Another game goes by

Where do we start with this one? I suppose the one positive is that we didn't lose it, and make no mistake this was a game we really couldn't afford to lose. Having said that it was a game we never came close to winning and I can't recall us ever once threatening goalkeeper Dean Brill who had been brought in to replace the badly out of form Marlon Beresford.

I don't sit and watch my football quietly, I jump to my feet at the merest excuse, berate referees for poor decisions (those given against Burnley only of course) and can be fairly vocal during the ninety minutes.

Looking back at this game I can't even recall standing once, there was nothing to get excited about; no goalmouth incident of note, and even the referee had it easy in a game where precious little happened.

Trying to understand Luton's idea of coming for a point was a difficult one, but having done that they had it easy because the opposition, namely Burnley, were totally incapable of doing anything about it and there wasn't a shot at goal worthy of the name.

Steve Cotterill rung the changes ahead of the game, only six of those who started at Deepdale two weeks ago kept their place with Danny Coyne, Michael Duff, Wade Elliott, James O'Connor and Kyle Lafferty all dropping out.

Some of the changes were probably expected, some not surprising, but I was mystified by the exclusion of Wade Elliott and couldn't see what Danny Coyne had done at Preston to warrant a place only on the bench. The changes did see both new signings Graham Coughlan and Paul McVeigh start the game.

Having said that, things need shaking up, that can often work, and there was another shake up immediately apparent when the teams came out with them wearing the more traditional white shorts and socks. My first though was because of a potential clash for the referee but it was just to try and change our luck.

The manager has had some stick for that, but I wonder how many of those giving stick have taken different routes to the ground, changed their routine, worn a different shirt or anything. We all do it, and when you are in a run like this anything is worth a go.

At the end of the day though it is how we perform on the day and quite frankly we didn't perform although for much of the first half we camped in and around the Luton penalty box. Was it because we were so much on top or that they were just totally inept, I would suspect a bit of both but more the latter, they really did look a dreadful side.

Probably our best effort fell to Andy Gray but his header, from a Paul McVeigh free kick, lacked conviction and was easily saved by the keeper. Ade Akinbiyi had a half chance and also set up Steve Jones for a run at goal. Yes Jones can run, but at the end of the day he hardly ever delivers the ball, he fails to get good passes in, he fails to get good shots in, he gets caught in possession and this time just run himself into trouble once again without even looking as though he would get a shot on goal.

The longer the half went the more the game was aimed towards the Luton goal and I think had Sky been there the possession stats would have gone off the scale. It didn't matter though, we didn't trouble them and I'm sure they went in at half time feeling they had dealt easily with anything we had to offer.

Andy Lochhead had walked across the pitch just before kick off, Willie Irvine came on to make the half time draw, if these two couldn't inspire us to get a goal or two then nobody could. Although we could have had no idea as the half time draw was made, we'd already seen the best of the afternoon and what was to come was far worse.

It's difficult to know where to start with the second half but basically we failed to muster one meaningful attack throughout the entire forty-five minutes. This desperately poor Luton side came a lot closer to winning it than we did, and you could finally sense the frustration in the crowd as the game went on.

The Burnley fans have been patient during this poor run, far more patient than history would suggest they would be, but they were beginning to get very restless. The manager made substitutions but they had no real effect. The first change saw Ade removed, he looked to be somewhat surprised but no one else in the ground did. Has Ade Akinbiyi ever played worse for us than he did in this game?

Kyle came on for him and James O'Connor replaced the desperately ineffective Jones at the same time - nothing changed though and another clock running down change right at the end gave every indication we'd settled for a point in what should have been our easiest game of the season given the shocking performance from Luton.

We got that point, we certainly didn't deserve more, and there's unlikely to be an easier game in the run in than this one was. To win football games you have to be able to do two things, score goals and prevent the opposition scoring them. We can do one of them well enough, as we stand only the top three have currently conceded less goals than us, and all of those clubs below us have conceded between 22 and 30 more.

So there lies the problem - we do not score goals - not only that we no longer even threaten to score goals in too many games. Since we drew with RK Sunderland, and I'm sure we all remember that, we've scored just four times in fifteen games, or put another way we've scored a goal every 5 hours 38 minutes.

That's a shocking statistic, an appalling statistic, and that's why we are heading towards the bottom of this league. It has to change, and if it doesn't change and change quickly then we'll be playing League One football next season. It's not just the forwards, but if Wade Elliott was left out yesterday for not scoring goals then you have to wonder just how Ade Akinbiyi and Andy Gray, and to a lesser extent Kyle Lafferty ever get a game.

The only jobs on the line here are those of the manager and his backroom staff. All the players on the pitch yesterday (other than the two loan players) are under contract for at least another year. There's no doubt that should this continue then the manager will lose his job and that will delight an ever increasing number of Burnley fans.

But yesterday, no matter what they were asked to do, too many players just didn't do it, and our future is in their hands right now. Ade has to stop falling over the ball, Jonah has to actually deliver a football, Gray has to start at least testing the goalkeeper, and the midfield have got to get up and support the forwards and even consider having a shot at goal. And above all they have to start taking some responsibility.

If they don't start doing that, then prepare for trips to such as Hartlepool and Walsall, because that's exactly where we'll be heading - Premiership Pledge or no Premiership Pledge.

The teams were;

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Wayne Thomas, Graham Coughlan, Steven Caldwell, Jon Harley, Paul McVeigh (Garreth O'Connor 88), Eric Djemba-Djemba, Chris McCann, Steve Jones (James O'Connor 69), Ade Akinbiyi (Kyle Lafferty 68), Andy Gray. Subs not used: Danny Coyne, Michael Duff.

Luton: Dean Brill, Leon Barnett (Chris Coyne 24), Markus Heikkinen, Clarke Carlisle, Sol Davis (Kevin Foley 70), David Bell, Steve Robinson, Matthew Spring, Keith Keane, Dean Morgan (Calvin Andrew 70), Drew Talbot. Subs not used: Marlon Beresford, Ahmet Brkovic.

Referee: Mike Thorpe (Suffolk).

Attendance: 11,088.