Brian Laws disappointed with Burnley FC performance

At Turf Moor, teams trying to counter the Clarets’ impressive home form make scouting reports worthless, by changing style and formation.

While Barnsley were swept away last week after a goalless first half, the Royals got their noses in front, giving their gameplan the perfect foundation.

Jay Tabb occupied Jack Cork and reduced his influence, while Burnley’s play was chanelled through the middle too often, against a compact Reading.

And with pace in abundance in their front three, the Royals were always a threat on the break.

Burnley’s approach play was not as it has been, and Laws said: “It’s a difficult one to put your finger on, other than to say we’ve got to be totally honest with ourselves – we weren’t good enough.

“I’ve got to also give credit to Reading, they did a job on us.

“I thought there were so many performances that were below-par. You can carry one or two, but when it’s half your team you’ve got a problem.

“In this division, it shows you get a kick up the backside if you’re not quite at your game.

“I can use the excuse of the referee, because I thought he had a difficult game, but I thought the players were worse than that.”

The Clarets were below par, and struggled to find the ways and means to break a dogged Reading down: “With each game that goes by teams will change their style and formation.

“We’re doing well here, so they’ll do things to counter it. Our key players, who have been performing well, were snuffed out and didn’t perform.

“We were looking for a spark from somebody, and it just wasn’t coming from the right areas.

“We’ve had to overcome a penalty, but I felt we should have had one ourselves, which could have evened the game up.

“But when you go down to 10 men it’s always a difficult task. We tried to stay positive and keep two strikers up front and have a go at it.

“I suppose we lost in a dramatic way, but we were trying to be positive in the same manner and we were unfortunate not to get a goal or two ourselves.

“But the last two goals I was fairly disappointed with, to say the least, because I thought they were sloppy.

“It was poor. I can’t disguise that. It’s probably as poor a performance as we’ve had all season.

“We’re disappointed as we wanted to keep the record going, but we’re just going to have to start another.”

Laws was keeping tight-lipped on referee Nigel Miller’s performance, which drew mass derision from the stands, but he wasn’t hiding behind Miller’s bizarre afternoon: “There are too many things I can associate with the referee’s performance.

“The fans aren’t stupid. They know when a referee’s had a good game and a bad game and I think we’ll all be unanimous the latter was the case.

“It’d be easy for me to say the referee did this or did that. Our performance didn’t justify a result, and that’s where my disappointment comes from.”

Laws was animated at half-time with Miller, but would not divulge details: “No, it will cost me too much!”

He had no arguments, however, with Leon Cort’s dismissal for two bookable offences: “I think it probably epitomised our performance. Rash.

“I don’t think he left the referee any option. If you mis-time your challenges now you do get booked, and that’s the way it goes.

“In fairness, he probably got that one right.”