Brian Laws heaped praise on the broad shoulders of Clarke Carlisle as the defender prepares for another test of his mettle against Stoke City on Wednesday night.
Carlisle rashly conceded two penalties against Portsmouth in the Clarets' last home game as Pompey secured a 2-1 win.
But the central defender bounced back with a sure-footed performance at Arsenal last Saturday and is certain to have a key role to play again in repelling Stoke's anticipated aerial bombardment at Turf Moor.
"I am pleased for Clarke," said Laws. "He must have felt a lot of pressure on his shoulders because of the two blunders he had the week before.
"You can't hide that fact. You can't say it was somebody else. Unfortunately it was him but as I said after the Portsmouth game he is a strong character, a great lad to work with and a real positive person.
"He put in a good performance at Arsenal which I'm sure will help eradicate the Portsmouth game from his memory.
"It will still be there, but I think that will help him so hopefully we will see positive performances from Clarke in the future as well."
Laws insists that Stoke, who have lost just one league game since the turn of the year, are far more than a one-dimensional team.
But their major threat does come from set-pieces and notably the prodigious long throws of Rory Delap which Carlisle and his colleagues will have to counter.
"We've gone from Arsenal, who I suppose are the purists, and now the other side of it is you have to deal with the aerial threat from Stoke.
"They are two different ends of the spectrum but we know we've got to cope with that," added the Burnley boss.
Clarke Carlisle will need his aerial strength against Stoke
"It's well documented they've got one of the best throwers in the country which many teams come unstuck with.
"The stats tell you that they have scored more goals from set-plays than anybody in the Premier League.
"Delap has the most assists because it's a huge weapon, a flat throw which is hard to mark and hard to defend.
"It's a huge threat and they don't hide the fact. They work hard on it because it wins them games."
Laws will have the inside knowledge of former Stoke centre-back Leon Cort to call on as the Clarets look for the win that will lift them out of the relegation zone.
But he believes the secret of keeping Delap and company at bay is just good, honest defending.
"We will be preparing the players on the training ground and we will go through it but it's about making sure the players don't get panicky about it," said the Clarets' chief.
"There are two ways of looking at it. You can pack your defence, which teams have already tried, and you find too many bodies in the box make their own problems.
"Or you man-mark it and you say 'I'm going to head it before you' and that's the simple way of looking at it.
"Instead of trying to protect them, give the players the responsibility to go and head it."
