IT'S a case of Stan and deliver as the waiting finally ends and Burnley launch what they hope will be a promotion campaign at Wycombe Wanderers tomorrow.

The guessing games will be over when manager Stan Ternent hands in his first team-sheet at a quarter-past-two.

However, just as important as those names on the list, will be those that aren't.

The reason for the groundswell of optimism around Burnley - which on this occasion looks to be well justified - is the strength in depth in Ternent's squad.

The manager has genuine quality competition for places in all areas, except in goal where a second senior keeper is needed to give Craig Mawson more time to develop.

And, over the course of a season, strength-in-depth will be vital for any club with genuine promotion aspirations.

Ternent's recruitment campaign looks to have been a successful one, even without Martin Smith who arrived just too late to find a permanent place in the squad and looks set to join Sheffield United.

The Clarets boss has leaned heavily on the Bosman ruling and the chance to pick up players on free transfers, although that's not to say anyone has come cheap and Ternent is certainly grateful for chairman Barry Kilby's backing. The wage bill at Turf Moor will be considerable and certainly among the biggest in the division.

But quality comes at a price and Ternent has invested in players with proven track records in higher divisions in the shape of Mitchell Thomas, Paul Cook, Dean West and John Mullin, not to mention Steve Davis, Lenny Johnrose, Micky Mellon and Graham Branch, who arrived in the second half of last season.

Add to that £100,000 striker Alan Lee from Aston Villa, a fit-again Paul Smith and the likes of Glen Little, Andy Payton and Andy Cooke, and Burnley clearly mean business.

"The lads are quite upbeat about the season. There are a lot of expectations and hopefully we can live up to that," said Thomas, confirming that the players know what's demanded of them.

They won't, however, get carried away by the hype, which in some areas has them marked down as promotion certainties before a ball is kicked.

"We aren't stupid and we don't see it that way. We are seasoned pros and we know it's going to be very difficult. We have got to be more consistent week-in, week-out." Consistency should go hand-in-hand with competition for places with those that get the nod tomorrow, knowing they'll have to perform to stay in the side.

"That's great," Thomas added. "You can get players who get a bit complacent because they always think their place is safe.

"But now we've got a big squad there are people who play in particular positions who can come in and who are equally as good as each other."

Keeping all of his first-team squad happy and involved could be Ternent's biggest problem, although his selection dilemmas now will be of the kind he would want, unlike last season when it was initially a case of 'Who can we play there?'

What a difference a year makes. And if Burnley don't avoid the kind of problems they endured last season, I'll join Ternent in looking for a new job.

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