Clarets captain Shackell fumes at defensive calamities (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Clarets captain Shackell fumes at defensive calamities

4:21pm Monday 8th October 2012 in Sport By Suzanne Geldard, Burnley FC reporter

CAPTAIN Jason Shackell admitted the Clarets are letting down manager Eddie Howe with their habit of shipping goals, but vowed to graft to stop the rot.

Burnley have conceded 22 times in the Championship this season – nine in their last three games, with four of those coming at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

The Clarets have lost 13 points from winning positions, after conspiring to turn a 2-0 lead into a 4-3 defeat at Selhurst Park.

Shackell, who returned to the side after missing the last two games with a knee injury, cut a frustrated figure after the final whistle.

But the skipper insisted Burnley would spend the two-week international break working hard in training to tighten up the second leakiest defence in the Football League.

“We’ve ended up coming away empty handed and it’s not good enough,” he fumed.

“We felt confident and comfortable (at 2-0) but we seem to concede one at the minute and then the floodgates open.

“We need to do something about that, and that will start this week on the training pitch.

“The manager’s not happy, and rightly so. We’re letting him down at the minute.

“We all need to step up and take responsibility and make sure we put it right.”