Defeat Hurts
The defeat at Swansea was disappointing but after three wins, one draw and a loss we have made a good start to the season.
Starting with the Preston derby we will have seven games in a 21-day spell that will give us a big indication of how we will fare this season.
For the first thirty minutes we were under the cosh last Saturday.
Maybe Brendan Rogers' side should have been further ahead after their exhilarating start… however we were never out of the game and probably had the better of the second half.
We certainly created enough chances to get something out of the game.
The sending offs were significant and when Darren Pratley was dismissed we needed to take advantage of our numerical superiority.
Pratley sees red
Swansea were about to change their formation and take Nathan Dyer off.
However with Tyrone Mears' second yellow card coming within a minute of the first sending off the shape of the game never really changed.
Defeat hurts, but we need to remember our recent record at this level is exceptional, with just two defeats in eighteen Championship games.
Including the play offs we have won twelve of those matches.
If we could maintain that form we would surely be in the frame come May!
Transferring Affections
Burnley fans tend to face transfer windows with trepidation.
We have lost too many star players to deadline bids in the past.
How refreshing this time that we have been able to keep our squad intact. If the rumours are correct, our decision to refuse a multi million bid for Andre Bikey tells us a lot about our ambition.
Bikey has started the season so well and he is a key component in our bid to get back into the top flight.
It seems that Portsmouth were keen to offload David Nugent.
The former North End star did well at Burnley but he is in the last year of a lucrative contract at Fratton Park and, as Brian laws intimated, the financial side of things means it maybe wasn't the best move for Burnley right now.
One deadline deal that did go through and caught the eye was the loan move of Tom Cleverley to Wigan Athletic.
Remember Sir Alex Ferguson and Roberto Martinez didn't see eye to eye last season.
That little feud is clearly over ... It was generally assumed Cleveley was Reebok bound!
And let's not forget, the emergency loan window opens on Tuesday.
The introduction of the 25-man Premier League squads will make it really interesting.
Craig Bellamy's move to Cardiff came about because he was surplus to requirements at Eastlands. Any players excluded will not be able to play in the Premier League until January, so not withstanding today's revelations about Arsenal retaining 76 players on their books (imagine that team photo), expect a flurry of activity around the Championship!
Wanderer Returns
Bolton Wanderers at home in the next round of the Carling Cup is a magnificent draw.
Expect a very passionate Turf Moor that night!
Owen Coyle was good for Burnley and Burnley was good for Owen Coyle, but wounds take time to heal.
Certainly Brian Laws will want a win and a passage into the fourth round. It promises to be a thrilling night of cup action.
Jack'll Fix It
All sporting eyes have been on the match fixing allegations at Lord's with the News of the World implicating three members of the Pakistani cricket team.
... I was this far over the line ...
The first recorded match fixing allegations in sport involved Burnley's keeper 'Happy' Jack Hillman.
Way back in 1900, with his team needing to beat Nottingham Forest to avoid relegation, Hillman was alleged to have offered the opposition £2 a head to "take it easy" [around £144 in today's money]. He upped his offer to £5 [£360] at half-time, by which point Burnley were trailing 2-0.
The Clarets eventually lost 4-0 and went down to the second division before being hauled before the authorities. Hillman admitted speaking to Forest players, but denied trying to bribe them. He was banned for a year. Ironically, this isn't Hillman's only claim to fame.
His only England cap came in a sensational 13-2 win over Ireland at Roker Park.
