The ANDY LOCHHEAD column

FLEXIBILITY has been the key to Burnley's season so far, and it looks like Steve Cotterill might have to bend over backwards again at Brighton.

The loss of so many influential players would damage any squad, but when you have a gathering as small as the Clarets, it pays to have people who slot into a variety of positions.

The likes of Graham Branch and Richard Duffy are priceless by plugging gaps all over the pitch and there's an argument that, given such a small squad, such players are more important than those occupying specialist roles.

One glaringly obvious case in question is Mo Camara, who in my eyes has been the revelation of the season all down the left wing.

Under Stan Ternent, he was workmanlike enough, although all too often there was no end product.

But for whatever reason, whether it is the player himself knuckling down, or the new manager spotting a weakness in his game, Mo is suddenly fly-Mo!

His bombing raids down the left flank have become one of the highlights of home games and you can almost sense the expectation in the crowd now every time he picks the ball up.

But allied to his attacking attributes, his crossing has also come on leaps and bounds and, more often that not, he now creates havoc in the opponents penalty area.

He's a strange breed, almost in the Ashley Cole mould in performing the job the wrong way around and making attacking his number one priority ahead of defending.

Yet Mo still gets away with it due to his amazing stamina and it's a long time since we've had someone as mobile as this at left full back.

So suddenly, Steve has a left back, left midfielder and left winger all rolled into one. Not bad for a free signing!

Branch has also impressed me this season. In the past I've always been a bit sceptical about his casual attitude, but he too seems to have put that behind him under Steve and found a new lease of life.

He's brighter in the ball and someone with the ability to play in so many positions makes him a real attribute in times of need.

Looking at the bigger picture, I don't think I've ever seen a manager forced to mix and match with such regularity as Steve, which is a testament to the job he, his backroom team and the players are doing.