CLARKE Carlisle will always have a soft spot for Blackpool - except for tomorrow.

Bloomfield Road was where the 27-year-old took his first steps into professional football after progressing through the youth team ranks.

But sentiment will be put to one side as Burnley host the first of this season's Lancashire derbies, with the Preston-born defender aiming to make his home Championship bow for the Clarets a winning one after the disappointment of defeat at Scunthorpe United in his first game.

"I think we should've done better in that game," he said.

"But we've had an encouraging start and I think the quicker we gel as a team it means that you can do things almost subconsciously.

"The best teams through the times have always been those that have been four or five years in the making.

"Everyone knows exactly what they're going to get from the next man.

"I'm sitting in the back four now and Steve (Caldwell) will get the ball and I'm not sure what he's going to do with it, so I have to make a run just incase, whereas once you know how to play alongside each other you know what you're going to get from someone, you can just do things and it's all so easy.

"We put in the work on the training ground and I think we'll get to that point quite quickly."

Although Carlisle is focused on inflicting a second league defeat on Blackpool tomorrow, the former Watford defender remains impressed with all that the Seasiders have achieved since he left the club in May 2000, most notably last season's play-off final win and subsequent promotion to the Championship.

"It's been an awesome achievement," he said.

"It's funny, when you play for clubs you'll forever look at their results and when I left Blackpool and went to QPR, we got relegated and they got promoted. I was so innately jealous it was ridiculous.

"But it's good to see them go from strength to strength.

"They've got the new owners now and the manager's doing well.

"I had four great years there so I'm happy for them. It's really good to see them doing well.

"I think maybe Danny Coid is the only one still there from when I was, and he was only a first year YTS when I left.

"But apart from that it's just all change from the boardroom down."