Jed Wallace has offered a candid verdict on Burnley's troubled start to the Championship season, saying the club feels "a long way" from the dominant force he encountered at Turf Moor two years ago.

The Bristol City winger, 32, featured in the Robins' 2-1 win over Burnley on Saturday, his first return to Turf Moor since a 2-1 defeat with West Bromwich Albion in January 2023. That occasion, he recalled, left a very different impression.

"It's night and day from the last time I went there with West Brom under Carlos Corberan when they had Vincent Kompany," Wallace told BBC's 72+ podcast. "That night I felt like it was a proper game of football against one of the best teams I've probably ever played in the Championship."

The Burnley side that Wallace faced back then went on to win the Championship title with 101 points, one of the most emphatic title-winning campaigns in the division's modern history. The club that hosted Bristol City on Saturday sit second from bottom after six league games, with new head coach Nicky Hayen yet to record a first win.

Personnel turnover takes its toll

Wallace was measured rather than dismissive in his assessment, pointing to the scale of change at Turf Moor as the root cause of Burnley's struggles. The club were relegated from the Premier League last season and have undergone significant squad rebuilding across two or three summers.

"I think obviously there's been a lot of change in personnel there over the last two, three years," he said. "That comes obviously with a new manager, a new style of play and new players."

He added that Burnley "haven't really clicked yet" and, in his view, did not appear to have "a clear idea of what they were doing" during Saturday's defeat. That is the kind of observation opposition players rarely voice publicly, but Wallace, speaking on a podcast rather than in a formal press setting, was notably candid about what he observed.

It is worth noting the context: this is a club that spent two seasons in the Premier League, accrued significant parachute payments and invested heavily in squad reconstruction. Whatever the explanation, six games in and without a Championship win, Hayen faces a genuine crisis of momentum at a club that was expecting an immediate return to the top flight.

Wallace backs Vardy to add the bite Burnley lack

Despite his criticism of the collective performance, Wallace was notably positive about the arrival of 39-year-old striker Jamie Vardy, who signed for Burnley on a one-year deal.

"I think he's someone that will certainly have that aggression and will bring that to them as a group," Wallace said. "I didn't really feel that they had much of that on the weekend."

The Bristol City man suggested Vardy's presence could shift the dynamic inside the dressing room as much as on the pitch. "He's still a top, top player. I think you saw that last time he was in the Championship for Leicester, he's not lost a yard of pace. He's still absolutely rapid."

Whether Vardy's arrival is enough to arrest a slide that already has Burnley anchored to the bottom two is an open question. The fixture list will not soften any time soon, and Hayen's position at the club is already attracting scrutiny.

What it means for Bristol City

From a Robins perspective, Saturday's result was a timely one. The 2-1 victory at Turf Moor represents the kind of away win that can define a season, and Wallace's form, allied to a goal from former Burnley man Scott Twine, helped Bristol City take all three points from one of the division's more atmospheric grounds.

City's own season is still taking shape under their management, and results like this, against a side with Burnley's financial resources, will do their confidence no harm at all. Wallace, who recalled his own previous visit ending with Twine scoring against him in the 91st minute, will have found a certain satisfaction in that particular symmetry.

Frequently asked

What did Jed Wallace say about Burnley after Bristol City's win at Turf Moor?
Wallace said the current Burnley side felt 'night and day' from the team he faced in January 2023, adding that they haven't clicked yet and didn't appear to have a clear idea of what they were doing during the 2-1 defeat.
How many points did Burnley win the Championship with in 2022-23?
Burnley won the Championship title in the 2022-23 season with 101 points, one of the highest totals in the division's history.
What does Jed Wallace think of Jamie Vardy joining Burnley?
Wallace backed the signing, saying Vardy would bring aggression and energy that Burnley were lacking, and that the striker has lost none of his pace since his time in the Championship with Leicester.