Verdict: Stoke City blank proves Burnley must overcome major hurdle in fight for Championship promotion

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Burnley must overcome one major hurdle if they’re serious about achieving promotion back to the Premier League via the top two, not the Championship play-offs.
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'He's let the team down': Scott Parker reacts to Hannibal's red and Burnley's fr...

This latest stalemate, the New Year’s Day 0-0 draw against Stoke City, means Scott Parker’s men have now fired blanks on seven occasions this season.

For a side that aren’t exactly prolific at the best of times, scoring 30 goals in 25 games (for context, relegation-battling Portsmouth have the same amount), that type of record is only going to make an automatic promotion challenge an uphill battle.

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The great irony, however, is that despite a poor performance and an underwhelming result against the Potters, Burnley still finished the day moving up a place into second, owing to Sheffield United’s defeat at Sunderland, who remain right in the mix too in fourth. There’s guaranteed to be regular twists and turns all the way until May.

While you can’t expect to win them all, the best teams often find a way to win games when they’re not exactly firing on all cylinders. That has to be the aim now for Parker’s side.

There’s one thing failing to score against a Sunderland or a West Brom, as has been the case this season, but failing to find the back of the net against Stoke, Preston, QPR, Derby and Oxford – five sides who all find themselves in the bottom half – is only going to prove extremely costly come the final shake-up.

Familiar tale

Josh Brownhill rues a late chance missed. Photo: Kelvin Lister-StuttardJosh Brownhill rues a late chance missed. Photo: Kelvin Lister-Stuttard
Josh Brownhill rues a late chance missed. Photo: Kelvin Lister-Stuttard

Four of those seven blanks have come at Turf Moor, where Burnley have often found themselves being frustrated by sides that sit back and make life difficult for them.

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Despite this being the start of a New Year, this goalless draw was a familiar story for the Clarets as they failed to come up with the necessary answers.

You couldn’t really accuse Stoke of parking the bus, either. While they were stubborn and closed all the gaps out of possession, especially through the centre of the park, they weren’t content with a point and had the better chances to take all three.

The more they realised Burnley didn’t have a great deal to offer in the attacking third, the more belief and confidence they gained. They forced James Trafford into a fine reaction save when he got two strong hands to Tom Cannon’s fierce drive, Lewis Koumas also clipped the top of the crossbar with a similarly fierce effort while former Rovers man Sam Gallagher headed inches wide of the far post deep into stoppage-time.

BURNLEY, ENGLAND - JANUARY 01: Hannibal of Burnley walks towards the tunnel after receiving his red card. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)BURNLEY, ENGLAND - JANUARY 01: Hannibal of Burnley walks towards the tunnel after receiving his red card. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
BURNLEY, ENGLAND - JANUARY 01: Hannibal of Burnley walks towards the tunnel after receiving his red card. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

And yet, for all of Burnley’s faults on the day, they could have stolen the victory themselves with the final action of the game as ex-Stoke man Josh Laurent headed narrowly over from just a few yards out after Josh Brownhill’s goalbound shot had been charged down.

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Their performance wouldn’t exactly have warranted the win, but as already touched upon when you’re battling it out at the top there will be days where you simply find a way to get the win when you’re far from your best.

Moment of madness

The late chances might make this encounter sound like an entertaining one, but don’t be fooled, it was anything but.

Scott Parker looks distraught at full time following the 0-0 draw with Stoke City. Photo: Kelvin Lister-StuttardScott Parker looks distraught at full time following the 0-0 draw with Stoke City. Photo: Kelvin Lister-Stuttard
Scott Parker looks distraught at full time following the 0-0 draw with Stoke City. Photo: Kelvin Lister-Stuttard

The first-half especially, while the Clarets enjoyed a bit more control than they did in the second, nothing of note happened in terms of goalmouth action.

In fact, the drama only ensued when Hannibal, a 68th-minute substitute, inexplicably got himself sent off for a stamp on Stoke’s Junior Tchamadeu, giving referee Gavin Ward no choice but to flash a straight red.

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Parker offered no defence of his player post-match and Hannibal himself had no complaints, marching straight off the pitch and down the touchline towards the tunnel.

Not only did the 21-year-old put his teammates under pressure for the final few minutes, although ironically the dismissal seemed to light a fuse under the Clarets, he’ll now face a three-match ban for violent conduct.

With the derby coming up against Blackburn on Saturday and another key game against Sunderland soon on the horizon, with an FA Cup third round tie against Reading sandwiched in-between, that’s the last thing Parker needs.

Taking the next step

James Trafford looks distraught at full time following the 0-0 draw with Stoke City. Photo: Kelvin Lister-StuttardJames Trafford looks distraught at full time following the 0-0 draw with Stoke City. Photo: Kelvin Lister-Stuttard
James Trafford looks distraught at full time following the 0-0 draw with Stoke City. Photo: Kelvin Lister-Stuttard

The Burnley boss won’t be overreacting to this result, it’s still been a highly productive festive period for his side.

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The Clarets remain unbeaten in their last 12 and amazingly have still only conceded nine times in 25 outings, with 15 clean sheets to their name.

There’s so much to like and admire about this Burnley team, especially when you consider its turbulent roots in the midst of the summer transfer window. But to get across the line we need to see more.

Parker has progressed and developed this team steadily over the last few months. Firstly he made them difficult to beat, which remains the understatement of the century. Slowly but surely he added a bit more dynamism to their build-up play, which during the early stages of the campaign was found to be too predictable and pedestrian.

In recent weeks there have been signs of it all clicking, none more so than at Bramall Lane on Boxing Day. The performance at the Riverside three days later wasn’t too different either, it was just the result that was lacking – not that there’s any disgrace in drawing to a decent Middlesbrough side. But there can be no denying that Burnley took a step back against Stoke.

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There’s certainly something in the notion that Burnley are often at their best when facing the division’s better sides. But at the other end of the spectrum they’ve yet to look particularly convincing against the teams in and around the bottom – the 5-0 thrashing of Cardiff City aside.

If they can make the necessary adjustments, whether that’s in-house or by adding further quality in the transfer market, there’s nothing else stopping Burnley if they’re able to take that next step.

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