There's certainly been a bit of a downer around the place recently and that's because of recent performances. We were desperately poor in the last home league game against Middlesbrough and frankly the performance at Peterborough was no better. Then, in midweek, we sneaked through in the Carling Cup without ever looking convincing.
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| Marvin Bartley - outstanding performance |
After the Middlesbrough game, I wrote: "There was no tempo, no movement of any note, the passing was shocking, the team lacks any sort of experience or leadership, and there appeared to be no real desire whatsoever."
There were few who disagreed as we'd suffered another 90 minutes of slow motion football and ahead of yesterday's game there was no real suggestion that it might be any different. Indeed, there were concerns that we could be in for another really difficult afternoon against another of the early frontrunners, this time league leaders Southampton.
In the end we didn't win it and the search for a home win goes on, but that can't disguise the fact that this was a different performance altogether than those we've suffered recently. Most of those missing ingredients were there and, despite Nigel Adkins believing they'd dominated the second half, I'm sure Southampton went back south relieved with a point.
From the team that started the last league game at Peterborough, Eddie Howe made four changes. Lee Grant and Andre Amougou, who had replaced the injured Brian Jensen and Ben Mee in midweek, retained their places although Mee was fit enough to return to the bench.
Marvin Bartley was preferred to Dean Marney in midfield whilst Junior Stanislas was a late replacement for Keith Treacy who had suffered a hamstring problem in training. For Stanislas it was a first start for Burnley.
This was the game where I felt, should we turn in another poor performance, the fans might turn, particularly with Jack Cork and Danny Fox lining up for the visitors. Somewhat strangely, Fox was booed ahead of kick off whilst Cork was applauded. The booking continued towards Fox during the game but Cork was all but forgotten in what, for him, was an anonymous performance as his side were second best in the midfield.
We've been 1-0 down in each of our last three games within the first ten minutes and could have been again when Rickie Lambert had a good opportunity which, thankfully, he failed to take, but that early Saints' chance certainly didn't set the pattern for the first half.
We passed the ball so much better, we moved it quickly, and there was movement from the players. It was much more enjoyable to watch and we certainly took the game to the top of the league team.
The performance wasn't perfect. We didn't give visiting goalkeeper Kelvin Davis, a goalkeeper who has had more than his fair share of nightmares at Turf Moor, enough to do and I'm not sure he had a save worthy of the name to make during the first 45 minutes.
That, to a large extent, was down to his defenders' ability to get blocks in. They must have got their bodies in the way of at least four goal bound efforts as the Clarets took command, and there was also a deflection that nudged a Bartley shot just wide.
Bartley - he's had few opportunities since signing for the Clarets. Some of that has been of his own making with two red cards but yesterday he got his first league start of the season and turned in a simply outstanding performance in midfield.
Alongside Chris McCann, having his best game of the season, and with Stanislas in good form, we were in control in the middle of the pitch and that's something Adkins decided to do something about at half time with the introduction of yet another former Claret, Richard Chaplow.
Chappy received a Cork like welcome when he came on, but was soon getting the Fox treatment after leaving his foot in a couple of times, but his presence didn't change things too much, despite Adkins' suggestions.
We poured forward in the early stages after the break. We did so quickly and we were using the width of the pitch on either side with both full backs getting involved, and they nearly combined to give us the lead.
Ross Wallace played the ball for Kieran Trippier whose cross just evaded Brian Easton coming in at the far post. It was probably as close as we'd come but the lead wasn't far away. This time we attacked down the left. Easton's cross was met by Jay Rodriguez who headed down for Charlie Austin to hit home his fifth league goal of the season.
It was just what we needed and it looked as though it might just be our day soon after when Lambert was so unlucky to see his header come down and out off the underside of the bar after a superb cross from Frazer Richardson.
Up to, and probably just beyond, the hour we looked every bit as though we would go on and win it, but the last period of the game proved to be more difficult as Southampton came back into it.
Eddie Howe, after the game, pointed to us running out of gas. We'd played in midweek but only defender Jos Hooiveld had played in both games for Southampton.
We made changes with Stanislas, who has played little football recently, the first to come off. We changed the system and lost the momentum and now we were having to do the defending. We kept checking the watches. Could we keep them out? Could we end this run of games without a clean sheet?
The answer, unfortunately, to both questions was no. With ten minutes to go, substitute Morgan Schneiderlin, provided the finishing touch after a good cross from Fox, who had enjoyed a good game on his return to Turf Moor.
That left us fighting for a point and we did it, despite their appeals for a penalty in the last minute of stoppage time. Referee Anthony Taylor had something of a nightmare but he didn't give it for what would have been the softest of penalties.
So, in the end, we had to settle for a point, but the reaction leaving the ground was so much different than it's been all season.
I remember Steve Cotterill once saying that you can only prepare your team to play well, that you can't legislate for certain things that happen on a pitch. Had Taylor given that penalty yesterday it would have highlighted that.
We did play well and if we can continue to play like that I'm certain we'll soon be moving up the table, but also remember the words of another former Burnley manager Stan Ternent. He was forever telling us that one swallow doesn't make a summer.
Stan's right, so now it's time to crack on and see where it takes us.
The teams were;
Burnley: Lee Grant, Kieran Trippier, Andre Amougou, David Edgar, Brian Easton, Ross Wallace (Zavon Hines 87), Marvin Bartley, Chris McCann, Junior Stanislas (Dean Marney 73), Charlie Austin (Alex MacDonald 90+2). Subs not used: Jon Stewart, Ben Mee.
Southampton: Kelvin Davis, Frazer Richardson, Jose Fonte, Jos Hooiveld, Guly Do Prado (Richard Chaplow 45), Dean Hammond (Morgan Schneiderlin 62), Jack Cork, Adam Lallana, David Connolly, Rickie Lambert. Subs not used: Bartosz Bialkowski, Aaron Martin, Steve De Ridder.
Yellow Card: Adam Lallana.
Referee: Anthony Taylor.
Attendance: 14,170 (including 1,155 from Southampton).