Burnley have been warned by a top pundit that they must improve their potency at the top of the pitch if they are to avoid relegation.
Despite having 17 shots on goal, the Clarets failed to score against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
They were punished for their lack of a cutting edge, as Roy Hodgson’s men took advantage of Jordan Beyer’s error to score through Jeffrey Schlupp, before Tyrick Mitchell added a late second deep into stoppage time.
While Vincent Kompany’s side has struggled defensively in recent weeks, Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy believes it was their poor finishing at the other end that let them down against Palace.
“It’s that final bit of quality in the final third,” he explained to Gary Lineker, the show’s host. “They played some good football and dominated for long stretches.”
“They didn’t get into the box quickly enough; the players should have been there.” They also lack Lyle Foster, their leading goal scorer.
“Some conviction was required; put your foot behind it and at least get it on target.” You don’t get as many chances in this league, and when they come, you’ve got to be more ruthless.
“Those little bits of quality for Burnley when they are on top in games are crucial that they turn those moments into goals, but it’s not looking great for them at the moment, it really isn’t.
“You can see the numbers in terms of goals and if you don’t score, you don’t win games and you don’t stay in the league.”
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