Saturday was one of those days where we could have put 4 in or totally stuffed it up and got nothing. The single point was OK but anything less would have been a travesty. In fairness that line up was more than OK for a squad to build on and they demonstrated that fairly strongly. The other names (of old) have been good (but only at times in some cases) and probably need to look elsewhere if they want to be part of a “first choice” squad. Keeping Beast on the bench is pointless we could be bringing on new blood now. NOTE that handball in the second half from where I sat in the Bob Lord stand did not look like an accident and it did go straight to the goalkeeper – If the right call had been made this forum would have been a bit more upbeat this week?
News of the AGM on club www pretty much confirms what we’ve been talking about on here, together with determined statements from Mike Garlick and Lee Hoos that Charlie is no more for sale this January than Jay Rod was in last year’s, and that we shouldn’t expect any new signings either. Maybe a small amount of action on loans.
Of course, what I just posted above from the AGM could all just be a negotiating ploy from a club not wanting to tip its hand. But I am inclined to take it at face value. In the meantime, hopefully the run of little but critical bits of bad luck that AndyHo refers to is about to change.