JUST thank God Alan Hansen wasn’t on Match of the Day on Saturday night.

Whereas Mark Lawrenson gently chided Burnley and their defensive shortcomings in the manner of an avuncular uncle, Hansen would, no doubt, have delivered the kind of withering hellfire verdict which might have seen Burnley’s defensive unit collectively scuttling for cover behind the back of the sofa.

Owen Coyle’s assessment was biting enough. “We made some wrong decisions in the defensive area, poor decisions, individual decisions…we have to address those individual errors.”

Indeed they do. The Clarets are shipping an average of three and a half goals every time they venture away from Turf Moor.

At Upton Park, Burnley were guilty of not playing to the whistle, questionable goalkeeping, not closing down, ball-watching and not picking up.

The good news is that these are the kind of fundamental defensive errors which are preventable. The bad news is that they keep on happening.

The big debate about Burnley’s away form centres on whether or not the Clarets should play less openly.

The answer, for this writer at least, is a resounding “no.”

Burnley are not being undone by anything as complex as shape, tactics or strategy. Burnley are being undone by individual defensive lapses.

For those who still think that the way forward is for the Clarets to rein in their attacking instincts, consider these three words: Bolton, Birmingham, Blackburn.

The kindest way to describe them is honest, workmanlike and organised.

But so is my postman and I wouldn’t want to watch him for 90 minutes every Saturday.

The point is that entertaining football is central to Coyle’s philosophy.

Even though Burnley were five down at the Boleyn Ground, they still provided more get-off-your-seat moments in the closing 25 minutes than the three above-mentioned teams did all weekend.

Quite aside from the inventive and productive interplay between Chris Eagles and Steven Fletcher which produced three goals, David Nugent might have had a brace, Eagles struck the base of Green’s post and things may have been very different.

Coyle is right to stick to his principles. One promotion, two great cup runs and a mid-table position in the Premier League say so.

As for the elusive away win – keep the faith. It will come soon.

And when it does, it will be all the sweeter for having had to wait for it.

Here’s hoping the hoodoo is lifted at Fratton Park.