STAN Ternent has revealed his hands were tied by the financial plight of the club, leaving him with no choice but to release 13 players from the club.

The Burnley boss promised a summer shake-up after last week's 7-2 defeat at home to Sheffield Wednesday.

And after letting go key players such as Ian Cox, Lee Briscoe, captain Steve Davis, as well as both senior goalkeepers Nik Michopoulos and Marlon Beresford, he must now start work on rebuilding a team for next season.

"It's a lot of players to release but the financial situation of the club is such that it's what I've had to do," he said.

"I've said on numerous occasions that there will be a lot of players out of work in the summer or looking for new clubs, and the ones who don't get them isn't necessarily because of ability, it's because of the financial state.

"I need to build a new team near enough but with the money I have available, which isn't a lot, it's going to be difficult, if not impossible.

"But I'm well aware of that."

But Ternent said, money aside, in terms of football, he couldn't afford to not replace the 13 he had released.

"I have a budget that won't allow me to replace the squad of players I'm letting go. That's my view at the moment.

"But I can't work with less players because when we get injuries and suspensions then we're going to be non-competitive.

"Something has to give somewhere along the line. There are options open to me, maybe loan players or putting the kids in.

"But the expectation is such it's a chicken and egg situation.

"If we're not competitive in light of what's happened, then the supporters won't come and watch. So we are self-defeating in that respect."

The Clarets' chief said he understood why the Burnley supporters had such high expectations of the team, following promotion from the Second Division in his second season as manager, backed up by two successive seventh-placed finishes in the First Division and a good cup run this season.

But he urged them to be realistic about the club's immediate ambitions in the light of the ITV Digital collapse and subsequent loss of millions of pounds.

"I won't be able to be as competitive as I want to be," he said.

"All clubs will be the same.

"The fans' expectations are okay. It's Burnley Football Club - it goes with the territory.

"As Burnley Football Club, the chairman, myself, and the people involved with the club have to see how competitive we can be.

"But I don't want the fans under any illusions. There's going to be a big taste of realism this year.

"I have ambition like anyone else, but I think that has to be tempered with a bit of common sense and a bit of realism.

"It's a difficult curcumstance for the fans but I wouldn't want them to be under any illusions about how difficult it's going to be."

Ternent added that he felt under pressure to rebuild his team under the financial constraints while, at the same time, keep the supporters happy by rebooting their push for promotion. But he praised chairman Barry Kilby for all his efforts in trying to keep the club on a sound financial and competitive footing.

"Without Barry Kilby, there'd be no Burnley Football Club," he said.

"He's doing the best he can do. He's put a lot of time, effort and most of all his money into Burnley Football Club.

"I have no bitterness. If the chairman's got money, he'll give it to me."