Burnley boss Vincent Kompany described the 3-0 win at QPR as a “new start” after his side resumed their season by re-establishing a three-point lead at the top of the Sky Bet Championship.
Returning to action after the World Cup break, the Clarets responded strongly after Sheffield United had moved level on points with them on Saturday.
Goals from Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Ian Maatsen and Nathan Tella gave the visitors a resounding win at Loftus Road and increased the gloom hanging over managerless QPR following the departure of Michael Beale to Scotland to take charge of Rangers.
“It’s never perfect, but that was close to it,” said Kompany.
“I judge a team on effort first and I think everyone could witness the energy that this team has. We’ve seen so many good things in that game and scored three really good goals.
“It feels like a new start for me. (It was) a starting point, the league is level in our mind and we have to get better.
“I do want to treat it that way – like it’s a restart. We can get better and that has to be the message.”
Burnley were by far the better side, but Kompany admitted they might have been fortunate not to have a penalty awarded against them in the opening minute, when George Thomas went down under a challenge from keeper Arijanet Muric.
Kompany said: “Honestly, I don’t know. From where I was, I can see how you can nick a penalty in a situation like that.
“It evens out. We had a game where the ball went out for a goal-kick, a corner was given and we conceded.
“These kind of things can happen and they do level each other out eventually.”
QPR interim boss Paul Hall, placed in charge in the wake of Beale’s exit, felt the game might have turned out very differently had the early penalty been awarded.
“For me that’s a penalty. We can’t blame the ref, but it does affect us and does change the game slightly,” said Hall.
“I think if we get a penalty it gets our tails up and we believe in ourselves a little bit more.
“We can’t blame the ref, but I’m not happy with that decision of course. I’ve been in that situation many times and very rarely have I not been given a penalty or not seen a penalty being given in situations like that.
“George went through really well, the keeper has come out and made contact with him, so I can’t really understand why the decision wasn’t given in our favour.
“But these things happen. We’ve just got to brush ourselves down and hope something like that doesn’t happen to us again, because it wasn’t a nice feeling.
“It (a penalty being awarded) does change the game and I think that was our moment to have the game changed.”
