Clarets confirm Hillsborough Crisis

When does a club going through a rough patch turn into a club facing a crisis? Six successive league defeats, an all time club record low, in which three in a row Wednesday have failed to score, crowd numbers dropping and a Chairman set to sue supporters for comments made on a forum might be a good indicator.

Wednesday's 2-0 defeat at home to Burnley has heaped pressure on Brian Laws that can only be described as close to breaking point. Many in the media will point to Wednesday's next fixture, at home to Hull, as a make or break result. But after the merry go round of managers at Hillsborough in the last decade it would surely be ludicrous to blame it on the gaffer, yet again. Those in the board room have made bold decisions in the past few months and heads will surely roll there before those in the dugout do.

Laws has maintained that his side have been putting in the right performances, but have not had lady luck shining on their side. There could be no hiding behind excuses after this performance though. Wednesday were a side low in confidence and feeling the pressure.

The visitors took an almost inevitable early lead in the 15th minute. Wade Elliott's cross was poorly cleared by The Owls' defence and Robbie Blake smashed the ball home in front of The Kop.

Blake and Northern Ireland international Kyle Lafferty tested Lee Grant with long range efforts, while at the other end Francis Jeffers, still looking for his first Wednesday goal, turned and fired at goal but Kiraly saved well for Burnely.

In times of trouble you need your experienced players to stand up and be counted but at half time Wednesday lost their most seasoned pro in Steve Watson. The former Newcastle and Everton man hobbled off with a back injury and was replaced by Richard Hinds.

Conceding a second goal so quickly into the second half was the worst thing that could have happened to Wednesday. Frank Simek, normally Mr Reliable at the back for The Owls, was robbed of the ball by Blake who in turn teed up Chris McCann whose finish all but sealed the result.

Laws changed his front pairing of Jeffers and Akpo Sodje for Marcus Tudgay and Deon Burton but the remainder of the game was played out with an almost inevitable feel about it.

Wednesday haven't beaten Hull at Hillsborough for the past three consecutive seasons. But as we've seen, records are there to be broken.

Laws verdict: "When you have lost five games there is that fragile mentality, and they are young players. They are a good bunch of players and last year you saw how good they can be (when they are) full of confidence but now you've seen how bad they can be without it." "It's going to take a huge task and a huge call from the players to pull together and get us out of this mire. Tonight we didn't look like we were going to get back into it and it is the third game in which we haven't scored but it's the first time we haven't really created the chances to force their goalkeeper into a decent save." "There's no point in slaughtering the players because when you're fragile you're fragile and the only way you are going to turn this around is by re-grouping as a bunch of players and when you get a bit of luck and the result you need it will be an unbelievable result for the players." "We may have to change our style of play and our philosophy because after tonight's game, our confidence has drained that badly that I don't think I've got the players to go out there and play entertaining football to win games. I think we're going to have to scrap one out and defend as a team."