The long and short of it - and why the Portugal shirt..?
RESILIENCE isn't something which has always been linked to Burnley sides, but it earned a deserved point at Ipswich last Saturday.
All too often over the years, Burnley heads have gone down after conceding late, but on this occasion up popped Clark Carlisle, who had a couple of torrid moments of his own last season, proving there's more than one Countdown he can cut the ice at.
Keeping on until the end was a trait exemplified by my beloved 70s Burnley side, and Owen Coyle's team weren't bad at it either.
So far Brian Laws's side aren't as pretty as either of those but they do look more gritty, more organised (some defensive howlers are still there but much reduced) and harder to beat.
Laws had plenty of knockers last season and is still taking flak this, over style rather than results.
I think it's a bit harsh to label it long ball, although I still hope to see a plan B emerging alongside Chris Iwelumo's hold-it-up and lay-it-off routine.
Last week found me wishing last season's on-loan midfielder Jack Cork returned to Burnley and, lo and behold, my wish was granted by the weekend.
Cork can only be an asset - and a valuable one at that, given the depressing news that Chris McCann will be out for six months having major knee surgery - and should increase Burnley's creative options.
- THIS week saw the club call it a draw with goalkeeper Diego Penny, the keeper heading back to Peru to resurrect his career after what's been a sterile time for him in terms of first team football at Burnley.
He never really got a look in after Brian Jensen, one of Burnley's more successful imports, entered some of the best form of his career as Burnley went up to the Prem in 2008-2009, and has left by mutual consent in the last year of his deal.
He's (along with Equadorian winger Fernando Guerrero) the latest in a line of continental players who we haven't seen much of, including Besrat Berisha, injured playing for Albania, never to kick a first team ball in anger when fit again.
I've yet to forget the hype around summer 1996 when Adrian Heath was supposed to be signing Portuguese star (it turned out he wasn't, that was the problem) Bambo.
Well, it swept me up.
I still have a 60s replica Portugal shirt, bearing Eusebio's number 13 (unlucky for some, not least me), bought as a show of support to the new boy who never arrived, to prove it.
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Wednesday 30 May 2012
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