MICHAEL Duff believes Burnley are better placed to challenge for an immediate return to the Premier League now compared to five years ago, because there is more unity in the squad.

The Clarets have lost key players with Danny Ings' joining Liverpool, Kieran Trippier moving to Spurs and Jason Shackell's departure for Championship rivals Derby County.

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But the rest of the squad has stayed in tact, with goalkeeper Tom Heaton and midfielders Scott Arfield and David Jones all signing new contracts, with the potential for more to follow.

Duff says that is in stark contrast to the Burnley team that suffered relegation after one top flight season in 2009/10.

Steven Fletcher left in a record sale to Wolves less than a year after signing from Hibernian, Robbie Blake turned down a new deal to join Bolton, while the likes of Tyrone Mears and Chris Eagles pushed for moves that did not materialise until a year later.

“There’s a completely different feel about the place," said Duff, who is preparing for his 11th season with Burnley.

“The last time we got relegated you had people going round saying ‘I won’t be here next year’, ‘I’m too good to play in the Championship’, ‘I’ll get a move’.

“You think, 'you can’t all be too good otherwise we wouldn’t have got relegated!'

“I think that happens to a lot of clubs, especially the so-called bigger clubs, because all of a sudden these players at other clubs are earning huge amounts of money and they think they’re too good to be Championship players.

“It’s a tough league.

“Look at the players Fulham had last year. You don’t just rock up and beat teams in the Championship because you’re supposed to, hence the reason Rotherham stayed in the league.

“Luckily we never had any of that last year.

“Obviously Ingsy was always going to go, and I think we had to kick Tripps out of the door. He had to go and look after himself and his career. But I think that’s why no-one would ever begrudge him.

“Ingsy the same really, although he played it a little bit differently.

“But no-one could ever accuse him of not trying, and what he did for the club was brilliant. And we made a bit of money on him as well."

But Burnley are otherwise going into the team with much of the same personnel, and the same focus.

“The core of the team’s the same, the dressing room’s the same," Duff continued.

"Obviously the manager’s brought a few players in. But whether we win, lose or draw it will be the same - people will know they’ve been in a game. I can’t see there being many games where we get beat 5-0 or 6-0.

“Everything about the way we approach games will be the same. It’s just a matter of whether we can score enough goals and keep enough clean sheets to get promoted.

“That’s a crystal ball thing, but I think we’ve got enough to get promoted."