FULHAM boss Jean Tigana reacted furiously after his side's 3-0 defeat at Turf Moor last night, but instead of blasting his highly paid but under-achieving side it was Burnley's players who felt the sharp edge of his tongue.

"I was very angry at half time because they were trying to break Boa Morte," he said. "I went to see the ref and spoke to him and then we got a red card, I don't know why?

"I told the ref he had to protect my players, they wanted to only break him but after our first tackle we got a red card. In the first 20 minutes they went out to break Boa Morte, that was their target.

"I never talk about referees. I am not Arsene Wenger or Ferguson, I don't have the power. But we had two games in two days and lost two players. I am very disappointed."

Tigana's opposite number, Stan Ternent, seemed surprised by the attack on his players but tried not to be drawn into a war of words.

"If being competitive is wrong, then we are wrong," he said. "But if that is what Jean thought, he is entitled to his opinion."