STAN Ternent spoke with anger and embarrassment after the humiliating 3-0 defeat at Reading last night and confessed: "I am going to have to have a chat with the chairman and see where we go from here."

Whether that meant he was considering his position remained unclear, and he later vowed he would not walk away from the challenge ahead, but what was evident was his anger at another dismal display.

"Tonight I was embarrassed to be their gaffer because that performance is a reflection on me," he complained.

Four years ago, early in Ternent's reign, Burnley lost 4-0 to Fulham and he recalled that dismal night as he reflected on a fourth straight defeat that sees his side bottom of the table, pointless, with only one goal scored and ten conceded.

"What I have said in the dressing room will remain in the dressing room but that performance was from about five years ago," he fumed.

"When we lost against Fulham I said that was not my team but this one is so I will have to look at things very closely.

"The players are just not putting out what they are capable of doing for whatever reason.

"Maybe it is because they have heard the same voice for too long."

But if anyone took that as a signal he is about to jump ship, Ternent was quick to correct that impression.

"I am not suggesting anything like that," he said.

"I have never walked away from anything in my life but I need to sleep on it and have a good chat with the chairman.

"Everyone knows the players are not performing, a blind man on a galloping horse can see that.

"All I know is that I am responsible for the football club. I am the custodian of the club for a period of time like people before me and like people will be in the future.

"I have got to have a hard look between my ears because the most important thing is Burnley Football Club, not Stan Ternent.

"A lot of people have spent a lot of money to come down here and watch that and I am embarrassed."

Burnley got to half-time with the scores level at 0-0 but then two goals from Jamie Cureton and one from Martin Butler made it the worst possible start to the season.

Not once did they seriously threaten the home goal and Lee Briscoe's injury time effort against Brighton remains the only goal of the season.

With no money to bring players in it is already looking like being a long hard winter for the Clarets but one man who is backing the Burnley boss to turn things round at Turf Moor is Reading's Alan Pardew.

The young manager, a player coached by Ternent more than a decade ago, explained: "I send Stan my best regards and I am sure he will turn things around.

"He is a Burnley man through and through and he loves that club."