Burnley won their first point of the season on the road against Manchester City and there was plenty for the two managers to reflect on in a game where both sides had and lost the lead.
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Manchester City were always favourites to win the game and you could get odds of around 10/1 on the Clarets ahead of kick off. But things didn't work out that way and it left City boss Mark Hughes frustrated.
"First half we never really imposed ourselves as I know we can and conceded two poor goals," he said. "But then we picked ourselves up and showed some of the qualities I expected from the start.
"For the vast majority of the second half I thought we were excellent. It was a huge effort on our part, but then we shot ourselves in the foot again and switched off.
"At the moment we are struggling to take the sting out of things. You have to give the opposition no encouragement, you have to see them off, discourage them. You have to make them think there is nothing for them.
"Defending is a collective duty. We have to stop things at source before they develop. Maybe we have to work exceptionally hard to stop balls coming in to their front men. That's a part of our game we are not doing very well at. It's about working hard and making sure we improve.
"We started the season like a house on fire but we knew there would be games where we didn't function like that. But we are still picking up points. Obviously we are disappointed today, but credit to the lads, they nearly turned it round."
Owen Coyle saw Burnley go 2-0 up before coming back with that late Kevin McDonald goal to earn a point in a 3-3 draw. "I was delighted and disappointed at the same time and I've certainly got a few more grey hairs, that's for sure," he admitted after the final whistle.
"I think if you had offered us a point we would have openly welcomed it, but having said that we were in a great position to get all three.
"City have undoubted quality, but I was delighted at the way my lads went about it. They acquitted themselves well and we moved the ball well to create numerous opportunities. The wages of one of their elite players will cover my entire squad, but that shows you how much we put into the game.
"If it had been 2-0 at half time I think we would have been in a great position. But we are on a learning curve and I think if we had been a team with a little more Premier League experience we would have seen the game through.
"We are trying to evolve, but we still showed great resolve and belief. Even at 3-2 down we didn't feel sorry for ourselves and with everything conspiring against us we got an equalising goal that was good enough to grace any game."
Coyle continued: "At 3-2 down I went 4-4-2 and really gung-ho and that's because I was prepared to lose 4-2 to get back into the game. I am always prepared to lose the game to try and win it. That's the way forward for us and the way football should be.
"Our supporters were magnificent again and I want to thank them for driving the lads on and it was fitting that we came up with the goal in front of them."
That goal was Kevin McDonald's first since the brace he grabbed against Arsenal last December. "I thought Kevin showed what he is all about," Coyle said of the Scotland under-21 midfielder.
"He has everything in his locker to be a top class player. He has always had a tremendous impact when he has come on as a player and I said to him that he has to have that impact, particularly in games he starts.
"I want Kevin to be knocking down my door to start games and if he does he will be in the team for a long, long time to come." |
