CREATING CHANCES

Burnley failed to register a shot on goal at Turf Moor against Manchester United and they looked a pretty blunt instrument in the second half as the visitors held them at arms length with relative ease.

Scoring goals hadn't seemed a problem for Sean Dyche's side in the Premier League during the winter months and until the blank at Sunderland on March 18 they had found the back of the net in 12 successive top flight games.

But since then the scoring touch has gone awry. It's now one goal in open play in six games, with Sam Vokes' penalty at Everton the only other strike finding the back of the net in that period.

The return of Johann Berg Gudmundsson can only help in terms of creativity and his was a lively cameo on Sunday. Playing him on the right and Robbie Brady on the left would certainly improve the rate of chance creation.

The most creative central midfielder remains on the bench in Steven Defour, but is difficult to see how he returns to the starting line-up at the moment. With Joey Barton likely to be hit with a Football Association ban this week a space could open up in central midfield, but the Belgian hasn't been played centrally in a two-man midfield in the Premier League since the New Year's Eve rout against Sunderland at Turf Moor.

ONE MORE WIN

That is almost certainly all it is going to take to secure the Clarets a second season in the Premier League. After the win over Stoke in early April there was buoyant talk of a top half finish, but such ambitions are surely being shelved now. Safety will do.

Burnley were 11th in the league after the 1-0 win over Leicester City on January 31, when the deadline day additions of Brady and Ashley Westwood had Turf Moor in a joyous mood.

It's been tougher going since then, with just the win over Stoke City added to the tally. Victories for Hull and Swansea on Saturday once again have the Clarets casting just the odd nervous glance backwards.

But a five-point cushion with four games to play is significant and odds of around 20/1 on a Burnley relegation show it remains a very unlikely occurrence.

Saturday's trip to Crystal Palace looks tough, but the three games that follow against West Brom, Bournemouth and West Ham should present Burnley with the chance to finish the job they have started.

HONESTY

This could, perhaps, have been a different game had Barton ended United's counter attack for their first goal on the halfway line by grabbing a chunk of Anthony Martial's shirt.

Dyche expressed surprise after the game that the 34-year-old hadn't taken that action, but felt his midfielder had remained honest due to the belief he could nick the ball from the £50million France forward.

It proved to be a costly mistake and if he had the chance again Barton would surely take a different course of action.

The Clarets chief wants his players to be honest and to play the game the right way, but this was a step too far in that direction.