DEFLATED, dejected and demoralised. These are tough times for Clarets supporters.

Reasons to be cheerful lie thin on the ground.

Saturday’s largely self-inflicted humbling at the hands of a modest Peterborough outfit was just the latest kick in the teeth.

The by now trademark slapstick defending was married to a lack of ideas in advanced positions.

Rarely does such an unhappy alliance lead to favourable results.

With the likes of Charlie Austin and the curiously out of sorts Jay Rodriguez, Burnley have players who, theoretically at least, are able to find the back of the net.

The problem is the supply line. Ross Wallace and Keith Treacy arrived from Deepdale with reputations for delivering quality into the box. Sadly, they have kept their reputations largely well-concealed. Both players need to step up to the mark.

Yet here is the dilemma of having such a pathetically threadbare squad.

Who does Eddie Howe turn to when his so-called creatives fail to create?

With no threat from the bench, Wallace and Treacy can continue to put in middling performances without fear of being hooked.

That said, calls for the return of Robbie Blake should be resisted. Blake was arguably the finest Claret of the last decade.

But at 35 and with precious little game time under his belt since his move to Bolton, a recall would smack of desperation and is likely to end in tears.

A more pressing concern is defence. Ben Mee and David Edgar look about as solid as a blancmange and give no indications of forming a solid central defensive pairing.

This makes the constant omission of Andre Amougou all the more mystifying.

The Cameroonian may have the concentration span of a goldfish and will make the occasional howler.

But he is far and away the pick of defenders available to Howe.

Tonight represents an opportunity for the player to be brought back into the fold.

MK Dons stand between Burnley and a potentially lucrative tie in the last eight of the Carling Cup.

A good cup run can often kick-start league form.

And the sooner that happens, the better.

Read Paul Fletcher and Dave Burnley's columns only in today's Lancashire Telegraph newspaper.