Lyle Foster on Burnley's losing run, lack of goals, Newcastle United test and AFCON

The striker will be part of a South African side that will fancy their chances of doing well in Morocco.

Bafana Bafana finished third four years ago and are currently going well under Hugo Broos, having recently secured their qualification for next year’s World Cup.

Back in East Lancashire, Foster has been a regular under Scott Parker this season, featuring in 11 of Burnley’s 14 league games and scoring twice.

Speaking to the media ahead of today’s clash against Newcastle United, Foster addressed Burnley’s lack of goals while covering a wide range of topics, such as his side’s current losing run, his willingness to play wherever picked, what he expects from the trip to St James’ Park as well as his international ambitions.

Here’s what he had to say:

Burnley’s lack of goals

“I think we need to put a bit more pressure on ourselves to come up with the goal. Especially in those moments when you're so close and I think it's just a bit of coolness.

“I speak for myself first, like against Palace, I think there was a chance where I could have just maybe taken an extra touch and looked for a better option. But at that moment it gets intercepted.

“So I think we can do a lot more to try and score, but I think it's just being forceful and having the will to want to score. I think that's what we need, whether good or bad.

“We need to still be a team that's able to produce up front and score goals, because I think in the long run that will help us.

“We've got a good defence and if we can score in every game, I think it gives us a good chance to get points. As an attacking unit that needs to be our focus.”

How important to break the cycle of promotion and relegation

“Yeah, it's tiring obviously and that's not the position we want to be in.

“I don't think that can be our focus. I think our focus needs to be getting points and making sure that doesn't even become a reality. I think that's the main thing.

“We need to be a bit obsessed, if you would, just on staying up and making sure that we do stay up. Because I think it's important, not only for us, but for the club and the people of Burnley to have that stability and for the club to build long after us.

“We've got Barnesy [Ashley Barnes] in the group and Jack [Cork] as one of the coaches and with Burnley they had seven years in the Premier League. That was so important for the club and for the city, for them to be able to build the stature of the club.

“I remember for myself, coming where I come from, that's how I knew Burnley, seeing them consistently in the Premier League. I think we owe it to the people of the city and the wonderful club and the people here to stay up.

“Also for ourselves, I think we're the players that can do it and I feel we can and we should.”

How difficult to build in the Premier League

“That's probably the toughest thing with the level now in the Premier League. If you see the last two years, all the teams that got promoted got relegated again.

“The most important year or the toughest year is probably the first year to stay up and once you do stay up, you can build a strong side, a strong squad from there.

“The teams you’ve mentioned [Brighton, Brentford, Bournemouth], that's probably what they've done. They've had time to build their squads in the Premier League.

“For us, the biggest obstacle and the biggest challenge is to probably stay up this season and then from next season, we can start thinking about other things.

“The biggest challenge, like I said, is to stay in the Premier League.”

How frustrating is this losing run

“Yeah, definitely, to be honest. Frustrating, especially the Palace game the other night.

“I didn’t feel they were particularly dangerous. I feel like we were the team. But again, I feel like just that edge, that last little bit for us to score and to get points was just not there.

“But on the performance, I can't fault the guys, everyone showed up. Everyone gave everything and I think the most important thing is to keep on going in this way.

“Because the one thing that we're missing probably is a goal or goals and I feel that's something we can work on. The others are, you know, much more difficult.

“We've done the hard part in staying there. I think the next step is to be able to score goals and get points.”

Playing up front with Zian Flemming

“As long as I'm playing, I'm good.

“It was honestly good to play with Zian [against Palace]. I think it was probably the first time we played together in that way. But I’m just happy that I could offer something to the team playing there.

“Also against Brentford [where he played off the left], if the gaffer sees that I can play in those positions, I'm willing and I want to play. I just want to have the biggest impact possible.”

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Newcastle challenge

“It’s a good side with good players, but I think we just need to focus on ourselves. There’s no point focusing on Newcastle.

“I think we've been doing very good within ourselves and obviously going there is going to be a tough game, so we just need to go there fully focused.

“It's an away game and just try and go there and get the win. I think it's something we can do and something we need to focus on.”

Upcoming AFCON tournament

“I'm looking forward to it.

“It's weird because it's in-season, so your mind juggles between both. But I'm definitely looking forward to it.

“It'll be my first senior AFCON for my country and I think in the last one we did quite well. We finished third, so we'll try and better that this time. If we do, that means we'll be in the final and then anything can happen from there.”

South Africa qualifying for the World Cup

“It’s big. Especially my country and where I'm from. We struggled for some years with football, especially after the 2010 World Cup.

“For us to qualify without being hosts after 26 years is a testament to the great work from the coaching staff, the players and just everyone involved.

“Like I said, we finished third at the last AFCON, we’ve qualified for the World Cup and now we're playing AFCON again, so I think it's a testament to how we've been growing over the years as a group.”

What was it like having the World Cup in South African in 2010?

“I was 10, it was the best experience ever, man. Ever. I'm sure everyone here thinks the 2010 World Cup was probably the best one.

“I think the feelings that everyone have are amplified because it was in your own country, in your backyard and I think that also just put us on the map, really, South Africa as a country, as football and just sports, whether it be touristic. I think people knew about South Africa after the World Cup, which is something to be proud of.”

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