Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
A SEAN SURVIVOR
Dyche backed to keep Clarets up
WITH one Premier League win from 12 games and a solitary victory at home since January 27, any other manager would be feeling the heat.
But then Sean Dyche is not any other manager.
While four of the bottom six clubs have changed coach in an attempt to boost their survival hopes, Clarets owner Alan Pace is standing firmly behind Dyche.
So far this season Xisco Munoz (right, top), Steve Bruce (right), Nuno Espirito Santo (right, centre), Daniel Farke, Dean Smith (right, bottom) and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have all paid the price for disappointing results.
But Pace handed Dyche a new four-year contract in September because he knows he is the best man to lead their latest relegation fight.
Dyche, who is the Premier League’s longest-serving boss having clocked up nine years at Turf Moor, has dug Burnley out of deeper holes and led them to safety in 2019 when they had just 12 points from 19 games at Christmas.
Last season he secured a sixth successive campaign in the Premier League, which based on the club’s size and finances, is like a rookie in his first pro fight taking Tyson Fury the distance.
Yet Dyche knows he must defy the odds again to keep them up.
Despite sitting 18th, two points from safety, Burnley are stirring after a poor start. They are four games unbeaten and have lost just once in their last seven, which was at Manchester City.
Dyche feels they are building the right foundations and insisted: “I’ve said from the beginning of the season I’ve been pleased with the consistency of our performance levels. “We’re getting on the right side of games, which is good, and that’s an important part in the Premier League when you’re not a superpower club. “We have generally done that lately and look a threat. We’re finding a better mix and going in the right direction.”
The spine of their team in Nick Pope, Ben Mee, James Tarkowski, Dwight Mcneil and Chris Wood is beginning to perform consistently. Burnley’s ace up their sleeve is Maxwel Cornet and the Ivory Coast ace has hit the ground running following his £12.8million move from Lyon. His superb volley to earn a point against Crystal Palace was his fifth goal in seven Premier League appearances. “We’re enjoying what he’s doing,” added Dyche. “He’s getting towards true Premier League fitness.
“He played football in the international break and come back looking all right. He’s brought energy and quality and his finish against Palace was a fine strike.” Burnley need to turn draws into wins and this season is shaping up to be a fierce scrap to beat the drop. Norwich have put together back-to-back wins. Newcastle have millions to buy their way out of trouble, and no side looks like being cut adrift as in previous seasons.