PROUD DYCHE STILL LIVING IN REAL WORLD

WHEN Burnley were preparing for this most remarkable of seasons at a training camp close to Dublin last summer, Sean Dyche sat back and considered his squad. Even their proud manager had no inclination of how brilliantly they would perform. Asked now whether he had thought about the possibility of qualifying for European football, Dyche is emphatic: ‘No.’ And yet his side are seventh in the Premier League, six points clear of eighth-placed Leicester City with six games to go. Barring a Southampton FA Cup miracle, that will spell Europa League qualification. But Dyche remains incredibly grounded. ‘There’s a good reality to the club,’ he says. ‘I think the fans have bought into the honesty that we show them. They know we’re not the real deal but they do enjoy it when the team are delivering performances like this. ‘If they’re not, they accept that we are what are are. We are still improving. It’s a pleasing mentality in an industry that wants everything in a week.’ ‘Real deal’ or not, Burnley’s achievements are remarkable. Dyche speaks of how his squad’s annual wage bill is only ‘about £37million’. Arsenal, one place above them, pay around £210m. At Watford, Burnley emerged from a drab game as the victors after substitute Sam Vokes and Jack Cork scored at set-pieces only two minutes and 42 seconds apart. Roberto Pereyra’s opener looked to be troubling the Clarets but, unsurprisingly for anyone who has watched them this season, the character of Dyche’s men shone through. So what would their manager suggest could change Burnley into that so-called real deal? ‘A massive chequebook and lots of time.’ For Watford, the outlook is not so rosy, with more points dropped. The chances of Javi Gracia’s side getting relegated are slim but their defensive mistakes were not ones that a team with real ambition and drive make. Just look at Burnley. WATFORD (4-2-3-1): Karnezis 5; Janmaat 6 (Okaka 76min), Mariappa 4, Prodl 5.5, Holebas 5; Capoue 5, Doucoure 6 (Carrillo 85); Femenia 6, Hughes 7 (Richarlison 85), Pereyra 7; Deeney 6.5. Subs not used: Gomes, Britos, Cathcart, Gray. Scorer: Pereyra 61. Booked: Doucoure, Okaka. Manager: Javi Gracia 6. BURNLEY (4-4-2): Pope 7; Lowton 7, Tarkowski 6, Long 6.5, Ward 6; Lennon 6 (Hendrick 81), CORK 8.5, Westwood 8, Nkoudou 6 (Vokes 70, 8); Barnes 7.5, Wood 7.5. Subs not used: Heaton, Marney, Wells, Taylor, Bardsley. Scorers: Vokes 71, Cork 73. Booked: Nkoudou, Lowton. Manager: Sean Dyche 8. Referee: Paul Tierney 6. Attendance: 20,044.