David Unsworth says the Clarets should not be afraid of raising expectations.

Optimism for a successful season was high at the beginning of the campaign, on the back of announcements for a £20million redevelopment of Turf Moor and the opening day win at home to promotion favourites West Bromwich Albion.

Despite a setback at newly promoted Scunthorpe United last weekend, Unsworth is urging the club to aim high.

"I just think it's a place that potentially could be on an upwards turn," said the 33-year-old.

"I don't want to come to a club and just spend the season just playing football matches, I want to come to a club that is going to challenge.

"I do believe we've got a good chance here.

"The players believe it, the manager definitely believes it, and if that puts a bit of expectation on our shoulders, then that comes with being with a team that's going to challenge."

And he revealed that the ambitions manager Steve Cotterill outlined that persuaded him to choose Burnley over potential moves to Leicester City and Stoke City, as well as an un-named Premiership club.

"People talk a great game, but doing is a different thing, I found this summer," he said.

"I found the gaffer was a bit of a doer. He was the one who really wanted to push it through, and I was delighted with that.

"He spoke very positively and told me everything that's happening at the club, and I obviously knew about the great start they had last year.

"The manager reminds me very much of David Moyes, where he's on the training pitch every day, he's very focused and only wants success, he's very driven and strikes me as one of those managers who won't stop until he gets it. I like that.

"I've only been here a week, and that's what I've seen so far, so it bodes well."

Unsworth, who won promotion from the Championship with Sheffield United in 2006, added: "It's a small squad, and I think we could do with a few more numbers in terms of depth of the squad, but certainly there's a lot of ability here, a lot of good young players, and I think we've got a chance.

"The more pressure you get, you must be doing something right.

"It's easy to raise fans' expectations, but to raise a group of players' expectations that you can achieve something is the hardest thing.

"But when they start to believe that they can do it, it all goes hand in hand and you all go on the ride together.

"I saw it at Sheffield, and it's fantastic.

"Once you're there and thereabouts, and you realise you're good enough to get promoted, it just carries on and on and you bring everyone with you, and then you've got a great chance.

"Us players have to go and do that now, like I said, the expectation level, if it's raised a little bit, then that's fine.

"If you want to achieve anything, you've got to live with that expectation.

"If you don't, you're not going to achieve anything.

"There are some great players (here) and some great young talent as well. You put all that together and we've got a right good chance.

"I hope the expectation level is there for us to get promoted. I hope the fans' expectation level is there as well.

"We've all got to go in the right direction together.

"This is a big club. Wigan started off in the Third Division and their fanbase is nowhere near as big as this club's could be potentially, and they were top of the Premier League last week.

"I don't see why we can't do that here.

"The expectation was there at the start of the season, and then having that great win against West Brom set everyone talking throughout the league, they must be a decent team if they're beating them'.

"They are one of the favourites, but the Scunthorpe game gave us a little kick up the backside, a short, sharp shock, and we've got to go and beat QPR, which is a pressure game for us.

"If we're going to challenge, we've got to go and beat teams like that at home."