THE points total is the same, but the comparisons end there. Five years ago the caretaker manager had just resigned and the sleepwalk towards relegation had begun. On Saturday it was obvious: Burnley believe.

Another afternoon, another final whistle greeted by cheers of appreciation from fans who understand they are witnessing some of the highest moments in this famous club’s recent history.

MORE TOP STORIES:

While QPR players and supporters argued among themselves, Burnley fans started to dream that the impossible really could come true again this season.

When one of Blackburn Rovers’ greatest legends is tipping your boss to win manager of the year, as Alan Shearer did on Match of the Day on Saturday night, you know things are going pretty well.

Exactly five years ago the Clarets would just have been grateful to have a manager at all – even a caretaker manager, anybody.

Instead they had seen Owen Coyle leave for Bolton before Steve Davis quit and followed him to the Reebok Stadium, days after being placed in caretaker charge of the Clarets.

It left a Premier League football club desperately scrabbling around for leadership ahead of their next match – at Manchester United.

Senior players, in the shape of Steven Caldwell and Graham Alexander, had to step in and assist youth development duo Martin Dobson and Terry Pashley.

It was a club in shock, and it never recovered. The appointment of Brian Laws did not work and Burnley were relegated.

At this stage five years ago they had 20 points, by the end of the season they had only 30. Fans often wondered what would have happened if Coyle had stayed, if a stable and united Burnley had been able to battle against the drop.

It is Sean Dyche rather than Coyle now, but this time we should get an answer.

Burnley have 20 points again. There is still much work to do, but every sign that they are capable of doing it under Dyche’s guidance.

Performances and results got worse as the season went on five years ago. This time they are getting better.

The star names left Turf Moor on Saturday knowing their side had been outplayed by this Burnley team – Joey Barton, Harry Redknapp, even Glenn Hoddle, the former England manager who snuck out almost anonymously in his role as QPR coach.

Charlie Austin had at least scored, but even he departed derided and defeated.

“Charlie, what’s the score?” Burnley fans sung in the direction of their former hero at full time.

“You’re not Danny Ings,” they had chanted shortly after their current star man had netted what turned out to be the winner.

It was only the second time Ings and Austin had ever been on the scoresheet in the same match – the only occasion it happened during their time together at Burnley was in a 5-1 win at Portsmouth in 2012.

The playful boot up the backside from Sam Vokes as Austin conducted post-match media interviews suggested that the QPR man remains very much on good terms with his former team-mates, but he will not have enjoyed losing at Turf Moor for a second successive season.

QPR were left pondering the most imperfect 10 – having lost all 10 of their league matches on the road this season, a new Premier League record.

Burnley in contrast have held their own at Manchester City and Newcastle in recent weeks, and are finding a way to win at home.

Don’t expect this Clarets side to fade like five years ago. Not under Sean Dyche.