Tonic for Spurs as Real crash
SEAN DYCHE is the toughest taskmaster around but Burnley’s players are desperate for him to stay at Turf Moor, says Clarets defender Stephen Ward. Dyche (above) has been linked with the Everton manager’s job after Ronald Koeman was sacked by the Toffees last week. Ward (left) revealed Dyche frequently cracks the whip in training but admits everyone in the squad would be devastated if he left for Goodison Park. “It’d be a blow to lose him, of course,” said Ward ahead of Burnley’s clash with Newcastle tonight. “It’s down to the club and the manager himself. If he stays it’ll be great for us.
“Training is up there with the toughest I’ve had. I really enjoy it and I’m probably as fit as I’ve felt in my career.
“It took me about two or three weeks to get used to it. We pride ourselves on it, the way we work gives us the best chance of getting results.
“You never hear anyone moaning – you know if you want to play in a Sean Dyche team you have to work hard.”
Ward, 32, is not surprised there is speculation linking Dyche with Everton, saying: “He’s being linked here, there and everywhere.
“But he seems to really Man City Man Utd Tottenham Chelsea Arsenal Liverpool Watford Newcastle Southampton Burnley Leicester Brighton Huddersfield Stoke West Brom West Ham Swansea Everton Bournemouth Crystal Palace P W D L F A Pts 10 9 1 0 35 6 28 10 7 2 1 23 4 23 10 6 2 2 19 7 20 10 6 1 3 18 10 19 10 6 1 3 19 13 19 10 4 4 2 17 16 16 10 4 3 3 15 18 15 9 4 2 3 10 8 14 10 3 4 3 9 10 13 9 3 4 2 8 9 13 10 3 3 4 14 14 12 10 3 3 4 10 11 12 10 3 3 4 7 13 12 10 3 2 5 11 20 11 10 2 4 4 9 13 10 10 2 3 5 10 19 9 10 2 2 6 7 12 8 10 2 2 6 7 20 8 10 2 1 7 6 14 7 10 1 1 8 4 21 4 enjoy his job here and the decision would seem to be down to him.
“You’ve got players in the squad linked to moves all the time too and you think you might lose a certain member of the squad. That’s football.”
Burnley have earned some fine results away from home this season with wins over Everton and Chelsea as well as draws at Liverpool and Tottenham.
But they have scored just twice in four home Premier League games and earned just one win at Turf Moor.
Ward added: “Teams are now coming to Turf Moor and maybe showing us a little bit more respect.” SPURS have been given a double boost ahead of their Champions League showdown with Real Madrid.
The European champions will arrive at Wembley on Wednesday on the back of an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at Catalan side Girona.
Amid the politcal turmoil in Spain, Madrid saw an early Isco goal cancelled out by ex-Middlesbrough striker Cristhian Stuani before Portu bagged the winner, to the delight of the 13,500 fans crammed into the Montilivi stadium.
And shellshocked Madrid may yet have to come up against in-form striker Harry Kane, who is battling to be fit after missing Tottenham’s defeat at Old Trafford on Saturday with a hamstring injury.
Boss Mauricio Pochettino said: “With the doctors and the player, we will take the best decision for everyone. It’s not the last game where you would say: ‘OK, after that it’s holidays.’
“We must analyse and take the best decision for everyone. We will assess him and then we will make the best decision.
“My feeling is good, but it’s not my feeling that matters. What matters is how Harry Kane is feeling.”