Burnley FC boss welcomes a rest

CLARETS boss Brian Laws is pondering a move into the loan market, with the emergency window set to close a week on Thursday.

Burnley have a clear week after eight games in 28 days, with Laws hoping the rest will do Tyrone Mears, Martin Paterson and Danny Fox the world of good.

Mears has been carrying a knock, while Paterson (thigh) and Fox (ankle) sat out Saturday’s 3-2 win over Watford with injuries picked up in midweek against Doncaster.

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However, even if Laws receives good news from the treatment room, he is weighing up whether to freshen things up within the squad, with no further transfer dealing permitted between November 25th and January 1st.

Laws said: “I’m glad of a break, I can’t wait, just to calm things down and reassess everything, and see if we have to do anything in the loan market.

“We’ll have a look at that, and we’ve got a good week now.

“Tyrone’s been carrying an injury that needs a little bit of rest, so it’s good for us.”

Paterson’s thigh strain was an initial worry, but it improved dramatically leading up to Saturday, although he missed out.

He could be fit to travel to Coventry on Saturday, however.

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Laws said: “Pato wasn’t close enough, but I suspect he should be okay for next week, and we’ll do everything in our power to get him fit.”

His injury prompted speculation of a loan move for Birmingham City veteran Kevin Phillips, although I understand that link to be well wide of the mark.

The nature of Fox’s ankle problem is becoming clearer as the swelling eases, although Brian Easton again deputised admirably against the Hornets.

Laws said: “Foxy’s swelling has gone down massively, and hopefully his recovery will be quick.

“But we’ll have to wait and see.

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“Brian Easton ran out of steam at the end, but he’s not played a lot of games, and with the tempo.

“He has done well and slotted in there.

“He got cramp towards the end, which is understandable, because he was forcing runs going forward and had to do a lot of defending as well.

“He got through it and he’ll be better for it.”

Easton emphasised the importance of squad depth, but, while Laws looks at a potential quick fix, chairman Barry Kilby is again preparing to back the manager in January.

After announcing a record £14.4m profit last week, Kilby, asked whether there would be money available once the transfer window reopens, said: “There might be.

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“Some of that money (£14.4m) has gone on repaying loans, and in the previous season to that we made one of our biggest losses, so it’s all to counter balance that. We are in a much more sound financial position, and when we want to move to help support the manager it gives us a better chance of doing it.

“We have ambitions. We want to be up there at the end of the season.

“We go into discussions like we do in any season and when the transfer window comes decide what we’re going to do.

“Let’s see where we are, and we will always try to support the manager.”

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Meanwhile, Laws was delighted with match-winner Ross Wallace, and the attitude he has shown in a frustrating spell, where he has made only one start in 12 games.

Wallace came off the bench to inspire Burnley to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 win against Watford, scoring the equaliser and playing a part in winning the penalty for Graham Alexander to score the clincher.

Laws said: “I spoke to Ross on Thursday about the situation, saying, unfortunately he got injured and lost his place, and the team was doing well.

“He understood that, but 10 games have gone by, and his frustration is very clear, but I think what epitomises his attitude is that he waits for the opportunity.

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“He’s worked hard in training and done everything we’ve asked him.

“He’s not sulked, he’s just got on with it, and that’s a great trait.

“I said to him at half-time, ‘Be ready’, because there might be a period he would be needed to make an impact, and he’s taken his opportunity with both hands.

“His contribution was a goal and a set-up, so you couldn’t have asked for better.”

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After a first win in five league games, preceded by three successive draws, Laws is hoping to push on at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday.

He said: “We’ve got a win going into it, so we can take comfort from that and build on it.

“We came out on top, and that’s the character we need to make a mark in the division because draws are no good to us, it’s not the performance, it’s the result now, and we need points.

“Performances will come because we have good players, but three points here was vital.”