BATTLE-HARDENED Burnley boss Stan Ternent is warning this will be a "watershed" season for the club.

Ternent is busy stretching his wafer-thin budget to the limit to bring in new faces and freshen up a squad that was clearly past its sell-by-date.

Already, a defence that leaked an alarming 89 league goals last season has been strengthened by the arrival of former Wolves left back Mohamed Camara and ex-Manchester United starlet Lee Roche.

But plenty of rebuilding work still needs to be done as the Clarets look to bounce back from a dismal end to the last campaign.

And Ternent is confident that if he can weave his magic and land some of his top targets, First Division safety and a brighter future lie in wait.

In a stark message, he insisted: "We have to get through this season and then we can move on.

"We may do better than expected - who knows? But there's no doubt that it's a watershed season for Burnley Football Club and if we can get through it and achieve our aim of maintaining First Division status, we'll be fine.

"Last season, I didn't sign one player other than on monthly contracts and since then I've had to clear the decks.

"Ninety-five per cent of that was for financial reasons and consequently I'm having to build a new team.

"But it's hard to assess the overall situation at the moment. There is still little, or no transfer movement and it's only now that players are coming back off their holidays."

Former West Brom goalkeeper Brian Jensen is the latest player Ternent hopes to have on board ahead of the big kick off in six weeks time.

This season's First Division could well be the toughest for years following the relegation of West Ham and Sunderland, along with Albion.

Promoted Cardiff and Wigan, both likely to be big spenders, add yet more quality to a highly competitive Football League elite.

And Ternent believes Burnley's first two fixtures, at home to Crystal Palace on August 9, followed by a televised trip to the Hawthorns a week later, offer proof that sides will have to roll up their sleeves and scrap for every point in the months ahead.

He added: "The fixtures are exactly what I expected and confirm that it's going to be a tough league this season.