Burnley’s more pragmatic approach under Scott Parker has given them a stronger platform in their fight for Premier League survival, says Matt Scrafton of the Lancashire Evening Post.

The Clarets have shown far greater defensive organisation than in their last top-flight campaign and, after two straight seasons where all three promoted teams were immediately relegated, they look better equipped to avoid the same fate.

With Brentford hosting the Lancashire side on Saturday (3pm kick-off GMT), they could be tough for the Bees to break down, having already frustrated Liverpool and Chelsea, to a certain extent, this season with some strong defensive performers.

Burnley were 17th in the Premier League as football returned after the international break, with three wins from their first 11. What have you made of their return to the top flight?

It has been pretty positive and Burnley fans are pretty realistic. They have been up and down quite a few times now so they are not in that position where they are expecting to come up and do something silly and get to the top half or whatever.

They have done what they needed to do - that is probably the best way to describe it. When they have come up against the better sides, they have been beaten, but they have been competitive, which is a lot more than they were under Vincent Kompany a couple of years ago.

They have made big strides since then. Sunderland was their first home game and, at the time, you are thinking that is a six-pointer.

No one foresaw what Sunderland have gone on to do, but Burnley actually won that game!

The games against Leeds and Wolves were massive and they won them, so the games they needed to win, they have. It was just a bit of a shame that, before the international break, they lost to West Ham because they played pretty well and probably deserved a point from that game.

It could have gone either way, but to come out of it with nothing put them on a bit of a downer going into the international break. Take that away from it, they have been doing well and they are giving themselves a chance.

They were six points better off after 11 games this term than they were in 2023/24, when they were relegated back to the Championship. Is there more optimism now than there was then?

There is more optimism now than there was two or three months ago! Let’s be honest, that was a pretty dreadful campaign under Kompany, when they only picked up 24 points.

We all know the mood about the three promoted teams coming up - the idea was that it was going to be a third season where they all go straight back down.

I think there is optimism, but not unrealistic optimism. They are not expecting to finish 12th, 13th, 14th; if they finish 17th by one goal on goal difference, it is an amazing achievement.

But also, if they go down by a point or two, it is not going to be a massive surprise. It looks like they are on course for around one point per game, which would get them to between the 35 to 38 mark.

If that happens to be the case, I do not think Burnley fans will have too many complaints, whichever way it goes. If it goes against them, at least they have given it a good go, which is the minimum you ask for.

They have gone back to more what Burnley are known for; a bit more Sean Dyche, a bit more sensible, a bit more pragmatic.

Kompany’s football was amazing in the Championship, but in the Premier League, he just did not have the players to carry it off.

Home form is going to be important for Burnley and they have started well at Turf Moor, but the start on the road was not very kind, was it?

That is why the Wolves win last month was so important because, up until then, they had not even taken a point away from home, but the first fixtures were tough - Tottenham, Manchester United, Manchester City, Aston Villa.

They have got beyond that now, and it has been a bit kinder, which is why the West Ham defeat was so frustrating.

While they are looking more likely to pick up points at home, it will be interesting to see how they do against Brentford.

As I said, at West Ham, they played alright, they played fine and probably deserved a point, so I think they are getting better.

Which player should Brentford be keeping an eye out for on Saturday?

That is an interesting one because, normally, you would say an attacking player, but Burnley’s front three is maybe one of their weaknesses, at the moment.

That said, while they are not creating much, they have been clinical with what they have created.

You could pinpoint Zian Flemming as, before the Chelsea game, he had scored three in his last three, and all of them came away from home, so he has been pretty clinical since he has come in.

In terms of their best players, they are probably at the back end of the team. Their Player of the Season so far has been the goalkeeper, Martin Dúbravka.

He probably should have done better for two of the three goals against West Ham, but apart from that, he has been, by far and away, the best player.

Brentford fans do not need me to tell them about Kyle Walker, who has been very good. When he came in, there was that England game during the summer against Senegal where a lot of people were writing him off, saying his legs have gone, but that has not been the case at all.

It does not look like he has lost much of his pace, and he has been really good signing. If you had asked me at the start of the season who is Burnley’s best player, I would have said Maxime Estève, the young French centre-back.

He is still getting up to speed to the Premier League and, at the start of the season, he was in a back five, which did not really suit him.

He looks a bit more at home in back four but, in terms of the future, there is no doubt he will go on to bigger and better things. If anything, Burnley fans are probably surprised he has not already left.

What should Keith Andrews’ men expect in terms of shape and style?

I know it is the Championship, but it was basically a 4-2-3-1 throughout last season. They changed it during the summer to a five, and that worked to a degree.

Liverpool beat them with a goal in the 93rd minute back in September, but Burnley really frustrated them, playing as a back five and were really good defensively.

But they were using it in games against the midtable or lower-table teams and they did not really have much creativity, so they have changed it since then back to a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, however you want to describe it, and that seems a bit more balanced.

I still expect them to go to the five for when they play against the top sides, like they did against Arsenal recently, but for Brentford, I would imagine it would be a 4-3-3.

I do not think they have a noticeable style, to be honest - and that has probably been one of the keys to their success. It is not playing out from the back at all costs, like it was under Kompany.

It's not long ball, either. When I say back to Burnley earlier on, it is not like they have a Chris Wood up front, it is just sensible, pragmatic football.

But when they have a bit of momentum, they play some tidy football and their passing through the thirds has got better as the season has gone on and they have gained more confidence.

I would not say they are a passing team, I would not say they are a long ball team, I would not say they're a transition team - it is just a bit of everything and it depends what the game demands from you.

What’s your score prediction?

I think Burnley will have a bit of pressure on them to get something, so I will go for a 1-1 draw.