THE common perception among Burnley supporters following Owen Coyle's appointment was that the new manager was in for the clichéd "baptism of fire".

Well based on the evidence of the last seven days, it appears that Coyle is pretty much inflammable.

Carry on like this, and even Brendan Flood's likening of the 42 year-old to a young Bill Shankly might not look so daft after all.

Better weeks may yet lie ahead for the manager and his charges, but it will be difficult to improve on six days that saw Burnley record away victories at two of the top three and arrive home in time to see them drawn against Arsenal at Turf Moor in the third round of the FA Cup.

Coyle's impact can scarcely be overstated, but can be encapsulated in one word; positivity.

Since his arrival the manager has been relentlessly upbeat, and this has clearly had an effect on performances.

Lest we forget, this is the same group of players who stumbled so witlessly and aimlessly around the pitch against Hull City a few short weeks ago.

As Graham Alexander observed, "The manager's come in and realised the quality we've got in the squad.

"He just wants us to express ourselves. He's really encouraging if we make a mistake.

"He's not on your back, he's telling you to try it again."

And as Coyle himself said, "I was often frustrated as a player, particularly away from home, when you'd be playing for a draw against better teams.

"I still believe that whether somebody is better than you, or they feel they're better than you, you can go and win that match, and that will be our aim, to try to go and win them."

No single football philosophy guarantees results - they're all flawed - yet the manager's "let's not die wondering" approach certainly appeals, and is a refreshing change from the negativity often endured under Steve Cotterill.

Yet amongst all last week's positives, there was one not inconsiderable negative; the club's £4.3m operating loss.

To be fair, the figure doesn't take into account the £1.4m generated by the sales of Wayne Thomas and John Cofie and doubtless the Arsenal game will boost the coffers.

Nor does Brendan Flood seem unduly concerned, even promising Owen Coyle fighting funds come January.

Yet losing money is never a good habit to be in, and the day when the re-developments are finished and the club starts generating funds cannot come quickly enough.