IT SEEMS crazier now than it did at the time. But it was only a few weeks ago, as Burnley sat at the foot of the Championship, that a local radio station was receiving texts from listeners demanding that Steve Cotterill be sacked.

Thankfully two months on, the airwaves seem free of such garbage. Indeed, there are more than enough reasons why the manager should be given a contract extension. Here are ten of them.

On arrival, he inherited a team which had leaked almost two hundred goals in the previous two seasons. Come the end of the campaign, the Clarets had more clean sheets than T J Hughes.

In his first term he built a side with no money and got it to 13th in the Championship.

Whilst establishing Burnley in mid-table, he engineered two great cup runs, claiming the scalp of eventual winners of the Champions League.

He withstood the losses of both the club's best player and the fans' favourite as Blake and Chaplow left for pastures new for a profit in excess of £2 million.

Cotterill has ensured the Clarets now play on a football pitch rather than wasteland.

Ade Akinbiyi arrived at Turf Moor low on confidence and goals. He now tops the Championship's goalscoring chart. As well as inspiring players he can clearly spot them too. Burnley's midfield is largely comprised of footballers who were playing in League One last season.

He's engendered a great team spirit. For evidence of that just look at the circumstances of their 3-2 win at Luton.

Having built a second team from scratch, the manager has got them to within two points of the play-offs.

The final reason Cotterill should have his contract extended is security. For the manager with a longer deal, and security for Burnley in the event of a bigger club snapping him up.