CLARETS manager Owen Coyle admits has hailed renaissance man Graham Alexander after silencing his Turf Moor critics.

Alexander came in for some flak from a section of supporters following the club’s poor form to the Championship campaign, in which Coyle’s troops shipped seven goals in their first two games.

But since then, the veteran Scot has relished a new midfield holding role, and his performances have been the backbone of a five-match winning streak.

He has also weighed in with crucial goals too, bagging a brace in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest, before scoring a penalty in Tuesday night’s 2-0 victory at home to Blackpool.

Alexander’s three-goal burst has done enough to convince that Coyle that, despite his advancing years, he is the right man to protect the back four, and the Burnley boss is delighted to see his fellow countryman answer his detractors.

“Graham came in for a bit of criticism earlier in the season – unfairly for me because he’s been an absolute model professional,” said Coyle.

“With the nature of football, they’re always the types of guys that come in for it – he’s always wanting the ball and to do the right things.

“But he’s certainly answered, and by doing that he’s got himself back in the Scotland squad and acquitted himself very well.

“I can’t praise him highly enough. He’s a top guy to work with.”

Burnley’s up-turn in form has seen them climb into mid-table ahead of Saturday’s trip to promoted Swansea.

A third straight victory could now send the Clarets – in the relegation zone six days ago – marching into the play-off positions.

However, Coyle refuses to get carried away with the club’s sharp rise up the Championship.

“It’s very early in the season,” he said. “I’ve said before that as much as we were disappointed with our first two results, it was so early, but people have a tendency to get carried away at one end or despondent at the other.

“I’ve been in football long enough to know we’ve got a belief that we’ve got a good group of players who can win games over the course of the season, and we stayed true to that.”