Why are Burnley struggling to score?

Losing Danny Ings has been a real issue for Burnley

The goals have not exactly been flowing for Burnley and Alex Johnson looks into why that might be.

Burnley have struggled to score so far this season, so is it just down to bad luck or are there more serious issues to address?

After Scott Arfield's opener against Chelsea in the first game, Burnley then went five league games without a goal before Michael Kightly's strike in the 2-2 draw with Leicester last time out. The Clarets are yet to win a league game this season and they drastically need to discover their goalscoring touch.

Burnley have, of course, been cursed by injuries to Sam Vokes and Danny Ings. These two strikers took the Championship by storm last season and scored 47 goals between them. Ings was top scorer at the club with 26 goals and is currently out with a hamstring problem, while Vokes, who got 21 goals, is making a slow return from a serious knee ligament injury sustained in March.

Dyche has compared the loss of them two to Liverpool losing Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge. The manager does indeed have a valid point, as Ings and Vokes were instrumental to Burnley's success. But he hasn't benefited from a blank cheque book to bring in replacements. Dyche has had to scour the bargain bin and unfortunately it hasn't worked out for him so far.

In the absence of last season's scoring duo, Dyche is mainly relying on players brought in during the transfer window. Lukas Jutkiewicz and Marvin Sordell were the main two signed to provide competition in the striking department, but neither of them are proven in the Premier League and are yet to score. Time and time again over the years, strikers who have bagged goals for fun in the Championship have failed to make the step up to the top flight - except these two could not even be classed as prolific in the second tier.

Jutkiewicz wasn't even deemed good enough for a struggling Middlesbrough side last season as he was farmed out on loan to Bolton, where he scored seven goals in 20 appearances. He was signed for 1.5 million - which is big money for Burnley - but it is a big ask for a 25-year-old with a career goals per game ratio of 0.21 to start scoring against Premier League defences. Jutkiewicz has had limited goalscoring success during a year-long loan with Motherwell and a spell with Coventry a few years ago, but it is a giant leap in class to have to make this season.

Sordell is another who Burnley need to make a big improvement in a short space of time. He impressed as a youngster at Watford before a doomed 3million move to Bolton while they were in the Premier League. The 23-year-old was signed by Sean Dyche for 600,000 during the summer after scoring eight goals on loan at Charlton last season. Sordell previously played under Dyche at Watford and the Burnley boss will hope he can get the striker to re-discover some of that old goalscoring magic.

On transfer deadline day Burnley did break their transfer record to bring in George Boyd for 3million from Hull City. Boyd is a decent player but was never first-choice for Hull, most of his appearances came from the bench and he scored six goals just over 18 months with the club. The 28-year-old Scotland international needs to take the creative mantle at Turf Moor and be the one to create chances. At least Boyd is reliable will run himself into the ground creating opportunities for the strikers.

The final striking option is Ashley Barnes, was already on the books at Burnley already, but a return of three goals in 27 appearances (15 of which have been off the bench) won't inspire those Clarets fans who need to see their strikers start scoring sooner rather than later.

The stark truth seems to be that Burnley are lacking in strikers that have that killer touch that can make the difference in a relegation battle. The sooner Ings and Vokes - who we need to remember aren't proven in the Premier League either, but do have a fantastic understanding when they play together - can get on the pitch together, the better for Burnley.