Dyche facing the hardest decision of his football life
WHAT you see is what you get with Sean Dyche.
The Burnley boss is candid, uncomplicated and pragmatic. There is no mystique about his football philosophy. He insists that what he learned as a no-nonsense central defender is now a basic tenet of his managerial strategy.
“It taught me what is effective to win football matches,” he admits.
Dyche’s reliance on well-organised defence and a variation on the long-ball game attracts many critics.
But this season he’s proving his methods – a cocktail of old-school tactics and modern thinking – really are effective, especially away from Turf Moor.
Wins at Chelsea and Everton, plus draws at Spurs and Liverpool, have made other Premier League clubs realise that his formula not only works but brings impressive results too.
That’s why both Leicester and Everton weighed up his credentials as they undertook searches for new managers.
Dyche (above) celebrates five years at Burnley tomorrow night when Newcastle visit.
Two promotions to the Premier League top his CV. But Dyche hasn’t just improved the team, he’s helped develop the club’s infrastructure.
Dyche is not only a good coach, he’s the club manager in the fullest sense of the term.
The £10.5million spent on a new training ground was every bit as important to him as the £15m he was able to outlay on Leeds striker Chris Wood this summer.
Given his huge contribution on and off the pitch, it would be a devastating blow to Burnley if they were to lose the architect of their transformation.
Interest in acquiring his services is growing, and Dyche is honest enough to admit he’s flattered by the attention.
The mutual bond of loyalty between club and manager stretches back five years – an eternity in 21st century football.
But it’s about to be severely tested. At 46, Dyche may feel it’s time to challenge himself on a bigger stage and, perhaps, seek greater financial security for his family.
Tomorrow’s managerial opponent Rafa Benitez earns £4.5m-a-year – that’s 10 times more than Dyche, and Newcastle’s 50,000 gates dwarf Burnley’s.
Yet weighed against the attractions of more money and a larger fan base are the influence, security and respect Dyche enjoys at Burnley.
The lure of mega-bucks and a more high-profile role may be tempered by the fate that so recently befell fellow managers Frank de Boer, Ronald Koeman and Craig Shakespeare.
When the inevitable offer for his services comes in, Dyche has a very big call to make.