The reaction of Cullen against Newcastle United offered defiance, pride and a refusal to surrender as captain Josh Cullen declared Burnley “won’t go under” despite falling to a sixth straight Premier League defeat. Scott Parker’s side, reduced to 10 men after 30 minutes at St James’ Park, showed unexpected resolve in a 2–1 loss that could easily have spiralled into something far heavier.
Trailing 2–0 at half-time after goals from Bruno Guimarães and Anthony Gordon, and with Lucas Pires sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity, Burnley looked destined for another damaging result. But the Clarets mounted a spirited second-half performance, pulling one back through Zian Flemming’s penalty before missing a golden chance in stoppage time to snatch a dramatic equaliser.
Against a Newcastle side pushing for European places, Cullen felt the performance showed the fight that Burnley must lean on in the weeks ahead.
“There’s no way we’re going under” – Cullen
Speaking to the club’s official YouTube channel, Cullen made Burnley’s stance clear.
“That shows the fight and spirit of this team. We haven’t been on a great run, we’re fully aware of that. But we know we’ve got that spirit in the team that there’s no way we’re going under.” — Josh Cullen
He stressed that Burnley refused to hide behind the red card as an excuse.
“A lot of teams could have gone under and it could have ended 4 or 5–0 and you use the excuse: ‘we were down to 10 men’. That’s not our mentality.” — Josh Cullen
Burnley instead set their sights on making the next goal count — and they found it.
Narrow miss at the death
After Flemming converted from the spot to make it 2–1, Burnley grew in confidence. In stoppage time, Flemming found himself unmarked inside the six-yard box but couldn’t connect properly with Marcus Edwards’ cross. Cullen was adamant his team deserved something from the second-half performance.
“We had a huge chance at the end… it just wasn’t to be. But I’m proud of the effort and proud of the character.” — Josh Cullen
“We were right in the game” – frustration at first-half collapse
Cullen highlighted the frustration of seeing a bright opening 30 minutes undone by two quick goals and a red card.
“The overall performance was really good, even with 11 men. We were having good spells and were right in it. The game changes with the two goals and the red card.” — Josh Cullen
To be 2–0 down away at St James’ Park with 10 men, Cullen admitted, was “not an easy place to be at half-time”.
Yet Burnley’s ability to stay competitive, defend intelligently and create meaningful late pressure gave him optimism moving forward.
Burnley’s spirit is real — but so is the relegation danger
In our view this match finally showed the traits they’ve been lacking: collective aggression, compact shape, and emotional stability. In our view, their second-half fightback was more than admirable — it was essential. Cullen’s defiance reflects a squad still committed, not fractured.
Although some supporters may feel encouraged by the performance alone, it’s worth questioning whether Burnley can replicate this intensity against opponents who sit deeper and force them to break lines — something they have struggled with consistently this season.
Still, performances like this form the psychological foundation for survival battles. Cullen is right to call it pride-worthy.
Parker must turn resilience into points
Burnley’s tactical discipline when down to 10 men was impressive: narrow blocks, strong duels, and efficient counter-pressing after turnovers. But individual errors remain costly — the red card, the failure to clear before the penalty incident, and missed chances at the other end.
Parker’s challenge now is converting effort into results. Fulham at home on December 13 becomes enormous.
Key Insights
- Cullen Burnley Newcastle reaction: skipper insists Burnley “won’t go under”.
- Clarets lost 2–1 but showed huge resilience after Lucas Pires’ early red card.
- Burnley almost equalised in stoppage time through Zian Flemming.
- Cullen says performance showed “fight, bravery and quality”.
- Encouraging display despite sixth straight defeat — but points urgently needed.
What’s Next
Burnley return to Turf Moor for a crucial clash against Fulham on Saturday, 13 December. With their season at a crossroads, Cullen says the team must carry Saturday’s spirit into every match from here.
👉 Burnley fans — does this performance give you hope, or is time running out?
1 Comment (last comment by JamesLove)
First read message
By JamesLove 7 Dec 2025 11:31
Yes, you’re going under. Burnley isn’t just good enough for the Prem and that’s not a shame. It’s just though for those who get newly promoted
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