CLARETS defender Michael Duff is aiming high next season - but he knows it'll be tougher than ever in the Championship.

Burnley finished 17th last season but with the addition of Steve Jones and a couple more new faces likely in the summer, anticipation around Turf Moor will be high.

But with fallen Premiership giants Sunderland, Birmingham and West Brom joining the Championship cast list, which already includes the likes of Southampton, Leeds and Norwich, Duff reckons the league will be tougher than ever come the start of the new campaign.

And Duff, currently on international duty in America with Northern Ireland as they prepare to face Romania at Soldier Field in Chicago tomorrow night, said: "Everybody in this league aims to get promoted but the league is getting harder by the season.

"The teams who came down last season like Norwich, Southampton etc expected to go straight back up but they found out that it's not that simple.

"We'll be aiming for the top six but we'll have to be more consistent to do it."

And Duff pin-pointed the Clarets' away form as an area they will need to improve.

Burnley claimed only 16 points on their travels last season, three wins and six draws, and Duff knows they will have to be better next term/ He added: "We need to win a few more away games. Our home record was as good as anyone's but we need to transform that level of performance to our away form.

"If we knew what the problem was I'm sure the gaffer would have to put it right now. We just can't put our fingers on it.

"It's not nice travelling five or six hours on a coach, staying in a hotel and then getting beat. Hopefully, we can address that next season and become more consistent."