Lansbury snub is a big blow for Burnley

Like a puff of smoke Henri Lansbury has vanished from Burnley’s radar, the Forest fire started by Sean Dyche has finally been extinguished by Chairman Fawaz-Al Hasawi.

Burnley have been played like an absolute fiddle by Nottingham Forest who are rapidly becoming a joke of a club, just last week they comically couldn’t even release details of Burnley’s bid without it turning into a circus, led by the ringmaster Al Hasawi.

The picture posted on Twitter by the Forest chairman with his captain Lansbury was borderline embarrassing and done solely to save face after this transfer fiasco, it’s akin to an adolescent teenager posting a selfie with his on-off girlfriend.

It’s puzzling to know where Lansbury’s head is at as he won’t be able to sign improved terms as the club are locked under FFP regulations. If the Clarets had got off to a better start he might have been swayed, however all these ifs and buts do not result in a new central midfielder.

Manager Dyche has been left with custard pie on his face, you would think that Burnley would not entertain the Reds in any future transfer dealings in or out of Turf Moor, to quote Sir Alex Ferguson, the Clarets “wouldn’t sell them a virus”.

The Burnley recruitment team have to move fast to appease fans who have seen a torrid start to the season and key men, such as Jason Shackell not replaced. The midfield is the glaring problem area and Clarets fans are bored of the whole saga. It’s been tedious and Burnley now must turn their attention to other targets.

Danny Drinkwater of Leicester City is a name being banded around close to the club and it was understood that Burnley were closing in on the former Manchester United man but his inclusion in Claudio Ranieri’s team in their perfect start to the season has knocked the Clarets back.

However, with the Foxes having just signed Goklan Inler, he may just be surplus to requirements at the King Power Stadium – stranger things have happened.

It’s hard to know where else the Clarets will turn but they could look at Liam Bridcutt at Sunderland. He was subject of an enquiry from Derby earlier this summer, but hey its Derby, they flirt with everyone’s players – it’s their year don’t you know?

Central midfielder Bridcutt would fetch around £2.5 million and would fit into the wage bracket at Turf Moor. He excelled at Championship level for Brighton but has not had a look in with the Black Cats since Dick Advocaat took charge.

Although like Marmite, the Clarets could do a lot worse than Joey Barton looking at the position the club has now been left in. At 32 he could still do a job – the former QPR man has the know-how of how to escape the Championship. He would also ruffle a few feathers and put grit into a midfield sadly lacking Dean Marney.

With the capture of Rouwen Hennings, Burnley are hemorrhaging strikers but it’s now three years since the Clarets signed a specialist midfielder. That was Brian Stock who has since moved on to pastures new; it seems like an age ago.

‘Ten-thousand spoons when all you need is a knife’ rings true in Burnley fans’ ears. A specialist central midfielder was yearned with the flair and a track record of Forest rouge Lansbury, yet Burnley are collecting strikers like they are going out of fashion.

After three games the Clarets are winless and sit 19th in the Championship. Dyche may just be entering his most testing time at the helm of the football club.