Opinion: Scott Parker's post-match Burnley smile told the story following Nottingham Forest draw

The Clarets faithful had just shown their appreciation for what was another full-bloodied affair, a 90-minute display of pure commitment and endeavour against a Nottingham Forest side that are about to jet off to Seville for a Europa League clash.

Despite last season’s 100-point promotion from the Championship, the relationship between the club’s fans and Parker had always seemed a bit distant. Not frosty, not negative in the slightest, but not as close as one would imagine given the job he’s performed.

There’s reasons for that, the main one being the stodgy football and lack of goals that dominated the first half of last season’s campaign.

But five games into the new Premier League season, what we’re witnessing is a blossoming bond between Parker and those on the terraces – and a real appreciation for what his players are doing too.

The underdog spirit is well and truly back. Up against the odds in the Premier League, the Clarets faithful are well aware every point is earned through blood, sweat and tears.

A 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest might not be the most earth-shattering of results, and you’re right, it’s not. But it’s not the result I’m talking about here, it’s the way Burnley are going about things. It’s the way they’re handling themselves, they’re relatable again. It’s back to the Burnley of old.

Clarets fans are enjoying what they’re seeing. They’re well aware of their side’s limitations. They know they’re not perfect. But they’re giving it everything they’ve got against some of the best sides on the planet and giving it a real good go.

That might sound a little patronising, given there’s a lot more to Burnley’s game than mere effort and endeavour, although that goes a long way. Any side can run around a bit and show they care.

But no, Parker’s side are also tactically aware, they’re flexible and adaptable to the game at hand. They can sit back and soak up pressure when needed, but they can also cause problems and ask serious questions at the other end too.

Regardless of what happens this season, relegation or no relegation, this Burnley side feels a lot more ‘Burnley’ – and the fans will get right on board with that. That’s how you get an atmosphere at Turf Moor.

Character

After the pain of penalty heartache in back-to-back games, there was a smidgeon of pressure on Burnley to get something from this game.

While Forest finished seventh last season, qualifying for Europe, they’re still seen as one of those mid-table sides that Burnley need to be taking points off this season if they’re to survive – especially on home turf.

But those hopes evaporated within an instant as Ange Postecoglou’s side took a second-minute lead, Burnley conceding an uncharacteristically sloppy goal to Neco Williams.

It is ironic that Burnley managed to keep Liverpool out for 95 minutes before that cruel, last-gasp blow, but Forest barely needed 120 seconds to get off the mark.

Going a goal down so early into a game is far from ideal at the best of times, but doing so to a possession-heavy Postecoglou side could have easily made for a long, frustrating afternoon.

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For five or 10 minutes, you did get the impression Burnley were paying Forest a little too much respect. Yes, they’re a good side with some impressive attacking talent, and they were knocking it around well too. But this is Burnley at Turf Moor in the soaking rain. Let’s get after them.

Get after them they did and they took just 18 minutes to equalise, Jaidon Anthony continuing his fine start to the season with a scruffy effort. Not that he, his teammates or the crowd cared one bit.

The winger, who now has three goals to his name from his first five games, clearly enjoys playing against Forest, having scored on his last three appearances against them.

For the remainder of the first-half and the start of the second, Burnley were the side in the ascendancy.

The more they wrangled control of proceedings, the better their football became. They played some tidy stuff.

The big chance to edge ahead came within 18 seconds of the restart, as Lyle Foster teed up Anthony for a second but his shot was a poor one.

While clear-cut chances after that were hard to come by, you still felt the game was there for the taking. Forest weren’t exactly taking the initiative.

But as we entered the final 15 minutes, tiredness set in and the away side finally stepped things up. That’s where Martin Dubravka came to the fore with some crucial stops, the best one coming from Igor Jesus’ header, somehow managing to claw the ball away as it skipped off the wet turf and seemingly into the corner of his net, before that big hand came out of nowhere.

In front of him, Maxime Esteve, Quildinschy Hartman and Kyle Walker also deserve individual mentions for their displays. Walker especially played like a man possessed.

Promising

Nervousness set in as the game entered stoppage-time, with muscle memory inevitably flashing back memories of those last two gut-wrenching defeats.

But this time there was to be no late drama, as Burnley claimed a deserved and valuable point. It was a game that could have gone either way, both sides could lay claim to having the chances to win it, but on the balance of play a 1-1 draw was more than fair.

It leaves Burnley on four points from their first five games, meaning they remain outside the bottom three. Given the difficulty of their start, Burnley fans will certainly take this.

It doesn’t get any easier though, with Manchester City away – historically a miserable hunting ground for the Clarets – up next in the league. But continue to play and fight like this, you just never know.

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