WHEN the unknown Arthur Gnohere arrived at Turf Moor one of the many early variations on his unusual name was "Nowhere".
On Saturday afternoon "Monsieur Everywhere" would have been a more appropriate title as he was involved in most of the key moments in the 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.
That is not to say he got everything right, far from it. In fact once again Burnley boss Stan Ternent was forced to admit that the partnership of Gnohere and Ian Cox in the heart of the defence is showing signs of weakness making the hopefully imminent return of skipper Steve Davis all the more important.
But the young French defender is not one to hide when the going gets tough and it was no great surprise that he was the man who headed a late equaliser that could yet have won a priceless point come the end of the season.
He certainly lacks nothing in confidence but at times drives the watching coaches to distraction with his extravagant play in dangerous areas.
One attempted drag back in the second half on the edge of his box ended with him losing possession and his manager sprinting to the touch line.
"Arthur is very young, he has come here from France and he has got big potential," said Ternent. "But he is having to learn at the top end of the first division where the expectation levels are high.
"Coxy is a very quiet lad and the pair of them have to do better and I have told them so in the right and proper way."
In the first half there was a classic example of the sort of lax defending that has been exploited in recent weeks by the likes of Shefki Kuqi and Jason Roberts. Young striker Marlon Harewood got the wrong side of the two centre halves and having gone round Marlon Beresford he looked certain to open the scoring.
But Gnohere stood up big and strong and blocked his shot with his legs to save the Clarets.
"Arthur's done well there but it was a self inflicted problem by him and Coxy so he had to," stressed Ternent.
The same striker then got the better of both players in the 69th minute to earn the penalty that he converted to give the visitors the lead.
"Coxy's gone across and the lad has rolled him and then Arthur has gone in with his wrong foot and that means we have given away three penalties in our last four games," the manager moaned.
In fact Gnohere conceded a spot kick in the home game against Sheffield Wednesday although on that occasion it was not punished by conversion.
But if he was the villain at one end of the pitch for bringing down Harewood he did at least become the hero at the other end by heading the equaliser in the dying minutes, rising to meet Lee Briscoe's free kick and watching the ball squirm from Darren Ward's grasp.
It was his third goal of the season, his first at Turf Moor and one greeted with much relief by his team mates and the fans.
But those three incidents were just part of Gnohere's all action display that included a number of typically strong forward bursts and several strong tackles, the type of play that has made him a cult hero. Sadly on a number of occasions his final ball let him down but he is a player who does have the ability to excite as much as exasperate.
Exasperation is probably the word that best summed up Ternent's mood at seeing his side fail to win a league game at home for the first time in two months.
In the first half there was much to admire in the way the Clarets passed the ball around, dominating possession and creating a number of good chances without converting any of them.
For the first time this season Ternent had dropped Ian Moore to the bench and opted to play Gareth Taylor on his own. With the club's other £1million man Robbie Blake also among the subs it was the most expensive bench in the history of the Clarets.
The move may well have paid off if Taylor had converted a simple chance in the 17th minute from Briscoe's inch perfect cross. A goal then would have forced Forest to push forward rather than pack the midfield and defence, a tactic that frustrated the home side at the same time as it gave their opponents confidence.
Having posed no threat for virtually the whole of the first half Harewood suddenly missed two great opportunities and after the break they continued to look capable of scoring.
At the interval Blake was introduced in place of Tony Grant, who suffered a recurrence of his hamstring injury, but the sub himself was subbed 20 minutes later as his lack of match fitness once again told against him.
Curiously he did not make way for 11-goal Moore but was replaced by experienced defender Gordon Armstrong, the striker's arrival being delayed until 16 minutes from time.
Ternent held his hands up and admitted getting it wrong by playing Blake but there must be some sympathy for the Burnley boss. Having finally landed a player he has chased for a long time he must feel a bit like a child who has been given a great present for Christmas but has not got the batteries that will make it work.
Five times he has come on as a substitute but his latest cameo was so short it suggests his first start in the claret and blue is still some way off.
His former club Bradford City visit Turf Moor tomorrow with Burnley badly in need of rediscovering the winning habit at home. The match should have been played on New Year's Day and the Clarets will have to show the same resolution that saw them salvage a draw against Forest.
If they are to keep pace with Man City and Wolves at the top, three points are a must.
BURNLEY...1
Gnohere...89
FOREST...1
Harewood pen...69
At Turf Moor: Attendance...15,085
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