AFTER getting thumped 5-1 at Manchester "too big for this league" City I remember remarking to a fellow supporters that all the Clarets had to do to stay in the top six, was show relegation form up until the end of the season.

Which is pretty much what they have done.

Results since our home win against Stockport in mid-December place us 18th in the form league.

This is not to decry Burnley's fantastic achievements thus far this season to be fourth in the league on a limited budget with only five games left is a phenomenal feat and one which all connected with the club can feel very proud of.

It's just that having been treated to champagne in the first half of the season, the beer doesn't taste quite so good. Play-off jitters, loss of form, call it what you will, but Burnley are labouring a little at the moment.

Not that this problem is peculiar to the Clarets -- Millwall, Coventry and Birmingham were all denied three points on Sunday. It's that time of the season.

Yet collectively and individually, the Clarets were off the pace at Bramall Lane. Paul Gascoigne, for one, did not have the impact on the game that the 5,000 travellers had hoped for.

Aside from a free kick and one delightful through ball for Johnson, Gazza was pretty anonymous.

One cannot but feel that his talents would be put to best use were he deployed just behind the front two allowing him to open defences up, rather than sitting deeper and taking the ball from the back four.

Even more disappointing than the scoreline on Saturday was the abuse aimed at Gareth Taylor by some sections of the crowd.

This has been going on all season. And it's a disgrace. Taylor has been instrumental in Burnley's play-off push. His impressive record speaks for itself.

This term alone he has weighed in with 15 goals, his best-ever season's total.

Not only that, but our leading scorer has just earned a recall to the Welsh squad.

He is quite possibly the best header of a ball Burnley have had since the legend that is Billy Hamilton.

But most importantly, he is a Claret. So get off his back and get behind him.

Saturday brings Wolves to Turf Moor, traditionally a side against whom Burnley have no joy (nine defeats in the last 10 meetings).

How wonderful it would be if the much-maligned Taylor could boost the Clarets play-off hopes by upsetting the formbook and simultaneously silencing the boo-boys.