Can Burnley really stay alive in the top flight? A WHOLE NEW BRAWL GAME.

Byline: ALAN NIXON

YES

Owner Brendan Flood is putting his faith in 'God'

BURNLEY supremo Brendan Flood is sure his club will stay up - because they have 'God' on their side.

The man whose money funded the Clarets' rise to the Premier League is convinced they will carry on in football heaven because of manager Owen Coyle, and his flock of players and fans.

Property wheeler-dealer Flood knows what a sound investment the canny Glaswegian is and thinks he will live up to his nickname in the coming months.

Flood was only half-joking when he said: "We have got 'God' and you don't get higher than that - it's that simple. Owen took us up.

"He saw what the players here had and that if it isn't broke don't fix it. He knows his men and how to keep them happy. He looks after them individually and they all feel wanted and part of the team.

"His biggest talent is man-management and he will find a large part of this year will be dealing with the lads who are not featuring, but he has those skills to cope with that."

Flood is a huge fan of his managerial discovery and believes he has the blend of fire and cool judgement that every top manager needs.

He said: "Owen wears his heart on his sleeve, but he is also measured at the same time. I've known lots of people in life and I know when you've got a winner - and I've got one with him.

"His team around him are winners too, Sandy Stewart (below) and Steve Davis. It's a great combination and a good staff led by a very committed manager."

Flood says Coyle's cavaliers can win enough points, particularly at home, to be safe.And he insists that their 1-0 Manchester United triumph will make their season.

He joked: "We're cancelling the rest of the fixtures after that. It's a great start, Owen can say to the lads we have beaten Manchester United, now get on with it, there's nothing to fear. It could not be better psychologically.

Our home form will help us. It is 11 against 11 in most games, but we have got 12 at Turf Moor with our fans.

We are going to be difficult to beat here. If we win nine or 10 games and pick up points away who knows? Because we play and attack sides I think we will win some away too.

"We will be mid-table, it wouldn't flatter us if we play like we can - Owen has that written into his new contract, minimum 10th!" Flood (above) also believes his team's passing style will flourish in the top flight, with the United performance proof that they can use the ball in any company.

He said: "When you have got the United guys up your backsides it's a fair test of how much control you have got.

"You could see that we are comfortable on the ball, our midfield gave as good as they got.

"I also saw us against Stoke, they put five passes together at best and we regularly managed nine or 10 in our movements."

It is all a dream for lifelong fan Flood, who has only one regret.

He laughed: "I just wish there was more time between the games, there are too many highs all at once at the moment."

ALAN NIXON

NO

Paul Merson sticking by his pre-season call over Coyle's battlers

ENGLAND and Arsenal legend Paul Merson predicted that Burnley would be going down even before a ball had been kicked this season.

The Clarets duly lost 2-0 on the opening day against fellow relegation candidates Stoke City.

And the Merse hasn't changed his mind - despite being impressed after watching Owen Coyle's side beat Manchester United 1-0 in midweek.

The Sky pundit said: "The three teams that come up are usually certainties to go straight back down, and all of them will struggle.

"But the good thing for them is that there's at least seven teams that could go down.

"Burnley and Birmingham will go down - and Wolves were shocking every time I saw them last year.

"But Mick McCarthy does have a young, enthusiastic side and they could just hang on."

Merson reluctantly adds one of his former clubs, Portsmouth, as the other team likely to face the drop. But he still fears for Coyle's battlers even though they stunned the Premier League champions with Robbie Blake's belter on Wednesday night.

Merson feels they are too open in the way they play at home.

And the Clarets need to do too much running to win in the style they have been asked to play.

He added: "Burnley have a go which means they'll let you play. 'We play, you play' is how they do it.

"On certain days you can see them getting well-beat at home.

"You can see them getting beaten by four or five goals because of the way they play.

"People won't mind going to play at Burnley.

"I don't think yet, but come Christmas and later in the season they are going to be a very tired team.

"They'd have to be very fit to work like they did against Man United week-in, week-out.

"But they play football and they have some good players."

Merson reckons no-nonsense teams such as Stoke have more of a chance of beating the drop.

Last season Tony Pulis saw his newly-promoted Potters defy the odds to stay in the top-flight. And this season Stoke got off to a flying start at the Britannia Stadium, which was a fortress for them last term.

He explained: "Stoke's a different place to go.

"When you're at Stoke they put the ball in the corner, they get throwins, they put the ball in the box, you know what you're up against."

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CAPTION(S):

SHAKY Pulis (right) defied the odds