Forwards will be crucial, admits Jackson

But interim boss Mike Jackson feels his group of forwards will be crucial to his side’s survival hopes in the remaining five games.

Under Jackson, the side have netted four goals in three games, having failed to find the net in five of their previous six outings.

Wout Weghorst scored at West Ham after striker partner Jay Rodriguez hit the bar, while after defenders Connor Roberts and Nathan Collins netted in the win over Southampton, Matej Vydra turned in a Weghorst centre .to seal three points against Wolves.

With Maxwel Cornet missing the last game, and a doubt for Saturday’s trip to Watford, Jackson is again relying on Weghorst, Rodriguez and Vydra, with Ashley Barnes also in contention.

And Jackson said: “You can never have enough attacking players, at this stage of the season if you lose your attacking players, it can cause you big problems, if you lose too many.

"So the more attacking options you have, the better, to be able to change things.

"I remember playing against Neil Warnock's teams years ago, and he'd have three forwards playing, and they'd come off and another three completely different would all come on and make you think again.

"It's important we have that flexibility as well.”

To that extent, both Rodriguez and Vydra lined up on the left at various times against Wolves, with Barnes also no stranger to that role.

That could be the case at Vicarage Road, if Cornet remains unavailable, and Jackson hailed Rodriguez’s professionalism.

Despite Burnley being short on wide players at times during the campaign, with injury to Johann Berg Gudmundsson and the failure to land Mislav Orsic in January, Rodriguez’s ability to play as a wide forward was somewhat overlooked.

However, Jackson said: "Jay's good in those wider areas.

"I still think he's best in the middle, but we looked at it for the game the other day, and shifted him again halfway through the first half.

"With Jay, he's willing to do what it takes for the team, as a personality, as a lad, as a character, you couldn't ask for anything more as a coach or manager.

"I said to him about playing on the left, and he said 'if you need me to play there, I'm ready to go', and that's all you can ever ask of your players, when they're willing to do that.

"He's a really good pro, really good person and a really good character.”

And while Weghorst has found goals hard to come by, with two in 15 appearances for Burnley since arriving from Wolfsburg, he has three assists, and against Wolves, his workrate was remarkable – his 57 pressures in the game a Premier League high for the season, and 15 more than anyone else all weekend.

Jackson has been impressed with what he has seen: "He wants to be a bit of a perfectionist. He wants to do really, really well and he wants to to improve.

“I think he can be a little bit harsh on himself, which is good to have them sort of standards.

"With him, I think he is still coming to terms with what this league is as well

"But the running that is involved in doing that - and you look at his stats after the game, that shows he is willing to put the work in and that is what I've seen from the group.

"It is going to need that all the time for every game now. That work-rate, that work ethic.”

Is there a fear he is doing too much, and should focus on what goes on in the 18-yard box?: “Yeah, again, that goes on how you lead into the game.

"We're always looking to make sure we are not giving them too much training, we are always looking at the load and so we are hopefully giving them the best chance that when they do go into the game, they are ready to go [and we can say] 'You get going.'

"We don't hold them back in a game. If he thinks he can go and do that, then go for it. Go for it.”