YOU'D expect Jimmy McIlroy to know a thing or two when it comes to breaking down defences.

And he did warn, right from the outset, that Ian Wright might have a few problems adapting to Division Two.

Bearing in mind my own assessment is based on the evidence of just 37 minutes viewing, when Burnley were chasing a lost cause against Gillingham, the Clarets legend was spot on.

Wright is still on a different wavelength to the rest of the Burnley team.

While he is in full flight, having peeled away from his marker and engineered an opening, play invariably lags some way behind.

There is no lack of effort on Wright's part, it is just going to take longer than a couple of months with reduced opportunities to gel in training with his colleagues, before any meaningful telepathy develops.

That's not to say Burnley were wrong to haul Wright on board.

His mere presence has provided valuable impetus to the promotion push and an invaluable boost for the club's finances.

But the impression emanating from Turf Moor on Tuesday was one of disgruntled dismay that Wright is not being selected from the start.

An excellent crowd were quick to turn on the players against Gillingham.

Amazingly, at 1-0 down and still with a realistic chance of moving into an automatic promotion slot, a minority of Burnley fans booed their players off at half-time.

No doubt the desire to see their new folk hero was at the root of some of that disquiet.

But, by all accounts, when Wright has started the game, the results have not been startling.

And it should be remembered that he failed to score in those four starts. As a substitute, he has the capacity to exploit tiring legs, not to mention preoccupy the opposition to the benefit of his colleagues.

That was not possible against Gillingham, for a combination of reasons.

Gillingham are a very competent outfit who were more than capable of defending a two-goal lead.

The damage had already been done through a combination of poor defence and one-dimensional approach.

With Glen Little suspended, Burnley were desperately short of options and creativity on the flanks.

The half-time substitution of wing back Paul Smith momentarily solved that problem on the left, as Graham Branch's pace unsettled Gillingham.

But, especially when Peter Taylor's side went even further into their shell after the second goal, Burnley played into their hands by looking for the long ball up to Smith's replacement, Ronnie Jepson.

A better option would have been to introduce John Mullin in a deeper role, prising Gillingham away from their area and creating more avenues for essential late runs.

That is also the kind of guile that Wright is more likely to profit from.

A more adventurous Millwall are likely to provide a different test on Saturday, forcing Burnley's two wide-men into a more defensive frame of mind.

So it will again be a game in which patience will be a crucial virtue, both on and off the field.

And that means another wait for the Wright man at the right time.