Burnley's new head coach Fabio Celestini is still searching for his first win after two games in charge, with the Clarets taking two points from his opening matches as they battle to climb out of the Championship relegation zone. The 51-year-old Swiss, appointed on October 28 following the sacking of Nicky Hayen, oversaw a goalless draw with Portsmouth on his birthday and a 1-1 draw at Queens Park Rangers.
Celestini, who left CSKA Moscow in May, said he was happy with the initial work and the point earned against Portsmouth. "The energy, structure, and attacking actions in the first half were good," Celestini told reporters after the Turf Moor stalemate on October 31. He added that he does not see a fragile team but a stable one, despite the club's precarious league position.
The opening match against Portsmouth saw Burnley create 18 shots but fail to score, with two goals disallowed. Marlon Pack's early effort for the visitors was ruled out for a foul on goalkeeper Gregoire Coudert, and Largie Ramazani had a second-half finish chalked off for offside. Marcus Edwards missed a clear chance from close range, drawing jeers from some home supporters when he was later substituted.
Three days later at Loftus Road, Burnley took the lead through Ramazani in the 38th minute, assisted by Jamie Vardy. Jonathan Varane equalised for QPR in the 65th minute, and Vardy later spurned a decisive opportunity, firing into the side netting. The result extended Burnley's winless run in the league to five games, a sequence that includes a dramatic 5-4 defeat at Cardiff City last Friday.
Burnley sit 22nd in the Championship with 10 points from 15 games, having won just once all season. Their recent form reads LDDLL, leaving them 19 points adrift of leaders Birmingham City. The club's home winless streak in the league now exceeds a year, a context Portsmouth manager John Mousinho noted his side had to deal with.
Celestini, who has 35 caps for Switzerland as a player, brings experience of turning teams around, having led Basel from the bottom of the Swiss league to a domestic double within 18 months. Diego López, Burnley's chief football officer, believes Celestini is the right man for the challenge. The new manager's immediate task is to improve defensive solidity, with the team having conceded 31 goals already this season, and find a clinical edge in attack.
The next opportunity comes in two weeks with a Lancashire derby against Blackburn Rovers at Turf Moor. Blackburn are currently 13th in the standings. Burnley will hope to build on the more organised pressing structure Celestini has implemented and finally end their long wait for a home victory.
Background and full detail: note.com
