Burnley 3 Leicester 0

[davieG]

I vow not to venture to Turf Moor again every time I've been the performance has been absolutely shite.

As for today it had defeat written all over it before the warm up started, the players looked out of sorts mentally heads were down shoulders slumped as they enter the pitch and as for Bruno's warm up session with the starting line up what a half hearted performance, a lack lustre demo from him. With the exercises most of them did it once or twice and gave up. At one point having got them gathered round to do some floor exercise two of the players were stood at the back in deep conversation and completely oblivious to what he was attempting to do - why didn't he give them a bollocking, it looked like he cared even less than them.

Something definitely seems to have disturb them and upset the team spirit and moral. There's trouble at the mill, mark my words.

[Karljohn]

Simply not good enough today, went up the M6 full of optimism, came back down deflated, puzzled and very worried.

From back to front we looked poor, Moreno found a claret shirt with just about every pass, Hobbs and Berner sluggish, Neilson taken off because he was running into blind alleys but had no help either.

Oakley, Wellens, King all garbage, can't find words describe N'Guessan, shite is too kind.

That just leaves me with DJ who was anonymous, and Mr Howard who quite frankly wouldnt have got away with today's performance at non league level let alone championship, somehow sousa kept him on the pitch.

The likes of Gally must be wonder WTF, sat on the bench watching the starting 11 trying to string 2 passes together, I lost count of the times we were either offside, played a shit ball into touch or just put them straight back on the attack with misplaced passes, panic play and careless headers.

My missus noted Sousa's lack of rapport with some of the players, especially those subbed, capello-esque.

I booed them off today, because they were shit, I don't mind getting done 3 nil as long as the basics are in place, and we have some idea going forward and create chances, but none of those objectives have been achieved today, we've had 2 chances in 90 minutes. Our attack operates barely 20 yards from our defence when in possession, we started some of our moves so far down the park today we were nearly in fooking Blackburn.

[Thracian]

Brilliant

About as brilliant and imaginative as our performance at Burnley.

But just out of interest perhaps you'd enlighten me as to why Heskey would make such a bad centre-half in our leaky team!

Cos every cross they slung in the box today was a potential nightmare from where I was sitting cos Iwelumo was pushing us around like kids for much of the time.

[phillthefox]

i agree with karljohn, and thought we were shocking didnt create anything, moreno found burnley shirt every pass nielsen didnt cath passes or make any thing, iwelumo won everything in the air and marking was non existant.

wellens prob best player today, king didnt register at all, nguessen well words fail me a winger wo doesnt beat players and cant cross a ball?????

dj ran hi socks off to no avail and howard was dominated by bikey in their defence......

words fail me whats going on however loved the pissed up guy getting on the pitch and chucking the corner flag

[Karljohn]

I vow not to venture to Turf Moor again every time I've been the performance has been absolutely shite.

As for today it had defeat written all over it before the warm up started, the players looked out of sorts mentally heads were down shoulders slumped as they enter the pitch and as for Bruno's warm up session with the starting line up what a half hearted performance, a lack lustre demo from him. With the exercises most of them did it once or twice and gave up. At one point having got them gathered round to do some floor exercise two of the players were stood at the back in deep conversation and completely oblivious to what he was attempting to do - why didn't he give them a bollocking, it looked like he cared even less than them.

Something definitely seems to have disturb them and upset the team spirit and moral. There's trouble at the mill, mark my words.

Totally agree with you Davie, something isn't sitting right with me.

[Edmund]

About as brilliant and imaginative as our performance at Burnley.

But just out of interest perhaps you'd enlighten me as to why Heskey would make such a bad centre-half in our leaky team!

Cos every cross they slung in the box today was a potential nightmare from where I was sitting cos Iwelumo was pushing us around like kids for much of the time.

I wasn't at the game today so I can't say what impact Heskey would've had on todays outcome if he'd played at CB.

But in terms of Heskey becoming a centre back it comes down to one simple fact. He's a forward. He may be tall and powerful but you seem to be forgetting that the main asset of a defender is tackling ability.

As a defender he'd be reckless. Tackling is a fine art. Forwards are rarely renowned for their tackling prowess simply because they don't concentrate on that aspect in training.

I'm not saying it's impossible as we saw with Dublin it's plausible, but unlike Dublin, Heskey didn't start his professional career as a centre back. He's a natural forward and always will be. It's far to late to instill a new mentality into him as a defender. it's one extreme to the other.

Anyway Heskey isn't a bad forward and it's not as if his days up front are over so I don't see why it's even being contemplated. Why not just purchase a CB or wait on Vitor, Tunchev or use Morrison.

I still can't believe I'm even debating over the idea of this.

[ibbosuk]

I didn't go today but after listening to Sousa's post match interview I am already beginning to doubt him, WHY?.. because his judgment and assessment of today’s game was totally at odd's with everybody else.

This to me is more worrying than the actual result it self.

If Sousa truly believes we controlled the 1st half and were the better team, well we already have very serious problems.

[Thracian]

I wasn't at the game today so I can't say what impact Heskey would've had on todays outcome if he'd played at CB.

But in terms of Heskey becoming a centre back it comes down to one simple fact. He's a forward. He may be tall and powerful but you seem to be forgetting that the main asset of a defender is tackling ability.

As a defender he'd be reckless. Tackling is a fine art. Forwards are rarely renowned for their tackling prowess simply because they don't concentrate on that aspect in training.

I'm not saying it's impossible as we saw with Dublin it's plausible, but unlike Dublin, Heskey didn't start his professional career as a centre back. He's a natural forward and always will be. It's far to late to instill a new mentality into him as a defender. it's one extreme to the other.

Anyway Heskey isn't a bad forward and it's not as if his days up front are over so I don't see why it's even being contemplated. Why not just purchase a CB or wait on Vitor, Tunchev or use Morrison.

I still can't believe I'm even debating over the idea of this.

You're debating it because you're as blinkered over this as Ultra is over politics.

Lots of players shift position. I can remember when Steve Walsh became quite a dangerous centre-forward for us!

And when Steve Guppy was utilised as a full-back.

Nothing in Heskey's recent record suggests to me that he's a especially natural striker. But he has many qualities of a good centre-back and could adapt his tackling to the requirements of that position in next to no time, thoughtoday it might have been interesting to see if he could offer some assistance to DJ cos the bloke baely received a decent pass all afternoon - and looked well pissed off about it too, as well he might.

1994–2000 Leicester City 154 (40)

2000–2004 Liverpool 150 (39)

2004–2006 Birmingham City 68 (14)

2006–2009 Wigan Athletic 82 (15)

2009– Aston Villa 45 (5)

[Guest ttfn]

But on the plus side at least we're still passing the ball.

Sousa has a choice. He can either be chuffed with his style or play proper football.

Matty Fryatt is the best technical footballer (except possibly Gallagher) at this football club and yet he is consistently left out, It is absolutely infuriating. Fryatt has scored something like 40 goals in his last 70 league games yet Sousa leaves him out. Injured or not today he should be our number 1 striker

Today I went to QPR - I have a QPR supporting mate and was interested to see how they played. S****horpe were woeful -serious woeful. If they stay up this season it would be a disgrace to the Championship. But QPR played as a team. They acted as a unit and played to win, Warnock picked the bezt XI players.

Sousa should hang his head in shame. In the space of 3 games he has wiped out the progress we made in 2 seasons.

Oh, and for the record, the ultimate fault is Mandarics's but shhhhhhh because he "saved" us from administration.#

As for Campbell, don't even get me started. We've got a quality centre forward who had played for this club for 5 years and yet the fans fawn over an idiot who is fast yet has sought every opportunity to leave over the last 3 years.

So much to be disillusioned about,

[AoWW]

I didn't go today but after listening to Sousa's post match interview I am already beginning to doubt him, WHY?.. because his judgment and assessment of today’s game was totally at odd's with everybody else.

This to me is more worrying than the actual result it self.

If Sousa truly believes we controlled the 1st half and were the better team, well we already have very serious problems.

That's the second semi-sensible post I've read from you today.

Own up... who's kidnapped the real Ibbosuk?

[ibbosuk]

That's the second semi-sensible post I've read from you today.

Own up... who's kidnapped the real Ibbosuk?

I'm Glag you improve..................................................

[AoWW]

or approve?

Now to really impress me you just have to change your avatar to one I don't find offensive.

[wurmer]

Transcipt of part of Sousa's post-match interview...

Sousa: Very disappointing result for the way we started the game, and the way we control the first half - the way we create special two great chances straight away who allowed us to keep dominate and keep playing well like we playing in our offensive positions, of course and then when you concede a goal, in the end of the first half the way we had been concede, it's not easy for a team who control during during the 45 minutes the first half to have important reaction and we started not so bad the 2nd half, but you know every time we make a small mistake today, we concede a goal, and it's difficult to, for a team to react.

Stringer: How key were first of all, the timing of the goal on 45 minutes, and secondly Chris Weale leaving the pitch?

Sousa: (huff) I don't speak more, I don't want to speak about the ???cre because this, it happens, its something for us, it can be important, because we make a ???souve, you know it, you create a little bit of, unbalance in the team, but the team it keep doing well, it keep in controlling, controlling all the moments in the game and they have always a good chances, especially in the 1st half to score first and then Burnley, it don't happens I think today, a little bit frustration because we deserve not this result, but we need to keep it, we need to keep it and we need to thinking always in our future.

Stringer: So over the 90 minutes you think you deserve, what a point? 3 points?

Sousa: No, I think it's too, I think it's too much this result for us, of course regarding to the 1st half, we deserve to win the 1st half because we have better team than them, of course after when you concede that goal and straight away with a mistake, you get the 2nd one, the team is, and also we looking a little bit for the bench with Matty, Lloyd and with with also Paul Gallagher he had been in the bench, but with small problems and we don't want to risk, don't create a big problem and to lose them, for a, for a long time.

[bigneville]

On my way to Turf Moor today, I had several conversations with Burnley fans.

I remember on every occasions stating "I'd be happy with a point" and if we were to play Burnley away again, I'd make the same statement.

To get anything from the game today, we had to match them for effort, and then hope that our new footballing style of Souza would have enough quality to see of Burnley. But today there was no passion, no leadership and no footballing quality. Now i'm not going to shout Souza out or anything as ridiculous as that, but the early signs for this new management team are very alarming.

We looked un-organised defensively, and like we'd never played together going forward. Our timing and precision of the pass today were awful, if Souza wants to adopt this 100% football style with this squad, we are going to be in for a very long and hard season. Our successes last season came down to us playing the best way that our squad could play. We didn't play great football as we didnt have the players, but we were strong, and hard to beat. It seems that Souza has a style in mind and thats the only way we are going to play, and it almost feels like we are going to back to the old square pegs in round holes situation.

The only current positive I can find is the big bag of cash he has to spend, to try and find some of these players who will suit his system. If 4-5 players aren't brought in for this system, then there is going to be many posts of Souza out by the end of September.

I'm also a little concerned by how Souza viewed todays performance. It was poor and it can't be described as any better than that. If Souza think's it was any better than that, then we have problems. A good manager can recognise a bad day at the office and make sufficient changes to amend the errors. Errors won't get amended if they aren't spotted.

Maybe, i'm annoyed as I spent several hours driving and plenty of my hard earned cash today to watch that drivel.

But I am concerned.

Really concerned.

[Guest ttfn]

Transcipt of part of Sousa's post-match interview...

Sousa: Very disappointing result for the way we started the game, and the way we control the first half - the way we create special two great chances straight away who allowed us to keep dominate and keep playing well like we playing in our offensive positions, of course and then when you concede a goal, in the end of the first half the way we had been concede, it's not easy for a team who control during during the 45 minutes the first half to have important reaction and we started not so bad the 2nd half, but you know every time we make a small mistake today, we concede a goal, and it's difficult to, for a team to react.

Stringer: How key were first of all, the timing of the goal on 45 minutes, and secondly Chris Weale leaving the pitch?

Sousa: (huff) I don't speak more, I don't want to speak about the ???cre because this, it happens, its something for us, it can be important, because we make a ???souve, you know it, you create a little bit of, unbalance in the team, but the team it keep doing well, it keep in controlling, controlling all the moments in the game and they have always a good chances, especially in the 1st half to score first and then Burnley, it don't happens I think today, a little bit frustration because we deserve not this result, but we need to keep it, we need to keep it and we need to thinking always in our future.

Stringer: So over the 90 minutes you think you deserve, what a point? 3 points?

Sousa: No, I think it's too, I think it's too much this result for us, of course regarding to the 1st half, we deserve to win the 1st half because we have better team than them, of course after when you concede that goal and straight away with a mistake, you get the 2nd one, the team is, and also we looking a little bit for the bench with Matty, Lloyd and with with also Paul Gallagher he had been in the bench, but with small problems and we don't want to risk, don't create a big problem and to lose them, for a, for a long time.

If you think Matty's so important, why don't you pick him from the start in future you disingenuous ****,

[Corky]

The worrying part for me is the defence. Last season we conceded three or more goals on four occasions in the league. We've already done that twice in the first three this season. Why has the defence suddenly collapsed?

Now in the three games I've seen we've looked really good going forward, but we're conceding at a rate of over 2 a game. This automatically puts more pressure on the strikers- one goal isn't enough, two goals might not be enough.

davieG's comment about the warm-up is concerning as well. Something isn't right at the club currently, but whatever it is needs to be sorted out quickly otherwise we could be left well behind.

[Smudge]

I vow not to venture to Turf Moor again every time I've been the performance has been absolutely shite.

As for today it had defeat written all over it before the warm up started, the players looked out of sorts mentally heads were down shoulders slumped as they enter the pitch and as for Bruno's warm up session with the starting line up what a half hearted performance, a lack lustre demo from him. With the exercises most of them did it once or twice and gave up. At one point having got them gathered round to do some floor exercise two of the players were stood at the back in deep conversation and completely oblivious to what he was attempting to do - why didn't he give them a bollocking, it looked like he cared even less than them.

Something definitely seems to have disturb them and upset the team spirit and moral. There's trouble at the mill, mark my words.

Of all the comments I've heard today, this worries me. If he's lost the locker room we're fooked

[SilverFox]

But on the plus side at least we're still passing the ball.

Sousa has a choice. He can either be chuffed with his style or play proper football.

Matty Fryatt is the best technical footballer (except possibly Gallagher) at this football club and yet he is consistently left out, It is absolutely infuriating. Fryatt has scored something like 40 goals in his last 70 league games yet Sousa leaves him out. Injured or not today he should be our number 1 striker

Today I went to QPR - I have a QPR supporting mate and was interested to see how they played. S****horpe were woeful -serious woeful. If they stay up this season it would be a disgrace to the Championship. But QPR played as a team. They acted as a unit and played to win, Warnock picked the bezt XI players.

Sousa should hang his head in shame. In the space of 3 games he has wiped out the progress we made in 2 seasons.

Oh, and for the record, the ultimate fault is Mandarics's but shhhhhhh because he "saved" us from administration.#

As for Campbell, don't even get me started. We've got a quality centre forward who had played for this club for 5 years and yet the fans fawn over an idiot who is fast yet has sought every opportunity to leave over the last 3 years.

So much to be disillusioned about,

Totally agree

[Wymsey]

On my way to Turf Moor today, I had several conversations with Burnley fans.

I remember on every occasions stating "I'd be happy with a point" and if we were to play Burnley away again, I'd make the same statement.

To get anything from the game today, we had to match them for effort, and then hope that our new footballing style of Souza would have enough quality to see of Burnley. But today there was no passion, no leadership and no footballing quality. Now i'm not going to shout Souza out or anything as ridiculous as that, but the early signs for this new management team are very alarming.

We looked un-organised defensively, and like we'd never played together going forward. Our timing and precision of the pass today were awful, if Souza wants to adopt this 100% football style with this squad, we are going to be in for a very long and hard season. Our successes last season came down to us playing the best way that our squad could play. We didn't play great football as we didnt have the players, but we were strong, and hard to beat. It seems that Souza has a style in mind and thats the only way we are going to play, and it almost feels like we are going to back to the old square pegs in round holes situation.

The only current positive I can find is the big bag of cash he has to spend, to try and find some of these players who will suit his system. If 4-5 players aren't brought in for this system, then there is going to be many posts of Souza out by the end of September.

I'm also a little concerned by how Souza viewed todays performance. It was poor and it can't be described as any better than that. If Souza think's it was any better than that, then we have problems. A good manager can recognise a bad day at the office and make sufficient changes to amend the errors. Errors won't get amended if they aren't spotted.

Maybe, i'm annoyed as I spent several hours driving and plenty of my hard earned cash today to watch that drivel.

But I am concerned.

Really concerned.

By what you said the problems are with the team and Sousa, i am just dreading the Leeds and Reading matches this week coming. We have to find a way of performing better as a team to hopefully score a few in these tough games and ensure that the defence knows how to defend. The defence needs sorting out most importantly. We have got good midfielders (probably need a left midfielder though) and the strike force is fine as well. If the defence gets sorted, then hopefully they will communicate with the midfield more better (via passing the ball to their route) and that would allow King, Wellens etc to create goal scoring opportunities for DJ, Howard etc.

[Guest ttfn]

The worrying part for me is the defence. Last season we conceded three or more goals on four occasions in the league. We've already done that twice in the first three this season. Why has the defence suddenly collapsed?

Now in the three games I've seen we've looked really good going forward, but we're conceding at a rate of over 2 a game. This automatically puts more pressure on the strikers- one goal isn't enough, two goals might not be enough.

davieG's comment about the warm-up is concerning as well. Something isn't right at the club currently, but whatever it is needs to be sorted out quickly otherwise we could be left well behind.

Can't help but feel we're already left behind. 8 points is a long way even at this stage of the season

[SilverFox]

Transcipt of part of Sousa's post-match interview...

Sousa: Very disappointing result for the way we started the game, and the way we control the first half - the way we create special two great chances straight away who allowed us to keep dominate and keep playing well like we playing in our offensive positions, of course and then when you concede a goal, in the end of the first half the way we had been concede, it's not easy for a team who control during during the 45 minutes the first half to have important reaction and we started not so bad the 2nd half, but you know every time we make a small mistake today, we concede a goal, and it's difficult to, for a team to react.

Stringer: How key were first of all, the timing of the goal on 45 minutes, and secondly Chris Weale leaving the pitch?

Sousa: (huff) I don't speak more, I don't want to speak about the ???cre because this, it happens, its something for us, it can be important, because we make a ???souve, you know it, you create a little bit of, unbalance in the team, but the team it keep doing well, it keep in controlling, controlling all the moments in the game and they have always a good chances, especially in the 1st half to score first and then Burnley, it don't happens I think today, a little bit frustration because we deserve not this result, but we need to keep it, we need to keep it and we need to thinking always in our future.

Stringer: So over the 90 minutes you think you deserve, what a point? 3 points?

Sousa: No, I think it's too, I think it's too much this result for us, of course regarding to the 1st half, we deserve to win the 1st half because we have better team than them, of course after when you concede that goal and straight away with a mistake, you get the 2nd one, the team is, and also we looking a little bit for the bench with Matty, Lloyd and with with also Paul Gallagher he had been in the bench, but with small problems and we don't want to risk, don't create a big problem and to lose them, for a, for a long time.

This for me is perhaps the problem...what the hell is he talking about half of the time! When I heard him on the phone in I didn't understand half of what he was saying, and this seems to follow that theme. Can the players understand him?

[Corky]

Can't help but feel we're already left behind. 8 points is a long way even at this stage of the season

I was talking about the play-offs really.

There's no way we'll be in the top two.

[Guest ttfn]

I was talking about the play-offs really.

There's no way we'll be in the top two.

Having finished 5th last season it's not unreasonable to think we should be challenging for the top 2 in a poor league the following season.

But it doesn't matter because we're playing a passing style.

[scinnell]

Yes, we have played in 3 league games and only managed a point out of nine points, but we have 43 more matches this season, so everyone should not panick and get behind the team, with us doing so it will give the players a extra confidence boost, so comeon you foxeeess!

[Tilley]

That was an embarrassing performance, it genuinely reminded me of 07/08.

The players looked disinterested. N'Guessan was shit, couldn't beat his man, lost the ball and couldn't cross a ball to save his life. King went awol, Howard didn't win a thing and DJ was isolated on the wing, he needs to be played as a striker.

I have to question as to why at 1-0 when it was clear to everyone our formation wasn't working, we brought a right back on instead of making an attacking substitution to try and get something out of the game.

On that performance, we are in for one long old season.