BURNLEY fans seem to be finding it hard to be positive at the moment.

The play-offs are but a distant dream, the sale of Ade Akinbiyi has left a gaping hole in the striking department and the bloody transfer window has ruined all hope of bringing in permanent reinforcements.

In such instances you have to be realistic. We have chosen the road to go down and there is not going to be any gold at the end of it this year.

But I always prefer to look for positives and in the closing few months of the season there is still plenty to play for.

The Steve Cotterill I know is a pretty determined manager and, despite admitting the top six looks beyond his players, he will demand 100 per cent from every one of them.

I was delighted to see his quotes insisting they are playing for their futures, despite most still being under contract in the summer.

That should help keep everyone on their toes. Speaking of which, I'm sure the break will have done Michael Ricketts no harm. Here is a striker with things to prove to his doubters and I expect to see an improvement in his fitness levels once we get back into action again at Coventry this weekend.

Already, Michael has shown flashes of the Premiership player he used to be and wherever his future lies, he needs to play well to guarantee first team football.

I am sure he won't want to go back to Leeds and sit and rot in their reserve team and from what we are told he seems to be fitting in well at Turf Moor.

That has to auger well for the final 12 games, when any striker worth his salt should be busting a gut to improve his goals tally.

Finally there's prize money and pride to play for. Last season's 13th place finish was an honourable one given the mountainous task Steve faced in rebuilding the squad in his first season in charge.

This year he's faced a second rebuilding job and how he must look forward to the day he can look to plaster over the cracks, rather than keep seeing his house blown down!

But we are building a future and the foundations in that field already look stronger, with the likes of Marc Pugh and Kyle Lafferty getting valuable experience elsewhere and Chris McCann emerging in midfield.

One, two, or maybe even all three players could be given a chance between now and the end of the season, when any higher than 13th and we can say we are improving.

That top half finish is a target well within Burnley's grasp, so let's grab it!