Lancashire

Laura Kenyon
BBC Final Score

Image source, Shutterstock

Burnley sit rock bottom of the Championship table but is that immediate cause for concern?

At this stage of the season, some may argue not. But what will absolutely concern Burnley fans is the sheer amount of goals they are conceding per game: 16 in seven games.

The Clarets currently have the worst defensive record in the Championship.

The manner of the goals conceded at Swansea City raises further alarm bells.

Two defensive errors gifted goals to Adam Idah and Moussa Yeo in the first half in south Wales. Clear mistakes.

New boss Nicky Hayen has the challenging task of getting a group of new players to gel – 17 of which were playing under different head coaches last season.

But he is under immediate pressure having not won a league game since taking the helm. More worrying though, Burnley have not been victorious in any league encounter in 214 days.

The question for Hayen now? How does he pull Burnley out of a slump which has haunted them since long before Premier League relegation last season.

Image source, Getty Images

Burnley boss Nicky Hayen rued his side's individual errors which led to Swansea City goals as the Clarets were beaten 3-1 on Saturday.

Adam Idah and Moussa Yeo scored in the first half for the Swans to leave Burnley trailing 2-0 at half-time and, despite a goal from Largie Ramazani before the hour mark, Burnley had too much to do and conceded again when Zan Vipotnik restored the hosts' two-goal advantage.

The defeat leaves Burnley at the bottom of the Championship table and still without a win from their opening seven league matches under new boss Hayen.

"It's a really disappointing afternoon," he said. "We actually started quite well. We were equal to Swansea, but then we made individual mistakes in the first half - then you are 2-0 down.

"We created opportunities. We had as many chances and their goalkeeper had to make more saves than ours, but at the end of the first half it is 2-0.

"We tried to change the game and we came out with good energy. We feel like we have the momentum but then, like in previous weeks, we give the momentum away.

"Then they score a third one and you knew it would be really difficult. We were not efficient enough."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds here.

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom spoke to BBC Radio Lancashire following Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Lincoln City.

"It was no surprise in terms of how difficult that game was and the pattern of the game. We are really frustrated that 90 per cent of the time their threats, because we limited the number of corners and set-plays, we did deal with them," he said.

"But it's ultimately their biggest weapon and while we are not getting in front, they are going to have their opportunities with counter-attacks and set-plays.

"The only way to stop that noise (sounds of boos from some fans) at the end of the game is to win games.

"There is no lack of effort, I get that, but we are not the ones forcing the big moments to go our way."

Image source, Getty Images

Vitor Matos believes 39-year-old Jamie Vardy is still capable of making a mark in the Championship as the former England striker eyes a Burnley debut at Swansea City.

Vardy is set to be named in the Clarets squad to visit the Swansea.com Stadium, having joined Burnley this week after departing Italian club Cremonese.

And Swansea head coach Matos believes the former Leicester City frontman, who scored 200 goals in 500 Foxes appearances, still has the tools to thrive in the second tier.

"He is someone who understands how to score goals," said Matos, who is 14 months younger than Vardy.

"He moves really well - he always did that. He has a lot of talent - his finishing skills are there.

"Of course it's different when you are 39 compared to when you are 25, but the experience is there and when he has still the desire to play, of course he can have impact."

Burnley boss Nicky Hayen must hope Vardy's arrival will help inspire an upturn in fortune for the Clarets after their slow start to the season.

Relegated from the Premier League last term, the Lancashire side are in the Championship's bottom three having failed to win a league game in this campaign.

But Matos says Burnley's lowly position "doesn't really translate to how they are".

He describes Burnley as having a "really good squad, good players, new coach".

He added: "They are in this moment of adjusting themselves, but the quality is there.

"I think there were games where they could have had more… but it is an early stage in the season still and I really expect a good game from them."

After losing top spot in the Championship on Tuesday, Swansea City defend their unbeaten home record against Burnley on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The Clarets did lift themselves off the bottom of the table in midweek but have failed to win any of their opening six matches since relegation from the Premier League last season.

• Swansea have lost their past four league games against Burnley, their longest losing run to the Clarets.

• Burnley have won on their past two league visits to Swansea, the only time they have won twice in a row away to the Welsh club in league competition.

• Swansea are the only side yet to concede at home in the Championship this season (three games). Only in 2011-12 in the Premier League have they kept a clean sheet in their opening four home matches of a league campaign.

• Burnley have failed to win their opening six games of a league campaign outside the top flight (D3 L3) for just the fourth time, after 1977-78 (nine games, second tier), 1979-80 (16 games, second tier), and 1997-98 (10 games, third tier).

• Although Burnley have conceded a league-high 13 goals in the Championship this season, their xGA (expected goals against) total is 8.6 (14th best). Their 4.4 more goals conceded than xGA faced is the biggest difference of any side in the division in 2026-27.

Jamie Vardy is set to be part of the Burnley squad for the first time on Saturday.

The former England international signed for the Clarets on Sunday after Zian Flemming was sold to Ipswich Town.

The 39-year-old travelled with the Burnley team to Wrexham on Tuesday but was not included in the matchday 20 and watched the 1-1 draw from the stands.

Vardy has not played a competitive match since May with former club Cremonese but has trained this week in preparation for the game at Swansea City (15:00 BST).

"He had two training sessions and he's in a good mood because you can see that he's still hungry to score goals," Hayen said.

"He didn't have a pre-season but he worked on his own and he's able to play minutes for the team."

Vardy's role will be more than just on the pitch though, with the experienced attacker tallying 200 goals in his 500 appearances over 13 years for Leicester City.

"Everyone can learn from Jamie because he was a natural killer," Hayen added.

"A lot of goals scored in his career, on the ball movement, off the ball movement.

"That has to be the mindset - everyone can learn from each other as long as you have an open mindset."

Listen to the full interview below or on BBC Sounds here.

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom says their poor start to the Championship season has taken him by surprise - but insists performances are improving.

The Lilywhites are bottom of the table after suffering five defeats and picking up just one win in their opening six games.

North End ended a run of four straight losses by beating Blackburn in the Lancashire derby last weekend but gave up a lead to lose 2-1 at Watford on Tuesday night, despite creating 2.44 expected goals (xG) - 1.18 xG more than the Hornets.

"I knew at the start it was going to be difficult but we've gradually got better each game," Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire before Saturday's clash with newly promoted Lincoln City at Deepdale (15:00 BST).

"I can't say we're not frustrated, all of us are, but likewise you can't say that you've watched the games and not seen improvements every week and we should have had more points.

"But it's shoulda, woulda, coulda. You get what you deserve ultimately, regardless of the level of performance."

Heckingbottom said scoring more goals is the responsibility of the whole team and not just the forwards.

The 49-year-old also emphasised that he is not going to give up on trying to play attacking football just to grind out results.

"There's no way I'm going to park everyone in our box to try and keep a clean sheet," he added.

"You have to attack together, you've got to defend together and that'll never change."

Defender Andrija Vukcevic is expected to be fit for Saturday despite going off at Vicarage Road in midweek, while Brad Potts, who has missed the start of the season with injury, is back in training.

Captain Ali McCann will be out for several months after undergoing surgery on a hamstring injury.