WE'RE stuck in that awful lull right now between the end of the season and the arrival of the new faces.

But if Burnley boss Steve Cotterill is seeking any inspiration, he need look no further than his close friend Billy Davies. What the Scot has done since taking charge of Preston is unbelievable.

Just like Burnley, North End are an honest, hard-working side with few genuine stars. In fact, I remember thinking they were distinctly average when we beat them 2-0 at Turf Moor last December.

The difference that day though was a goalscorer by the name of Robbie Blake. And since then, a striker has totally transformed North End's fortunes.

Former Bury striker David Nugent has made a real name for himself with nine goals in 15 starts - and all for the princely sum of £100,000.

What do you think he would be worth now? At 20, and with an England U20 call-up behind him, a darned sight more, that's for sure. And I'm ever more certain that if Steve had had anything like that amount of cash available before Robbie Blake and Richard Chaplow left to boost the bank balance in January, he would have been in there like a shot!

But what it does go to show is that you don't need to be paying big money these days for big players.

Fingers are crossed that free signings Wade Elliott and Garreth O'Connor will both fit the bill at Turf Moor after making the move from Bournemouth, and given Steve's track record so far, there is every reason to believe that will be the case. However, when it comes to unearthing strikers from the lower leagues, the odds are stacked against you.

In fact, I reckon of all the players who try to take a step up, only about five per cent ever do the business. Paul Barnes is a classic example of someone who Burnley fans all know could score for fun in the Second Division - League One as it is now.

However, when he went to Huddersfield, then in the old First Division, he found goals much harder to come by. The opposition is that much better and the chances come less frequently, so it's a testament to Nugent that he looks totally at home in the Championship and offers hope for all the other managers looking to unearth a gem.

As for Preston, you have to give them great credit for securing a play-off place, then knocking Derby County out in the semi-finals to set up a Cardiff showdown with West Ham United next Monday.

On the day it's a one-off and anything can happen, although you would still back Alan Pardew's side to come through to win a place back in the Premiership. One thing is sure, I don't think North End will have too many supporters in claret and blue round these parts either!