THE reaction of Stan Ternent said it all on Saturday night.

Anyone with a modicum of Turf Moor knowledge should have known not to mention the words 'Burnley' and 'play-offs' in the same sentence in the post-match press conference.

And Stan's reply left the man with the microphone under no illusions not to broach the subject again.

It's certainly a thorny issue. On the one hand, the fans want to live the dream and believe the Premiership is still a possibility.

They see it as only right that, after paying hard earned money, the team they invest pounds and passion in sweat blood to achieve that same goal.

Certainly the players also believe the promised land is reachable, judging by the comments of Robbie Blake in the aftermath of his, and the team's terrific display against Sheffield United.

But on the other hand, the pragmatic manager is the one carrying all the burden. And right now Stan is caught between a rock and a hard place.

Publicly backing a play-off push would be tantamount to paying lip service to the paying customer, given the lack of playing personnel at his disposal.

Yet denouncing any hope of reaching the top six equally threatens to destabilise efforts by the commercial department to drag more fans into Turf Moor and balance the books.

It's an impossible situation to find yourself in, knowing you can't please all the people all of the time but it's matters on the pitch that will always be at the forefront of Ternent's mind.

Talk of the top six is, in his own words, "pie in the sky". And you don't need your head in the clouds to see why.

Injuries have already bitten hard, while the inevitable suspensions are now threatening to blow a huge hole in his winter plans.

Richard Chaplow sits out this weekend's clash with Coventry - the third player in as many games to suffer a ban.

And a cursory analysis shows that Paul Weller, Glen Little and Graham Branch all stand just one yellow card away from similar punishment.

Imagine the scenario if all three picked up bookings against the Sky Blues?

With Alan Moore still sidelined and the likes of loanees Andy Todd, Delroy Facey and Gareth Farrelly now history, that would leave Burnley entering the hectic Christmas schedule with just 12 experienced professionals and a few kids.

Throw in the odd subsequent red card, or maybe an injury to Brian Jensen - the one senior keeper on the books - and it's easy to see that Ternent is walking a tightrope every time his side take to the field.

Naturally, finding reinforcements is proving harder and more frustrating than anyone could have imagined.

But does anyone really think for a second Stan would take to the high wire so often given the choice?

It's a crucial time for this great club. Patience, more than never, is a virtue.