What a gut punch to serve up a real feeling of injustice for what we mostly expected and you could probably anticipate from the balabce of play.

Burnley were tidy and obviously had quality, but until we scored looked like they couldn’t finish their dinner. Despite having the beating of us down their left flank all game. Not surprised they draw a lot at home. I remember Rodriguez being a real threat... age catching up with him I guess.

Much better in extended patches from us. Higher energy and higher up the pitch. We still colapsed back into our shell too often and for too long though.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. If you can't consistently have 40%+ of the play, you will keep failing. We aren’t good enough at passing, dribbling, defending or shooting to rely on direct longball counter attacks after being under prolonged sustained pressure with 1, 2 or 3 players to win us games often.

Lumley - 7 can't help but feel he could have done a bit better with one goal and a couple of hairy moments that went unpunished, but also a couple of quality saves.
Mbengue - 4 I thought he was terrible. Winger had him on toast. Misplaced clearances, wild sliding swings as the last man no where near, yet more foul throws, robbed.
Rahman - 5 an enigma. Clearly talented, some briliant interceptions and touches. Also beaten easily by the sub winger, poor decision making, selling players short, rubbish crossing.
Yiadom - 7 didn’t see him do much wrong, but wouldn’t say it was his strongest or most influential game
Holmes - 8 defended very well, got away with some blatant hugging in our box.
McIntyre - 7 pretty good considering he had to go off concussed after a wack in the face some time earlier.
Hendrick - 7 increasingly like Hendrick, he's grown more reliable and keeps things moving
Loum - 7 good game from him breaking up play, gets forward when he can too
Ejaria - 6 quiet game, some nice stuff. Still dallies too long on the ball
Ince - 8 rocking it early on, picking pockets galore. Lovely goal. Should have had a penalty.
Meite - 7 drifted in and out, his hold up play has improved, and nice flick on for the goal.

Hoilett - 6 ok, worked hard, didn’t really get the opportunity to excel
Long - 6 couldn’t really achieve much as a lot of the time we were camped in our half.


We really should put a CB on the bench and stop pretending Mbengue is a wingback. He can't play there.

I defend referees but I have to say that was utterly appalling. No good him saying “didn’t see it, not the angle for me” - just piss poor. He could see it, it was the Lino’s side who could also see it and between them they were never giving that in a month of Sundays. Galling not giving it but to then concede at end was sickening.

Against a top team in form that was a decent, battling performance and deserved more.

So important they pick themselves up and go again Tuesday but fear for all these games coming up.

I was so fed up I had to go for a long walk.

Lumley couldn`t have made two quality saves because Burnley only have 3 on target and 2 of them went in.

We should smash Preston Friday

He was blameless for them

He was blameless for themhaving seen the highlights I’m a bit disappointed wit( Lumley’s efforts for both goals. He seems to be slow to get down to any low shot and this one really didn’t seem this far away from him and he got a touch on it.

I will say that I commend the whole town of Burnley for getting into the Halloween spirit. Lots of derelict, creepy buildings and scary looking people. Bravo.

We should but would like us to stop this run of away defeats on Tuesday first. Home form is key this year but we need to pick up points on the road esp. when we take the lead.

Personally hope the team can target their frustration from this game into the remaining games before the World Cup insanity starts and deliver some stirring performances in collecting points (or at least the collecting points part anyway).

It's frustrating because Ince has definitely improved us. We look a better team, playing much better football, with more belief.

But his insistence on 3 CBs and 2 wing backs and a counter attacking style, is just seeing us camped around our box with no outlet against the better passing sides.

Just like Swansea, but for portions of the game rather than all of it, we saw our wing backs pinned back by Burnley's wide players, who were good enough to beat them anyway, whilst our three centrebacks marked one striker. At times with one or two midfielders sitting in the backline.

With so many teams playing 1 up front, if you're going to play 3 centrebacks you've got to have them engage the wide players more to free up the wing backs, or you end up with an outnumbered midfield, or strikers dropping back to cover them and no outlet.

It's not so much a problem if you can engage high and press the opposition in the middle of the pitch and their own half. But once you get pinned back there's basically no way out other than a near perfectly executed break of the opposition stopping pushing you.

I come back to the problem that our centrebacks are too slow to play this way, and maintain a higher line without getting rinsed for pace on the break and into the channels.

Vincent Kompany said he understood Reading’s frustration and admitted he thought it was a penalty too.

This is now getting to be inexcusable, either all clubs just accept the “rub of the green” and tone down the general complaints and whining (after all it is just a game) or the FL accept that because of the money involved in the game now that VAR must be introduced into the Championship next season.

My Burnley supporting colleague asked me last week if I was going to the game, I said going to Burnley once was more than enough. He replied with "don't blame you, why do you think I moved down here?"

Even the cat’s now angry with the standard of refereeing.

I really don't know what the answer is.

There clearly just aren't enough decent refs out there to cover all of the games. It's a damn hard job and I reckon their people management and communication skills need to be up there amongst the best. They also need to be courageous and incredibly thick-skinned.

I guess that in some ways it could be viewed as a tougher role than being a football manager and it is nowhere near as well paid!

Having said that, I will continue to give match officials stick when I think they've got things wrong, so I guess I'm part of the problem!

Oh, and if you think they're bad here, you should see some of those that appear in MLS! The quality of MLS football has improved way beyond recognition but their refs haven't kept up at all. Possibly that's because the US don't have the very clearly defined, tiered league structure for their officials to work their way up.

There's a lot of money in MLS, so it wouldn't surprise me if they start importing professional officials in the same way that they do with players. If so, we might lose some of our better refs who are understandably drawn by the money and life experience.

Simpson is back there on Wednesday has 4th official, they must be hoping the 1st choice gets nobbled.

The Burnley fans are still droning on about the `blatant` pen they should have got in the first half, like it evens itself out.

Even though I thought Yiadom had his best game so far this season on Saturday personally speaking, thought he should have gone to wing back and Mbengue back into CB where he did well previously, that may have made more sense.

Not many players did much wrong bar Mbengue who had a poor game, granted out of position.

Can't really justify the referee's error not to give a penalty, it's poor officiating which has cost us potentially the 3 points from the game, so it's sucker punch but we just need to bounce back tomorrow night and look to get a good result at Luton.

A lot of negativity towards refs but clearly the linesman is at fault here as they had the best view.

Sure, the final decision lies with the ref but if the linesperson who is a few yards away with perfect view isn't immediately frantically waving the flag about it sort of gives the impression to the ref that it can't be a pen so he'd really be sitcking his neck out giving a pen.

I don't think the linespeople are anywhere near as ballsy as they need to be and too much is on the refs' shoulders. That's the real problem here.

Let it not detract from the game though - yes the boys did good and 'should' have won, but actually they were absolutely rippign us apart all game, gettign in behind our defence for fun. They were the better side and thoroughly deserved the win.

First Swansea and now this. We are due a very cheap pen soon at this rate

The issue is, the assistant refs are usually briefed by the ref on how they want them to work together - the ref is the boss at the end of the day - so it could be in some instances that they are told by him/her not to flag for something unless they are 100% and think s/he has missed it.

Given where the ref was positioned, it could be fair to say that the AR would be of the view, well he saw it and seems happy so no need to flag.

Or they both just had a massive brain fart and messed up.

The issue is, the assistant refs are usually briefed by the ref on how they want them to work together - the ref is the boss at the end of the day - so it could be in some instances that they are told by him/her not to flag for something unless they are 100% and think s/he has missed it.

Given where the ref was positioned, it could be fair to say that the AR would be of the view, well he saw it and seems happy so no need to flag.

Or they both just had a massive brain fart and messed up.

Then you've hit the nail on the head, that is clearly the issue and somethign needs to change there with how they work together. eg if they have full autonomy and are duty bound to raise a flag (or an arm or something) to signal that they have spotted something. Then it lands on the ref to decide if he wants to give it. It's just too wishy washy. What lino is going to flag for a pen when his "boss" clearly thinks it isn't? If they're duty bound to be independent and gie their view immediately that would be a step in the right direction. An uncertain ref, seeing an indication from the Lino that there's a foul is more likely to give it even if uncertain. A ref who's told his scared Lino only to flag if he's missed something is going to get nothing from the lino and then also not have the balls himself. It's a ridiculous system, if true.

Did anyone use the Cricket Club car park?
Certainly got a bit lively after the game when they opened the gates at the ground and let all the home fans through.

Saw a young girl who was very upset, looked like she had been pushed or something.
Saw a Reading fans car get attacked whist they were in it, we decided to stay outside the car to make sure ours wasn't attacked.
Absolute scummy wronguns

Having seen the highlights on Sky, it was nowhere near as blatant as they claim. There guy was backing forcefully into Holmes in an attempt to make them both fall to the ground and claim a penalty. Holmes should be told to be more sensible with his arms in that situation though as other refs might have given it.

I bet they didn't mention the blatant bit of cheating by Zaroury when he fell to the ground in our penalty area like he was mortally injured in an attempt to get Mbengue sent off. Replays showed no real contact between them. At most Mbengue might have accidentally trod on his foot during the general pushing and shoving that was taking place at the time. And Zaroury didn't fall to the ground clutching his foot anyway!

Fair point but the different camera angles suggested that the ref should've had a good enough view and, if not sure, should've asked his 'Assistant'. Can't understand how both could both decide it wasn't a penalty.

Also, as others have mentioned, some refs still seem to adopt the approach that they only want their Assistants to deal with throw ins and offsides. If they are telling their Assistants not to get involved in other decisions, then it really does make a mockery of the name 'Assistant Referee'. The PGMOL really need to sort this out. However, with Kevin No Friend of Mine one of those in charge, I doubt there's much hope of that, as Paul Ince pretty much stated.

Fair point but the different camera angles suggested that the ref should've had a good enough view and, if not sure, should've asked his 'Assistant'. Can't understand how both could both decide it wasn't a penalty.

Also, as others have mentioned, some refs still seem to adopt the approach that they only want their Assistants to deal with throw ins and offsides. If they are telling their Assistants not to get involved in other decisions, then it really does make a mockery of the name 'Assistant Referee'. The PGMOL really need to sort this out. However, with Kevin No Friend of Mine one of those in charge, I doubt there's much hope of that, as Paul Ince pretty much stated.


1. Referees and assistants are linked by radio. There is much more communication than flag waving
2. Absolutely no way do these officials just do throw ins and offsides ! That is park level where a substitute is running the line. With qualified, neutral officials you would want as much help as possible. Of course the assistant will not often be looking in the right place to judge offences given their priority is being in the right place, and looking the right way, to make difficult offside calls.

Yea our car got attacked and my 12 year old boy was very upset. It might have been us you saw. In hindsight, we should have just held back until the crowds disapearred.

Yea our car got attacked and my 12 year old boy was very upset. It might have been us you saw. In hindsight, we should have just held back until the crowds disapearred.

Were you up by the gate and sprint out after one of them? If so I saw you.

I cant believe how aggressive they were, it was like going back in time, I can accept a few idiots, thats fine, but this was relentless.

I don’t know how penalties have’t been given against Holmes , he wrestles players in the box far too often . Maybe he will only stop when he is penalised .

You really need to invest in spell check it's free.

You really need to invest in spell check it's free.
We all have valuable contributions to make to hobnob, but I think yours is best as nothing.