And the fact that only 20 players have played any kind of league football so far this season demonstrates how close-knit the squad has become.

That number is one of the fewest of any club in the Championship, but in recent weeks, one or two have started to break through.

Ade Akinbiyi, who made his first appearance in almost two months at Chelsea, and Alan Mahon, who came off the bench to net the winner at QPR on Saturday, have long been on the fringes this season.

But they have seized their opportunities to shine with both hands.
And Coyle heaped praise on his players for the attitude they have brought to the club: "Honestly, I have got nothing but praise for the way they have conducted themselves.

"I don't just mean how they have played when they have come on, I also mean as professionals in and around the football club.

"That's what we need, and the same applies to each and every one of them.

"The same applies to people like Robbie Blake, Chris Eagles, Michael Duff; they have all spent some time on the sidelines but then they have come back in they have been outstanding.

"And a lot of them who were on the sidelines are in the team now because they have been that good that they have kept their place."

The club is quite rightly on a high after the past 10 days, but Coyle stressed that feet need to be kept firmly on the ground: "There's no doubt, but that's a given.

"Anybody who knows the type of team we are and the type of players we have will know that we all know it's only a start.

"We are here, we are here to work hard, and they are here to show that we can be a decent team.

"We like to keep that sense of consistency and continuity in terms of team selection, but there are going to be injuries and suspensions, and the lads that are deemed to be in the periphery or whatever have shown that they are ready to play their part.

"So much so that some of them have forced their way back in, but the one thing we know is they are all willing to do their very best for the football club."

The Clarets boss is sweating on the fitness of Michael Duff for tomorrow's home game with Doncaster, after the 29-year-old limped out of Northern Ireland's friendly with Hungary on Wednesday night.

However, he has been boosted by the return to training of Christian Kalvenes and Remco van der Schaaf, while Chris Eagles has also trained after being substituted at Loftus Road.

Coyle feels that tomorrow's home fixture with Doncaster is one of their most important to date: "What we have to do is make sure that we are at our best.
"There's no doubt that Doncaster is a really tough game, they will be boosted after their result last week.

"They're fighting to get out of that bottom three, and we have to make sure we are at our best to further our aims of staying in that top six.

"If people perceive Doncaster as struggling then they are not paying attention because they have been very unfortunate in a lot of their results.
"And I would have to stress that Doncaster will be a tougher game than any of the last three away games, for a variety of reasons.

"We have to make sure we are at our very best and we achieve the standards we have set before.

"And if we can replicate the performance we had at home to Norwich then I will be delighted."