New boss Laws lays out survival plan for Clarets

BRIAN LAWS is confident he will win over Burnley’s fans after he was unveiled as Owen Coyle’s successor at Turf Moor yesterday.

Laws, who has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal, started his playing career with the Clarets but was something of a surprise appointment given that he was sacked as boss of Coca-Cola Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday just a month ago.

After Coyle’s heroics in getting Burnley promoted to the Barclays Premier League before his departure to Bolton last week, Laws has a tough act to follow and yesterday’s news has received a mixed response from the club’s supporters.

However, the 48-year-old insists he is ready to prove he is the right man for the job. “They (the Burnley board) believe they have made the right decision, and I do,” Laws said.

“With the fans all I’m asking of them is support your team as you have been, continue to do what you are doing and we will do everything in our power to get it right on the pitch.

“Owen has done a terrific job and rightly should be looked at through the eyes of the supporters as a legend.

“I’m sure there will be one or two (fans) reserved that will be looking and watching what happens. All I can say to them is that they will get my full commitment.”

Under Coyle, Burnley have become renowned for their free-flowing football, an approach which has brought them a great deal of success but has also led to some heavy defeats on their travels this season.

Laws acknowledged the Clarets need to modify their strategy for away fixtures, but the new manager stressed that the attacking style so popular with supporters would not be sacrificed.

Laws, whose first game at the helm will be a trip to Manchester United on Saturday, said: “I like to play good football. There’s good players here and they like to play football. It’s a marriage made to work.

“I’m not going to be changing anything – there’s no broken wheel here as far as I’m concerned. We’ll add one or two bits but we want to tick over what Owen has done and just add a little bit more.” Laws admitted he would have to assess his playing options quickly with half of the January transfer window passed.