BURNLEY'S recent run of results under Stan Ternent has provoked plenty of reaction from the supporters. In the final part of our series on what's next for the Clarets, fans from three of Burnley's biggest supporters' clubs have their say.
BURNLEY are proving once again that per head of population they are one of the best supported clubs in the country.
Record season-tickets sales of over 12,000 heralded their return to Division One and the fans were in dreamland as the Clarets entered December in the play-off zone and above big-spending local rivals Blackburn.
Stan Ternent's men have since found the going harder and the manager and his players have come in for criticism during their recent patchy run.
There are those that feel Ternent has taken the club has far as he can and despite leading Burnley from the bottom of Division Two to the First Division's top ten should be replaced.
However, the consensus of opinion among three of the biggest supporters clubs appears to be that most things in the garden are rosy and the manager should be left to carry on the good work -- provided Burnley continue to progress next season.
"I am quite happy with the situation and the majority of our members are, although I can't speak for everyone," said Phil Miller, secretary of Accrington Clarets.
"People have to have a little patience and then in 12 or 18 months if we are getting results like we did at Scunthorpe and we're still in the same position or lower then they can start to say things have got to change. But I think most of us expected to struggle this season.
"When the season kicked off I think 99.9 per cent of fans would have settled for being fifth or sixth from the bottom and when the fixtures first came out I said I'd be happy to survive.
"All of a sudden people think about the play-offs and panic that we are in tenth. It seems stupid that Stan Ternent and the players are under pressure. People should take a step back and see how far we've come.
"The fans have to take a wider view and get behind the team for the rest of the season and if we finish where we are it will have been a good season, even if we did get knocked out of the Cup by Scunthorpe, although we definitely need to strengthen the side."
Trevor Bartley, chairman of the official supporters club, shares that view, although is looking for an improvement next season.
He said: "We would probably have been happy with fourth from bottom because we have been in the doldrums for so long.
"It takes time and we have to crawl before we can walk but I think we are going to hold our own and probably finish about half-way.
"Realistically we can't complain if we finish half-way. We'll have had a good season. It's certainly better than going to places like Colchester and there is hope for the future.
"Supporters have high expectations. If we got in the Premiership they would want Europe and some supporters haven't taken to him (Ternent). But I look at it this way: looking down the years we have played pretty football and it's got us nowhere."
Bartley added: "But I think next season we will have to make quite a few changes or else we are going to struggle and that's going to cost a fair bit of money.
"If we can fetch in four or five players we could maybe push for the play-offs."
Paul Smith, organiser for Boundary Clarets, is happy with the overall position but feels that there are problems that need to be addressed.
He said: "At the start of the season we would have been happy with fourth from bottom but because we had such a good start it was Premiership here we come, and Burnley supporters are like that.
"But we have got to look over our shoulders and we could be in trouble if we lose on Saturday."
Smith wants to see some new faces and although he feels the fans are behind the boss views the early part of next season as make-or-break.
"I would love to see Eddie Howe come. Ian Cox and him were brilliant at Bournemouth and they are desperately short of pace in the team. We are also concerned at the lack of youngsters coming through.
"But he's got the backing off all the supporters really and last Saturday the fans were brilliant. They could see we were up against it and got right behind the team. It's the best they've been all season.
"I just hope we can stabilise now and keep in the top half. That would be a fantastic achievement and then we'll see what happens at the start of next season and take it from there.
"If we don't progress then it might be time for someone with proven experience at the top of the First Division."
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