Opinion: Writing is on the wall for Burnley following defeat in must-win Everton clash

Heading to Goodison Park, Vincent Kompany’s men knew they realistically had to win to face any chance of taking their fight against relegation down to the wire.

In losing, you feel the writing is very much on the wall.

In fact, let’s be frank, it’s been that way for some time now. Most Burnley fans have been resigned to their fate for months.

The Clarets threatened a late resurgence with a mini unbeaten run that spanned four games, yet included just one win. That just won’t do it.

For a short while, a glimmer of hope had returned – perhaps more out of starvation than anything else because this has been a campaign where optimism has, quite understandably, been in short supply.

Nevertheless, Kompany and his players finally gave their supporters something to dream about. But those dreams now lie in tatters.

Everton were one of perhaps two sides that Burnley could have realistically caught. Brentford, while out of form, always felt out of reach.

If the Clarets were going to prolong their fight against relegation, they had to do two things. First of all, win some games and secondly, keep those in and around them within touching distance.

With Nottingham Forest still to play, Burnley had it within their gift to deal two killer blows to their main rivals. But in falling at the first hurdle, Burnley’s ‘fight’ is almost as good as over.

Competitive

It’s doubly frustrating because, once again, this wasn’t a poor performance from Burnley. There was very little between the two sides in what was, quite frankly, a pretty dull game.

The visitors were doing well though. As the away side, they were navigating the first-half as well as you could hope for. They came through a sticky opening period where the momentum and the crowd were on Everton’s side, before slowly but surely growing into the game, resulting in a bit of anxiety and angst setting in among the Goodison faithful.

Had Burnley edged their noses in front, which they could well have done when Charlie Taylor had a powerful drive blocked, there’s no doubt the home crowd would have turned. They were constantly teetering on toxicity.

But all of Burnley’s good work was undone in one swift moment when Aro Muric, previously so impressive with his distribution, dropped a clanger.

Normally when he’s passing out from the back he does so with a purpose, zipping balls here, there and everywhere atspeed. But on this occasion, deep into first-half stoppage-time, he was far too casual, taking so long over his pass that he allowed Dominic Calvert-Lewin the chance to charge him down. That’s exactly what happened and, predictably, the ball looped over Muric and straight into the back of his empty net.

Straight away Muric knew he had messed up. He was as apologetic as you could be.

With Muric, Burnley fans know this is what you’re going to get every now and then. When he’s so brave with the ball at his feet, you have to accept he’s going to drop the odd mistake.

But this wasn’t a case of one of his adventurous forward balls being intercepted, this was an unusual moment of indecisiveness that was cruelly punished. It’s unlike Muric, but he will learn from this.

Lacking urgency

It changed the whole dynamic of the game and from that point onwards, Burnley never really looked like getting back into it.

The urgency you would want from a team that knew it realistically had to win was strangely lacking. Besides that, an Everton side led by Sean Dyche is the last team you want to give a lead to because, as Clarets fans know only too well, Dyche is only too happy to sit on the lead and see out the remainder of the game.

Burnley simply had to take the initiative but that moment never really arrived. They huffed and they puffed, just as they did against Wolves, and got into some half-promising areas, but once again their final touch was found wanting.

As if life wasn’t already difficult enough, Burnley were reduced to 10 men midway through the second-half when Dara O’Shea was shown a straight red for a pretty blatant foul on Dwight McNeil.

Was it denying a goalscoring opportunity? Kompany clearly didn’t think so. But it was needless and the Irishman gave referee Michael Oliver a decision to make. Besides, there would have been no foul to speak of had O’Shea kept control of the ball in the first place.

The end is near

When you factor in the red, Burnley’s seventh of the season, and the clanger for Everton’s winner, this felt like a game that ultimately summed up their season. They continue to find new ways to shoot themselves in the foot.

Burnley have found it difficult to beat most sides this season but it’s pretty telling that they’ve now faced Everton three times this season, two in the league and one in the cup. They’ve lost all three without scoring a single goal.

Of course, we shouldn’t write off Burnley just yet. There’s still six games to go and there’s the usual caveat of points deductions.

But even if Nottingham Forest’s appeal is turned down and Everton are punished harshly again, are Burnley going to accumulate the necessary points to put up a fight? The jury is very much out on that one.