Burnley 5 Sheffield United 0: Embarrassing and pathetic Blades ramp up pressure on manager Paul Heckingbottom

That was bad enough, but both were against supposed relegation rivals.

At least Bournemouth were in a bit of form when they came to Bramall Lane and strolled to a 3-0 win last week. The 5-0 defeat Burnley was so much worse it was untrue.

The last time the bottom-of-the-Premier League Clarets won a home match that mattered was against the Blades on April 21 and even that was stretching it, promotion from the Championship already wrapped up and just the cherry on the top of a title to play for.

Having started so flatly against Bournemouth, manager Paul Heckingbttom will surely have impressed on his players the need to start quickly in chilly Lancashire. After 14 seconds they were behind.

When Burnley broke through weak tackles by Jack Robinson, Gustavo Hamer and George Baldoick, former Leeds United left-back Charlie Taylor getting into a crossing position and Jay Rodriguez heading in the delivery for only his second goal of the season – albeit his first was only seven days earlier.

At no point did you ever feel they would get back into the game.

When they finally did show fight, it was misdirected, John Fleck booked for a bad tackle, Oli McBurnie sent off for twice flailing his elbows.

To lose to one of only two teams below them at kick-off – Burnley are above them now – was damaging. Too lose 5-0 was the stuff that can break a team.

But it was the manner of the performance which will weaken Heckingbottom's hold on the manager's job most.

"You're not fit to wear the shirt," sang the away fans as Burnley scored twice in as many minutes to make it 4-0.

By the time it was five some were chanting "We want Hecky out!"

Heckingbottom deserves more from his players but if he is not getting it, the board risk being pushed into a decision they would probably prefer not to make.

Both sets of fans showed gallows humour early on, the away supporters asking how bad Burnley must be to be only 1-0 up, the Clarets' asking how poor Sheffield United are for them to winning at Turf Moor.

Rodruguez just failed to get a flick on a 17th-minute cross from the right, Oliver Norwood responding by hitting his side's only shot on target of the opening 45 minutes, sweetly caught when a Robinson long-throw was cleared to him, but saved James Trafford.

The second was coming, though, and it arrived in the most basic manner.

When Dara O'Shea played a simple ball over the top, Jacob Bruun Larssen simply outsprinted Luke Thomas and found the net.

It made the Blades angry but in a completely unproductive way.

The recalled Fleck rattled Josh Brownhill in an act of frustration as Burnley tried to play out from the back and three minutes later McBurnie was booked for throwing an elbow towards O'Shea. Both players were lucky he missed.

Still, O'Shea sought further punishment, running out to the left wing to kick McBurnie in the air a minute later. He was booked too.

But McBurnie did not heed the warning and when he did connect with the right-back's face in first-half stoppage time. it not only made the task of overturning a 2-0 deficit harder but given this was McBurnie's second red card of the season, he will be suspended for home games against Liverpool and Brentford too.

He is the first player two receive two red cards in this season's Premier League.

Having had to bring off an injured George Baldock 25 minues in, the Blades manager made three further changes at half-time. It was not as bad as McBurnies', but Will Osula would also be booked for catching a Burnley player – Bronwhill – in the face as he jumped.

The changes could not turn the game around – Heckingbottom does not have the kind of bench to do that in most circumstances and certainly not here.

Luca Koleosho had two early chances but he could miss the first and be flagged offside from the second safe in the knowledge there would be another along later.

Zaki Andouni beat him to it, but only just, holding off Robinson when Burnley kept a clearance alive.

A minute later Koleosho hit the post but the Blades gave him space to score a fourth very quckly after, and this time he found the net.

Even with a backheel going astray in the build-up, Burnley were able to make it five in the 80th minute, Brownhill hammering past Wes Foderingham.

It was embarrassing, it was pathetic. For Heckingbottom's job prospects it could even be fatal.

Burnley: Trafford; da Silva, O'Shea (Ekdal 83), Beyer, Taylor; Berge, Brownhill, Amdouni (Redmond 77),; Bruun Larsen (Gudmundsson 65), Koleosho (Tresor 77); Rodriguez (Obafemi 77.

Unused substitutes: A Ramsey, Vigouroux, Massengo, Odobert.

Sheffield United: Foderingham; Baldock (Bogle 25), Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Trusty, Thomas (McAtee HT); Norwood, Fleck (Osula HT); Hamer; Archer (Traore HT), McBurnie.

Unused substitutes: Davies, Lowe, Souza, Slimane, Larouci.

Referee: C Kavanagh (Manchester).