Caldwell: Deadline signing gave us a huge lift

10:20am Saturday 6th September 2008

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BURNLEY defender Steven Caldwell has welcomed the transfer deadline day capture of countryman Steven Thompson, and hopes the towering striker can help solve their attacking problems.

The Clarets have scored only once in the Championship’s opening four games, and despite creating numerous chances against Crystal Palace and Plymouth in the last two outings have been held to stalemates in both.

But Caldwell hopes the addition of 29-year-old Thompson, on a free from Cardiff, can provide the perfect ammunition for record signing Martin Paterson and open the floodgates.

“We've got some great attacking players. I don't think it's anything to do with the lack of quality that we have, it's just a little thing that needs tinkering with,” said the 27-year-old in trying to pinpoint the reason why, after having 14 different scorers in pre-season, Burnley’s goals have dried up.

“It often happens when you've had a couple of bad defeats, like we did in the first two games, where you think ‘we need to stop conceding goals’. You stop doing that and you maybe lose a little bit of your attacking impetus.

“It's hard to put your finger on it. I think maybe Pato's been a bit isolated at times and he's playing a role that's probably difficult for him.

“He'd probably be the first to say it isn't his favoured role but he's been working really hard and grafting away and I think that at times we play the ball up to him and he seems isolated.”

Thompson has just a week to settle into his new surroundings before Burnley return to league action at newly promoted Nottingham Forest on September 13.

But Caldwell is hoping the break for internationals has come at the right time for the Clarets, and provides a timely bedding in period for the new intake.

“It's hard to decide with breaks, when it's a good time or a bad time, obviously when you're not winning games it probably is quite a good time because it can't be worse than what's happening. If you win four in a row then you probably want to keep playing,” he said.

“It's important we recharge, we're professional about it and we go away and use the time.

“There are four or five who won't get the chance to have a break because they've got internationals but it's important the rest use the time wisely and come back stronger for it.

“I think the new lads have settled in great and I don't think it's ever been a problem from a personal point of view, as in they're great lads and everybody's made them feel really welcome.

“I just feel that team-wise they need to get to know people a little bit better and bed in better as a team, and I'm sure we'll work on that this week and next week.”

He added: “We can obviously do better as a team, that's clear to be seen.

“Defending wise, the first few games were poor but we seemed to have addressed that and we definitely look a bit more solid.

“We were playing a team with no ambition towards attack (last Saturday) but still we had to keep a clean sheet and we did that.

“We now have to look at the way we pass and move attacking wise to get the ball wide and do what we do well, which I think is when we get in wide areas, left and right, and put crosses into the box.”