"I can assure you that we will perform a lot better for the rest of the
season" - Stan Ternent commenting on Sheffield United 4 Burnley 2.
It's difficult to know where to start with regard to this performance. On that
pitch today I witnessed a totally unacceptable performance from all
but four of the starting line-up. Gareth Taylor was excellent: two smart
headers, and a rare but classy finish with his right foot; Robbie Blake
gave 110%, set up a goal and showed willingness to try and beat his
man; Graham Branch found himself isolated as Watford realised that
he was the only one of the back four who could defend; and finally, Ian
Moore: a centre-forward, his performance was poor - but he was playing
on the right wing, as we don't appear to have a right-winger at the
Club anymore.
The rest of them were quite simply a disgrace to the proud name of
Burnley Football Club. This was a return to the dark days of the mid
Eighties, the days of such luminaries as Phil Malley, Peter Hampton
and Phil Devaney. It was score at will for a mediocre Watford side,
whose manager, Ray Lewington, laughably said that they were full of
confidence going into the Cup semi-final next week after this result.
Well, the truth of the matter is, Ray, if a side as poor as Burnley
can score four against you, Southampton must be rubbing their hands.
The Clarets were so poor - especially during the first half - that Watford
must be kicking themselves for not hitting double figures.
"The defending was shambolic" - Stan Ternent commenting on Grimsby 6 Burnley
5.
Watford took the lead when lumbering defender Wayne Brown rose unmarked
to head the ball goalwards. Beresford managed a touch, but couldn't
keep the ball out (0-1). The Clarets actually responded to this, and
two minutes later, Robbie Blake crossed for Gareth Taylor to head home
(1-1). Burnley then committed the cardinal sin: straight from the restart,
Gavin Mahon's cross was somewhat luckily deflected past Beresford by
the outstretched leg of Hyde (1-2). Another free header, this time for
Neil Cox, stretched Watford's lead (1-3). Then Steve Davis produced
more careless defending when his free kick went straight to a yellow
shirt, whose pass was lobbed over the advancing Beresford by Chopra
(1-4). Davis then atoned for one of his many errors by heading home
Burnley's second (2-4), and a miracle appeared possible as Taylor headed
home for his second of the match (3-4). Yet again the Clarets' defence
committed suicide, allowing Chopra another easy finish from another
restart (3-5). Gareth Taylor then turned on the edge of the Watford
box and, forcing his way past two challenges, placed the ball into the
bottom right-hand corner (4-5). This was Gareth's first hat-trick for
Burnley; it is sad it should come in such a dreadful game. To all those
who still doubt Taylor, can I ask you where we would be without his
goals?
HALF TIME
"For some reason, now and again we seem to throw one in for no logical reason"
- Stan Ternent commenting on Burnley 2 Rotherham 6.
The second half could only be a disappointment after the first. What
we hoped was that Burnley would come out all guns blazing and have a
go at Watford - after all, as all at Burnley FC are keen to tell us,
the season's over (let's hope it is, because the bottom of the table
is approaching fast). As we hoped, Burnley had a go at the start of
the second half - or rather we had two efforts on goal and then gave
up; if that's the limit of your motivational skills, Stan, perhaps we
should send you to Iraq and put you in charge of Saddam's troops. Instead
of the hoped-for response we came out like lethargic ferrets on a spring
picnic. After an hour, Watford made the game safe. Ardley beat Beresford
to a loose ball, and Chopra was on hand to score another easy goal (4-6).
"We always seem to throw in a bad performance every now and again" - Stan
Ternent commenting on Burnley 2 Reading 5.
After the sixth Watford goal, the game pretty much fizzled out. Watford
did the basic things, and Burnley continued to give a passable impersonation
of the Keystone Cops. The one bright spot of the second half was the
introduction of Matt O'Neill, who showed some good touches and has a
good long throw. Watford wrapped the game up in injury time as Chopra
was again left with an easy finish past the exposed Beresford (4-7).
The debacle that was today's game took Burnley to 75 goals conceded this season, joint worst (with Grimsby) in our division, and second to only Mansfield in the entire League.
"They are having a laugh" - Stan Ternent commenting on Walsall 3 Burnley
2.
Today's performance was truly appalling. In a season when we have plumbed
the depths, this took us even further down. Too many players look as
though they just couldn't care less - there was no passion and no effort.
The Club is in crisis: financially it may look a good idea to send Glen
Little on loan and get him off the wages for a while, but it has knocked
the stuffing out of the supporters and put the finishing touches to
the morale of the team. Steve Davis says as much in his programme notes
for the match on Saturday. It is all well and good for the Board and
manager to say that they have let Glen go because the season is over,
but it is not over to those who have paid in advance for season tickets,
nor to those who pay on the day to watch their team. The Board's decision
shows a total lack of respect to the Club's supporters.
"The performances in the last weeks have been totally unacceptable" - Stan
Ternent commenting on Walsall 3 Burnley 2.
In the programme for Saturday's match, Andrew Watson once again comes
out with the old chestnut "remember where we were when...".
It is time to stop this emotional blackmail. The Board is perfectly
entitled to see the Football Club as a business, and we are perfectly
entitled to expect the Club to make an effort. It is simply unacceptable
to keep harping on about where we were before the manager and Chairman
came to the Club. That was then, this is now. It is time to pull the
proverbial finger out: why are we the only club to be still whingeing
about ITV Digital? Yes they were swizzling bastards, but at the end
of the day every club outside the Premiership was hit just as hard.
Yet they don't constantly harp on about it: they have simply got on
with it and made the best of a bad job. We don't, because we like to
blame others for our failure.
Anyone watching a performance like that would think that we were
a relegation side" - Stan Ternent commenting on Sheffield United 4 Burnley
2.
The same principle has to stand for the manager. There are too many
people out there who will absolutely refuse to accept any criticism
of Ternent. I cannot make myself any clearer: Ternent has done marvellously
to get us into this division - but how does the old adage go? "You're
only as good as your last game". Since Ternent's negativity cost us
the game at Vicarage Road last month, we have taken one point from the
last eighteen. This is simply not good enough. Surely even the most
blinkered of supporters can see that something is not right?
People must realise that others are entitled to their own point of
view - there are too many Ternent apologists out there who are always
ready to answer any criticism of the man with "remember where we
were...". This is twaddle. We are here and now: the past is gone.
We are no longer the FA Cup winners, we are not League Champions anymore, we are no longer competing in Europe, and we are no longer in
the old Division 4 or Division 2: we are in Division One, and that is
that. We cannot live in the past; we must look forward. Regardless of
a man's past performance, he can only be judged on the present. A great
example of this is Stan's great friend, Peter Reid. It is all well and
good to look at the past, but that does not get you points in the present
day. If the team is not performing, if the manager is not performing
and if the Board is not performing, we are within our rights to say
so, without being patronised by people asking us to "remember where
we were before...".
"Tonight I was embarrassed to be their gaffer, because that performance
is a reflection on me" - Stan Ternent commenting on Reading 3 Burnley
0.
I defy anybody who was at that dismal performance on Saturday to defend
either the majority of the team or the manager. This kind of performance
has been constant throughout most of Ternent's reign; it is his job
to eradicate performances like this, and until he does he leaves himself
open to justified criticism.
"A lot of people have paid a lot of money to come down here and
watch that, and I am embarrassed" - Stan Ternent commenting on Reading
3 Burnley 0.Subs not used: Michopoulos, Pilkington.
Scorers: (Burnley) Gareth Taylor 15, 39, 45; Steve Davis 35 / (Watford) Wayne Brown 13; Micah Hyde 16; Neil Cox 26; Michael Chopra 29, 40, 61, 90.
Referee: P Dowd (Stoke-on-Trent).
Attendance: 10,208.
Whitto's man of the match: Gareth Taylor.
The King has lost his crown