Kevin Kilbane
Relegation reboot can often bring about an exciting new chapter
THESE are nervy and worrying times for Huddersfield Town in their quest to stay up in their first Premier League season.
They are running out of games and, with the fixtures they have remaining, and the form of the teams below them, they have a fight on their hands to stay in the Premier League.
But the form and the success of Burnley this season has shown, that even if you are relegated to the Championship, it does not have to be the end of the world. In fact you can build again and come back stronger.
When I went back to my former club last season for their FA Cup tie against Manchester City, people in and around the club told me that Burnley was already being used as a business and role model by Huddersfield.
Having gained promotion with Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion last season, the Yorkshire club have been sensible in their transfer dealings.
They did not break the bank last summer and were quite cautious with the players they brought in, knowing some might need time or might not be quite good enough for the Premier League. But if they stay up, or go down, they can build with those players.
It is about getting the facilities and the infrastructure of the club right so that it will not be completely destroyed by relegation to the Championship.
Of course the financial benefits of staying in the Premier League are huge. But at least if they are relegated, they will be in position to go again for promotion next season.
It just so happens that the Championship is very strong and increasingly difficult to get out of — as Sunderland, Hull City and even big-spending Middlesbrough have discovered this season after they were relegated 12 months ago — but they will give themselves a fighting chance.
Burnley have had a remarkable season and, following Everton’s draw yesterday, qualification to the Europa League qualifying stages was secured. What an outstanding achievement.
They finished 16th last season, comfortably clear of the drop, but many were probably expecting them to be competing at the other end of the Premier League table.
Their budget certainly doesn’t compare to the teams just below, such as Everton and Leicester, or to those struggling in and around the bottom three, such as Stoke, West Ham, Southampton and Swansea.
The players and the board deserve an enormous amount of credit for the transformation at Turf Moor but the main reason behind their success is undoubtedly manager Sean Dyche who has taken a good Championship team who could expect to be relegation strugglers in the Premier League, and turned them into European qualifiers.
He does not overcomplicate things, on or off the pitch, which might actually count against him when it comes to the jobs at the bigger clubs in the future, but is so refreshing in the game nowadays.
When Dyche talks to the media, unlike some managers I could mention, he is genuine. He doesn’t waffle, blow his own trumpet or come up with a load of pointless stats which are supposed to back up how brilliant he is.
It is not about Sean Dyche. And that is one thing I really like about him. It is about Burnley Football Club, the staff and the players around him, the hard work they all put in, and the powers above him who continue to back him.
He has made Burnley a special club which his peers and opposition supporters can only admire from afar and enjoy watching.
Of course there is a strong Irish contingent at Burnley, with five players among the squad, and the nucleus of the squad is mainly made up of British and Irish players. I don’t think the nationality of players matters, but it has enabled Dyche to get the fundamentals right with his group.
Stephen Ward, Jeff Hendrick, Kevin Long and, before his serious knee injury, Robbie Brady, have made contributions to their story this season while sadly Jonathan Walters has missed out for most of the campaign with injury too.
Ward has been superb for club and country this season and while Hendrick has unfortunately dropped out of the starting line-up in recent weeks, he is still going to be a key player for a few years.
From Ireland and Martin O’Neill’s point of view, it can only be good news to have players playing regularly in the Premier League, and gaining European experience.
Obviously, by making the Europa League qualifiers, it will put an extra burden on them and could even hinder them in the league, but they won’t worry about that at the moment. The transformation over the last five years is a great success story.
The board have been sensible. They have not over-spent on transfers and wages and didn’t sack the manager or order a mass clear-out when they were relegated three seasons ago.
They spent money on getting the training ground right first and then started to build everything else around it. It is a lesson for many ambitious Championship clubs.
A few weeks ago, after a win over Watford, Huddersfield looked just about safe. Last weekend’s defeat at home to Everton was a huge blow.
They are lacking form and confidence but they are the type of team to pull out an unexpected result in a difficult run-in that sees them face Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.
But, if they do go down, it will not be the end for Huddersfield — just a new beginning.
THUMBS UP Steven Gerrard A brave decision to take the Rangers job when Celtic are so dominant in Scotland. THUMBS DOWN UEFA The Champions League final ticket allocation for Liverpool and Real Madrid is simply bad form, with both club recieveing just 16,626 tickets.