Manchester United stars set for shock when they visit Burnley tonight

Manchester United's stars will go back to basics at Burnley tonight...and a reminder of what football was like before it went all posh.

Turf Moor is still a glorious throwback to the days when men were men and earrings were for the ladies in the Bob Lord stand.

It's the first time in 33 years that Burnley will host top-flight football and for all of the £1 million improvements this summer the away dressing room and dimly-lit, tight space in the tunnel is not for the foppish or faint-hearted.

The Burnley lads are having a quiet chuckle about what awaits Sir Alex Ferguson and his jet-setters who will crash back in time when they take their first steps inside the grand old ground.

Striker Robbie Blake said: "It's not the best place to come, but we like that. We want to make Turf Moor as difficult as we can for teams to come here.

"It might be an advantage for us if their players are walking down that cold tunnel thinking 'this looks a bit dodgy.'  "I don't think the away dressing room here was up to standard for the Premier League, now they've put a couple more showers in.

"I've heard it's not much more than a lick of paint and a new light bulb though - although maybe that's what they've done to ours.

"But we can't make it too hospitable for them, we can't go putting sofas in and things like that."   

Blake's fellow veteran Graham Alexander - the skipper and oldest player in the Premier League - has seen it all, mainly at football's outposts and he predicts a culture shock too.

The Scottish international said: "It's a bit dark down there in the depths of Turf Moor. If you haven't experienced it before it's definitely different from the big new grounds that you get in the Premier League and even at Championship level.

"But that's down to the players mentality when they come here and if that affects them that's better for us.

"We're hopefully going to rely on what we've got in our changing room though and not the surroundings of Turf Moor.

"We're relying on what we've got in our team, the ability and quality we've got through it and hopefully that will be enough to get the results that we need."   Meanwhile boss Owen Coyle is hoping Ferguson has not fallen out with him as he faces up to one of his managerial heroes for the first time.

Burnley boss Coyle snapped up young right back Richard Eckersley from United at the end of his contract - and put a friendly relationship at risk as the clubs row over the fee.

But Coyle will extend the hand of friendship - and an expensive bottle of red wine - to the United chief tonight with a vote of thanks for his help and support thrown in.

Coyle said: "United offered Richard a contract but we made our play to him and he felt he was better off coming here. I will leave that to the chief executives to avoid a tribunal."  

Relations between Burnley and United are strained in a fall-out over the signing of Chris Eagles the summer before - with Ferguson and his money men upset about late payments that made them impose a transfer embargo on them.

For all of that background Ferguson sent Coyle a couple of matey texts during their wonder season - although it has gone quiet since the Eckersley deal.

Coyle said: "Sir Alex went to our Coca Cola Cup win over Arsenal and sent me a very complimentary text and he was back on when we were promoted. He was very kind - and also told me what red wine he liked. I don't know if I can afford it on my salary!"  

The Burnley boss revealed that Ferguson has been his role model since he began, with the pair of them working their way up from the lower levels of the Scottish scene.

Coyle said: "I believe Sir Alex has retained that enthusiasm from when he started, you can see that he treats every game like it was his first - that's why I love him.

"I also admire the way that he helps managers, you see that with his involvement with the PFA. It is all credit to him, that's why people hold him in such high esteem."