1:20pm Monday 15th March 2010
By Suzanne Geldard
STEVEN Thompson has urged Burnley fans to get 100 per cent behind their Premier League survival bid, after boos rang out at the final whistle of Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to Wolves.
The striker’s introduction – one half of a double substitution with Robbie Blake 10 minutes into the second half – also prompted chants of ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’, directed at manager Brian Laws.
The objections weren’t aimed at the two replacements for Chris Eagles and Andre Bikey, but more at the fact that the influential Eagles was being forced to make way when the Clarets were 2-0 down.
In the end the pair justified their inclusion, as Thompson scored his first Premier League goal after Blake had been denied an equaliser by the woodwork.
But Thompson admitted the fans’ frustrations had translated onto the pitch.
“You can hear it can’t you?” he said.
“They’ve got a right to voice their opinion. But from the players’ point of view it doesn’t help anybody when players’ confidence is low anyway. It’s disappointing. Really disappointing.
“I think they are getting frustrated. It’s difficult as a player because you’re frustrated as well, if not more so.
“We’re trying hard to get out of this situation. It (booing) certainly doesn’t help when you’re on the pitch.”
Nevertheless, Thompson admitted he felt the Clarets had done enough, particularly in the second half, to get something out of the game.
“There was a general feeling in the last 20 minutes after we got one back that we were going to go on and get something out of the game. I think there was a strong belief, and we were very unlucky not to,” said the 31-year-old.
“Maybe it was just the rub of the green or the ball dropping to us. Robbie hit the post and we had a couple cleared away.
“I think we deserved something from the game. Aside from Wolves’ two goals – one a deflection and one we gifted them – I don’t think they really threatened us that much.
“But again it’s a game lost and we are running out of games, we’re going to have to find something from somewhere.”
He added: “It’s a massive disappointment.
“Everyone’s really gutted in the changing room. We knew it was a big game.
“It’s difficult picking yourself up week after week when you keep getting knocked down, but we need to do it.
“We do believe that we’re good enough. Wolves weren’t any better than us and I don’t think Stoke were any better than us during the week, but we need to turn that into points.”
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