It’s difficult to know exactly what to celebrate this week, and that’s rare in Burnley circles.
The Capital One win over Nottingham Forest was the icing on the cake, and there was much else to be happy about - the win over Leeds and the manner of the first half performance in particular a highlight, Blackpool’s late leveller against Leicester, and Danny Ings turning as prolific as Charlie Austin was last term.
The Seasiders don’t like doing Burnley favours but in salvaging their own point they also did enough to see Burnley occupy second spot in the Championship on Saturday night, just three points behind Harry Redknapp’s side, assembled for something akin to the Sun King’s fortune. Charlie got their winner.
The midweek result prove that Burnley can beat Forest, who may well be top six candidates themselves when the end of season shake-up comes around.
Sean Dyche isn’t getting carried away and neither am I, but there is a bounce in a step these days.
Whatever happens days, weeks or months down the line, so far September has seen Burnley on song and it has been a pleasure to watch.
The doubts, of course, lay not so much in the current team performances, which have been excellent, but the small size of the squad. We hope Lady Luck, not often a consort of Burnley Football Club, might be with us.
Superstitious supporters, clasping their rabbits feet, old imitation silk scarves or turning their backs on kick-off, will be thinking back 40 years to 1972-73. which was the last time Queen’s Park Rangers and Burnley occupied the top two spots in what is now the Championship.
Burnley finished as champions as both were promoted, having sold one of their stars (in ‘72 it was Dave Thomas) to their London rivals early in the campaign.
And they used a very small squad - just 13 players if memory serves me right (and after 40 years it might not) adjudged to have been a key factor in the campaign.
Times, of course, change, and players are unlikely to play through the pain of injuries which could be made worse in the faster modern game (though the tackles they could get away with in the days of the three-day week were far more fearsome - just ask Frank Casper). It’s just a bit of fun, in a week full of it.
On this form, we can’t wait for when Saturday comes.