ANOTHER game without Glen. Another winless weekend. The two are synonymous at present.

It's all a far cry from just over a month ago, when Little put Birmingham to the sword, Burnley led the division and the Clarets faithful only half jokingly suggested that should Sven Goran Eriksson struggle for a right sided midfielder, he could do worse than pay a visit to Turf Moor.

Since that night and since Glen limped away from the action at Carrow Road a few days later, Burnley have failed to win. And the two points they have taken from the 15 on offer have had to be fought tooth and nail for.

However, not all of the Clarets' current woes stem from the unavailability of their best player. For instance, on the evidence of the last two games at Turf Moor, Burnley need to tighten up defesively, and quickly. Last week, in the lead up to Saturday's game, Ian Cox gave an interview in which he stressed the importance of getting 'back to basics', and doing the simple things correctly. Yet there was scant evidence of this ethic against Barnsley.

Instead, we got Kevin Ball (a seasoned pro who truly should have known better) recklessly and needlessly attempting to decapitate a member of the opposition. Instead, we got no one even bothering to challenge Chris Morgan as he headed Barnsley's equaliser. Instead, we looked disturbingly vulnerable from set piece situations. Little wonder that Ternent was unable to conceal his frustration in the post-match press conference. Defend in a similar vein this evening and Crystal Palace's free scoring Freedman and Morrison will have every opportunity to fill their boots. Yet the defence has been far from watertight so far this season, with Burnley falling just short of shipping, on average, two goals a game. Which is fine if you are scoring three every time -- not so clever if you are not.

In 14 games (including the Worthington Cup) the Clarets have prevented the opposition from scoring on just three occasions.

Perhaps it's time to revert to the style of play with which Burnley were so successful last season. It may lack the verve and elan of previous performances, yet a trademark Ternent 1-0 win will be just the tonic at the moment.

A return to a more defensive mindset need only be a temporary measure. When Alan Moore and Glen Little make their comebacks, hopefully firing on all cylinders, the Clarets could then return to trying to shoot their way into the Premiership.