The Turf Moor lights go on

It seems just now that Saturday afternoons are reserved for away games, with our next two at Brighton and Charlton, but those next four home games are on the next three Tuesdays followed by the Hull game on Monday 11th March in front of the television cameras.

Such is the nonsense of the fixture list that it's now three and a half weeks since we last played at home and we don't have a Saturday home game until April. That last home game was against Birmingham when we fell to a 2-1 defeat with ten men following the incorrect dismissal of Dean Marney by the appalling Darren Drysdale.

Since, we've collected just one point from two games on our travels and that having taken a 1-0 lead in both games against Peterborough (drew 2-2) and Bolton (lost 2-1).

Kieran Trippier is looking for a run of wins

When we left the Den on 19th January, after our last win, we were seventh in the table and four points behind sixth place Watford. Their lead over us has now increased to 13 points and they've moved up to third with us now in tenth place.

Brighton, Blackburn and Derby are all above us now and we all sit behind Middlesbrough, our visitors tonight, who have a seven point lead over us.

I think a push for a top six finish will prove very difficult. We are going to need, I'd suggest, a minimum of thirty more points from our remaining fifteen games, the tall order of two points per game, but a win tonight, which would take us three points closer, would certainly give us a big lift.

A promotion chasing run is certainly not out of the question and right back Kieran Trippier is in no doubt that we are capable of doing just that. "If we beat Middlesbrough then we can go on a six or seven game run," he said ahead of tonight's game.

"We've got quite a few games at home now and I'm just glad we've got games like Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday and hopefully get a run before the international break.

"Everyone's confident, everyone's happy and everybody's doing well. We're all fresh, we've had a tough week and we're all fit and ready. We've got a great team spirit at the moment and we're all buzzing and we all think we can really push into the play offs by the end of the season."

It's a great rallying call from Tripps but we don't quite have everyone fit and ready with defenders Michael Duff and Ben Mee again ruled out. Duff has missed three of the last four games but for Mee it has been a longer period of inactivity. He's not featured since getting an injury in the home game against Blackburn at the beginning of December.

The only other doubt has been Sam Vokes. He picked up a foot injury after scoring twice in a friendly at Stoke last week. Scans showed nothing serious and he should be ok for tonight.

What will the team be? Sean Dyche did hint a few days ago that the Stoke game had given him food for thought, and that it was perhaps, after no wins in three games, time for a change.

I doubt there will be too much change from the team at Bolton but Dyche will select from: Lee Grant, Kieran Trippier, David Edgar, Jason Shackell, Danny Lafferty, Dean Marney, Chris McCann, Ross Wallace, Danny Ings, Junior Stanislas, Charlie Austin, Brian Jensen, Luke O'Neill, Kevin Long, Joseph Mills, Marvin Bartley, Brian Stock, Dane Richards, Keith Treacy, Sam Vokes, Martin Paterson.

Middlesbrough were in a very good position at the turn of the year. They'd just beaten both Blackburn and Blackpool at home and were nicely positioned in third place, just a point behind second place Hull and only six points adrift of leaders Cardiff.

Today, Hull's lead over them is nine points but Cardiff are now seventeen points ahead, this after Middlesbrough have picked up just three points from seven league games in 2013.

That solitary win came a week ago tonight when they beat Leeds 1-0 but they couldn't build on it at Palace as they suffered yet another defeat.

The major problem has been the number of goals conceded and that's been due to so many defenders being out injured.

Right back Justin Hoyte is one of those players missing and his obvious replacement Stuart Parnaby will now be out for between four and six weeks with a hamstring tear. Central defenders Jonathan Woodgate and Seb Hines both remain out.

Stephen McManus could come in but they could opt for an ex-Burnley pairing in defence with Rhys Williams and Andre Bikey.

Midfielder Josh McEachran and forward Lukas Jutkiewicz will both be assessed after going over on their ankles. Both are likely to play but manager Scott McDonald will not. He's got a back problem but might be fit to return on Saturday.

Tony Mowbray has added 16-year-old Bryn Morris to the squad. He made a recent debut in the FA Cup against Hastings and became their third youngest ever player in doing so. Also back in the squad is Curtis Main. Sent off last week he served a one match suspension at Palace.

It's difficult to determine just what the Middlesbrough team will be but they will probably select from: 1. Jason Steele, 12. Kieron Dyer, 3. Andre Bikey, 4. George Friend, 18. Andrew Halliday, 16. Josh McEachran, 10. Nicky Bailey, 14. Rhys Williams, 7. Grant Leadbitter, 38. Faris Haroun, 19. Mustapha Carayol, 17. Lukas Jutkiewicz, 30. Ishmael Miller, 32. Jayson Leutwiler, 6. Stephen McManus, 9. Marvin Emnes, 11. Emmanuel Ledesma, 23. Curtis Main, 29. Bryn Morris.

Last Time They Were Here

Middlesbrough's visit to Turf Moor last season is one we can forget. We played so well at Middlesbrough later in the season but this performance was as bad as anything you are likely to see.

It was a miserable afternoon that was lacking of any of the ingredients that makes football such a good game and the only people who could take anything from it were those from Middlesbrough after they deservedly took all three points from a 2-0 win.

Man of the Match David Edgar

One prominent member of the message board wrote after the game: "No shape, no tempo, no possession, no central midfield, nobody wanting the ball, not a clue how to press a ball as a team, players arguing with themselves, no experience, no quality, no leadership. No options to change the game - nothing."

However many points Middlesbrough won last season, they could not have had an easier three than this.

Eddie Howe gave new signing Junior Stanislas a place on  the bench where he replaced Wade Elliott who had been sold to Birmingham. Marvin Bartley, back from suspension, was preferred to Alex MacDonald for a substitute place.

Nicky Bailey scored for Middlesbrough in the first half and Joe Bennett got one in the second half and at the other end our only on target effort of the afternoon came from Chris McCann. David Edgar won the man of the match by a mile.

It was dire.

The teams were;

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Kieran Trippier, David Edgar, Ben Mee, Brian Easton, Ross Wallace, Dean Marney (Marvin Bartley 70), Chris McCann, Keith Treacy (Junior Stanislas 59), Charlie Austin (Zavon Hines 70), Jay Rodriguez. Subs not used: Lee Grant, Andre Amougou.

Middlesbrough: Carl Ikeme, Tony McMahon, Matthew Bates, Stephen McManus (Faris Haroun 4), Joe Bennett, Justin Hoyte, Rhys Williams, Nicky Bailey, Barry Robson (Julio Arca 80), Marvin Emnes (Merouane Zemmama 85), Scott McDonald. Subs not used: Tarmo Kink, Malaury Martin.

Previous Games against Middlesbrough

Click HERE to see all previous results against Middlesbrough