DYCHE IS MY PICK FOR BEST MANAGER AWARD

I CAST my vote for the LMA manager of the year this week. No.3 was Tony Pulis. No.2 was Brendan Rodgers. And my No.1 – without question – was Sean Dyche.

Chances are he won’t win it, but for me nobody’s achievements trump those of the Burnley manager.

The Clarets started the season with no money and fourth favourites for relegation. Then they sold Charlie Austin, last season’s top scorer.

Then, when they’d surprised everybody by going second, they lost Danny Ings and Sam Vokes, who’d scored 40-odd between them, to injury. But they just kept going and on Monday got their just rewards with promotion to the Premier League. The togetherness and team spirit that Sean has built at that club is one in a million. Spare a thought, too, for the Pozzo family at Watford. As the Hornets stumble to a mid-table finish they must be looking at Sean and thinking ‘Why oh why didn’t we give him a shot?’

Sean did a fabulous job there in 2011-12, but when the Pozzos bought the club they sacked him before their feet had even touched the boardroom floor.

Their loss is Burnley’s gain and Sean should enjoy every second of this success because it isn’t often that you get together such a great bunch of lads. And once you reach the top flight – sadly – you never quite have that spirit again.

If he thinks the past few months have been stressful, then multiply that by 20 and you still won’t be close to the problems he’s going to have in the next two months.

What problems? A) Dealing with his own board. B) Dealing with his own players. C) Dealing with the agents of every other player under the sun. And D) Actually trying to get people signed.

He’ll go away on holiday but will still be on the phone for three hours a day, just trying to get deals done It is a two-month nightmare.

He’ll need patience and help from everybody within the club – I can’t stress how important that is.

For now, though, I’m sure he’ll just be looking forward to June 17th when the fixtures come out,

And I can’t wait to cover them in the Premier League next year.