OWEN Coyle believes Burnley have been one of the worst hit of all football clubs as the global economic crisis takes hold.

Marketing moniker ‘A New Dawn’ announced the Clarets’ aim to hit new heights this season, but progress has been halted both on and off the field.

While plans for a multi-million pound stadium redevelopment are undergoing a cost-cutting review, more frustratingly for manager Coyle, his attempts to strengthen during the January transfer window have so far hit a dead end.

The Clarets boss remains relentless in his search for a loan player – preferably a defender with only four from six available for tonight’s trip to Watford – but transfer fees are out of the question in this climate.

However, what they lack in funds, the ambitious Scot believes they make up for with their wealth of playing assets.

And it is through those that Burnley are striving to end a run of four straight league defeats and climb back into the play-off positions tonight.

“I think we’ve improved Martin Paterson, and he’s improved himself since he came into the football club, and has got 16 goals already,” said Coyle, ahead of tonight’s trip to Vicarage Road.

“Chris Eagles has improved tremendously, and there’s no doubt Kevin McDonald’s improving and will continue to do so. He’s been stop-start with a niggly groin injury but he’s fit now, we just need to get games under his belt. For me he’s got so much scope in him to improve further.

“Jay Rodriguez has come on an absolute ton from when we came on board last year. And Alex MacDonald, who I brought through, has improved no end.

“When I came to the club I certainly felt Chris McCann was a quality player but I think the way he’s gone about his business he’s come on leaps and bounds as well.

“Before all that, ability was there but it might have been a good game and then indifferent.

“I think we’re getting a level of consistency to his game now.

“That group of younger ones are all improving, and that will be the backbone of the club for years to come.

“Added to that, the experienced ones we’ve got, there’s no doubt we’re improving with that mix.

“But we can’t stand still. We have to keep on striving to improve, and that’s the difficulty we’ve got just now with the way the credit crunch is everywhere.

“Everyone’s been hit hard by that, but we probably have more than most clubs because everything that we’d put in place, in terms of the development of the whole football club, has had to be put on hold.”

He added: “I’ve identified three or four, which I hope nobody else has. I can’t do anything on it just now but maybe come the summer when things change financially I might be able to make inroads.

“We’re not in a position to purchase anyone in terms of a fee. We’ve asked about a few on loan and been priced out of them.

“We’re still speaking to different clubs about various players, but if someone’s demanding ‘X’ amount of pounds and we’ve not got that then we can’t give it.

“This team will improve. I’ve said it before that there are a number of things I’d love to add to it.

“Obviously I can’t do it at this present time, but I know in my mind what I want to be doing at the football club; I know how to take it on and I know what I need to take it on, it’s just being able to get the tools I need to do what I want to do.

“Then I’ll press the button on it. But I can’t do it at the moment because of finance.

“It’s come at the worst time possible for us because when you see what we did and the position we’d put ourselves in that was the time, I believe, for you to improve things while you were in a very good position. But if the finance isn’t there, it’s not there.

“Sometimes there have got to be sacrifices made and we just need to get on with it.”