'Gutted for the fans!' - Charlie Austin drops brutally honest Burnley FC message | OneFootball

Charlie Austin has criticised Burnley's performance from their 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough

Charlie Austin has criticised Burnley for not being a good team to watch anymore after their 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough on Wednesday night.

The Clarets are winless from their opening four fixtures of the new Championship campaign, earning two points from a possible 12.

Nicky Hayen was appointed as head coach over the summer, replacing Scott Park at the helm.

The 46-year-old made his first move into English football, having previously worked his way up Belgian football to take over Genk in 2025.

But the pressure is already beginning to mount, with the team drawing two and losing two of their opening four league fixtures.

Burnley earned a point against West Ham and Boro, while suffering defeats to West Brom and Norwich City.

Charlie Austin makes Burnley claim after Middlesbrough draw

Action Images

Austin has expressed his sympathy with the Burnley fans following the 1-1 draw against Boro at Turf Moor midweek.

He believes that the Clarets are no longer good to watch, criticising the side for their performance at home against a potential promotion rival.

“Burnley are not a good team to watch anymore!” wrote Austin, via X.

“Gutted for the fans!”

Burnley found an equaliser from Ugo Raghouber early in the second half, which proved enough for both clubs to share the spoils in Lancashire.

But the away side had the majority of the possession at 57 per cent, completing 466 passes at a completion rate of 86 per cent.

Meanwhile, Hayen’s team completed 301 passes at a rate of 77 per cent, although they had more shots at 11 to 10.

It was ultimately a game of two halves, with Burnley struggling to get a foothold in the game in the first 45, before shutting down Boro in the second half.

How Burnley fans reacted to Charlie Austin’s criticism

Some Burnley fans have suggested that it’s time for Austin to lace back up his boots and return to Turf Moor to solve the problem.

Hayen’s side were criticised for being outclassed in the first half, claiming it was men against boys out there.

Meanwhile, some supporters have turned towards the owners instead of the manager as an explanation for the team becoming unwatchable.

Next up for Burnley is a home clash against Bristol City on 5 September in a 3pm kick-off.

Action Images

Winless Burnley have been too inconsistent under Nicky Hayen

Burnley have shown periods of good performance in these opening four games, particularly in how they turned around the losing positions against West Ham and Boro.

But they have simply been unable to sustain those periods for a full 90 minutes, which has led to a poor run of results.

If things don’t improve, and quickly, then Hayen’s position at the club could already come under significant scrutiny, particularly with a longer international break coming up later in the month.

The Clarets want to compete for promotion this season, so they can’t afford to lose too many more points in these early stages, or else they could have a real mountain to climb.