Injuries take gloss off Sunderland win

Although a third successive home win in the Premier League arrived on Saturday when two David Nugent goals sealed a 3-1 win over Sunderland, it’s not been a good week for Burnley FC.

First we learned that Chris McCann would miss three months of action after damaging knee ligaments during the game, then we crashed out of the Carling Cup at Oakwell, where we haven’t won in over 75 years, and Martin Paterson also tore his knee cartilage in the game and he too will miss three months of action. Out of a cup competition to lower league opposition and two crucial members of the first team out until Christmas. Great stuff. Fortunately goalkeeper Brian Jensen, stretchered off in the first half at Barnsley as Paterson was, looks like he’ll be fit for the next match.

There’s also rising discontent at the way the local police are handling the upcoming match with Blackburn Rovers. Burnley fans will only be allowed on to the game if they travel on official coaches from Turf Moor, meaning dozens of exiled Clarets will have to travel past Ewood, to get on an antiquated coach, sit inside Ewood for three hours before kick-off, be locked in for at least an hour after the game, sit on the coach for hours in traffic to get back to Burnley, to then drive back along the M65, past Blackburn, to get home. It’s an absolute farce.

7000 Burnley fans made their own way to Ewood the last time played them and there was no trouble. The police are over-reacting to the Cockney idiots that wrecked the West Ham-Millwall match a few weeks ago. Many Clarets, including myself, will be put off attending the match because of the draconian measures. It’s a lot of hassle to go to when you can watch the match in your own front room on telly, or go to the pub.

Some fans are even proposing walking to the match in protest, possibly raising money for Accrington Stanley in the process. It would be fantastic to see Burnley and Blackburn fans walking hand-in-hand (well, maybe not that far) to Ewood. It’d be a real two fingers up to the police who seem to think treating us all like criminals will ensure the event passes without trouble.

Hopefully we will pick up our first away goal and point at Spurs on Saturday, but it’ll be a big ask after their impressive start to the season. Their attack is pacy and that’s the type of play we generally struggle against. Chris McCann will be a huge miss for us. He’s been virtually ever-present for the last three seasons and has developed into a highly influential midfielder. Whoever takes his place has big shoes to fill.

But with Nugent likely to step into the side, we have a new talisman, and a fresh brightness and sharpness about our play when he gets involved.

This article was written for FansOnline Burnley.