ANOTHER set of international games, another blank weekend for club football. And with it, the opportunity to reflect on the opening weeks of the season.

One's perception of how the campaign is shaping up thus far largely depends on whether you're a glass half-full or a glass half-empty king of person.

The optimists will point to the fact that Burnley have reached mid-October and have suffered just two defeats en route.

And although they currently lie in 13th position, a good win from their game in hand would, theoretically, take them into a play-off spot.

There are other reasons to be cheerful. Watching the Clarets is a genuinely entertaining experience. Anyone who sat through the misery of last season's tedious 19 game winless streak of binary football, (a list of 0-0s, 1-0s and 1-1-s) will be thankful for the current fare.

Championship games involving Burnley average in excess of three goals per game. And it's not just at Turf Moor where the goals are flowing.

The Clarets found the back of the net three times at Colchester and twice at both Bristol and Sheffield.

And with late equalisers at the death both to our advantage (Bristol) and against it (Blackpool), there has been no shortage of drama.

But exciting football often comes at a cost, and in Burnley's case that's to be found in the goals against column. As Steve Cotterill intimated following defeat at Cardiff, he is a fan of clean sheets.

And he will surely be disappointed that there has only been one shut-out this term, with Scunthorpe, Colchester, Blackpool, Bristol, Ipswich and Cardiff all netting twice.

Pessimists will also highlight the fact that although Burnley have lost just twice, they have only won on three occasions.

Yet that argument can be at least partially countered by the fact that the Clarets have played six of their nine league games on the road this season.

One can't help thinking that the goals-against column would look a lot healthier if the back four had a ball-winning midfielder in front of them, affording some degree of protection.

The manager is clearly aware of this and doubtless tried to bring in such a player over the summer. David Unsworth has been deployed to reasonable effect in this role against both Portsmouth and Cardiff, yet he is not a specialist.

Here's hoping by the time the next internatonal break comes round, Burnley are still in touch with the top six.