ALL bets are off. Reading roll up at Turf Moor tomorrow as odds-on favourites for victory.

It would take a brave man to back the Clarets to inflict only a third defeat of the season on Steve Coppell's side.

But I would be prepared to wager a few pounds on there being an upset.

Defeats hit Steve Cotterill hard and there would be no better way to lift the mood around the place following a disappointing few months.

Reading have proved the exception to the reasoned argument that any team in this division is capable of beating another.

But as Luton Town showed just a few weeks back, they are far from unbeatable.

Whatever the players might say, it's only human nature for them to think the title is wrapped up and hopefully Burnley can expose that comfort zone tomorrow.

As I said last week, there is still pride to play for and I know Steve will want to better last season's 13th place finish.

And with another frustrating three weeks without a home game after tomorrow (don't get me started again on those brain dead fixture planners!) it's even more important that the lads pick up something tomorrow given the poor away form.

In the absence of good news recently, it seems the main issue of debate in the pubs and clubs all around town has been Steve Cotterill's contract talks and the million dollar, will-he-or-won't-he question.

The chairman first aired his vision to shareholders a November's AGM and since then negotiations seem to have been drawn out, but I don't read too much into that as, inevitably, these things always are.

All managers want security and a budget they can work with, while the chairman has to run as tight a ship as possible.

But the noises coming out of Turf Moor are that both parties are close to a compromise and hopefully good news is just around the corner.

Never mind what happens against Reading, that really would be a result!