4 things Burnley can take from their defeat to Southampton

On Sunday, Southampton climbed up to eighth in the Premier League standings after fending off newly promoted Burnley 3-1 at St Mary’s Stadium.

The Saints, who have now won three of their last four top-flight outings, scored their goals within 14 second-half minutes, with striker Charlie Austin bagging a brace, plus their was a strike from summer signing Nathan Redmond to add to the scoreline.

Saints’ Redmond – Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.

The Clarets, who were condemned to back-to-back Premier League defeats, pulled one back through Sam Vokes’ 72nd minute penalty, but it wasn’t enough to inspire an unlikely late comeback from Sean Dyche’s men on the south-coast.

But aside the scoreline, what else did we learn about Burnley’s latest setback.

Here’s five things SHOOT recognised from Sunday’s slump at St Mary’s…

Tom Heaton shone

Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.

But for the Burnley captain, the Clarets could have shipped a lot more goals on the south coast.

The 30-year-old’s early save from former Claret, Charlie Austin, was touching world-class and had shades of Gordon Banks about it, underlining Heaton’s importance to the team.

The Burnley number one is not the most vocal captain in the world, however his performances lead by example and continue to set the standard for his teammates.

If it wasn’t for the undroppable Joe Hart, you’d surmise he would have more caps under his belt.

The return of Andre Gray

Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.

The longer he is absent from the Burnley starting line-up, the further his stock will rise.

The Clarets lacked menace in attack yesterday for large periods and seem bereft of ideas away from Turf Moor. This will not be remedied solely by the return of the Burnley number seven, however, the direct intent and the fact that Gray is one of only a handful of Claret’s with pace, means the front man will offer Burnley another option that they desperately need at the moment.

The former Brentford man unsettles defences and has centre-halves looking over their shoulders. His return is pencilled in at the Theatre of Dreams against Manchester United, and I’d like to see him thrown straight in.

Defending set pieces

Burnley boss, Dyche – Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.

For a manager who is as “back to basics” as Sean Dyche is, losing two goals from corners is borderline criminal.

It is all very well laying the blame at referee’s door for not giving a penalty; however, it is not the officials who have to pick up their men at corner kicks.

Southampton didn’t really have to work for any of their goals, and you cannot ignore the 36 efforts on goal from the home side. Are the Clarets giving teams too much respect? Probably.

The Burnley manager builds his sides on meat and two veg defending, working hard for one another and being hard to beat, yet the goals being given away do not mirror this, even the handball goal against Arsenal had two men free at the far post in the last minute of the game.

Burnley are becoming easy prey at set pieces and it is an issue that needs addressing.

A case for Jon Flanagan

Liverpool loanee, Flanagan – Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.

This guy was in the back four for Liverpool when they almost won the league in 2014. The noises out of Liverpool when he joined the Clarets were largely ones of dismay, as they see the Scouser as a superb back up to their backline.

One weakness you could throw at Sean Dyche is that he is too rigid with his team selections. A squad is there to be used and it doesn’t always take a loss or a bad performance to change things. I’d bring him in for Matty Lowton, who is not offering too much at the moment.

Burnley fans will point to the one start Flanagan has had in the League Cup, where he was average at best, against League Two Accrington Stanley – yet the 23-year-old needs game time.

It was about this time last year when the Burnley faithful called for Stephen Ward to come in and Michael Duff to be dropped to the bench, Dyche eventually heeded this after a Boxing Day defeat at Hull City, and Burnley went on to be 23 undefeated on the way to the title.