Sean won’t dive just to end a spot of bother
SEAN DYCHE says he will never tell his players to start diving – even though they have gone an astonishing 58 matches without a Premier League penalty.
Dyche caused a storm after Wednesday’s 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool when he accused Daniel Sturridge of cheating to win a free-kick by going over too easily.
The Burnley manager says diving is the scourge of football and believes one reason his team have gone so long without a top-flight spot-kick is his players always try to stay on their feet.
Sam Vokes scored the Clarets’ last Premier League penalty on April 15, 2017. By contrast, today’s opponents Brighton have had five already this season, but Dyche will not tell his players to resort to the dark arts.
He said: “Goodness – no, is the answer. I try to be fair, and I’m not going to give you a view and then tell the players to do things in a different way.”
Dyche says
English football was once much keener to clamp down – citing the criticism Jurgen Klinsmann and Didier Drogba faced when they first moved to the Premier League.
He said: “Fans don’t seem to mind it now, which is weird. I remember Klinsmann and Drogba coming here and everyone in uproar, and Match of the Day highlighting it and people saying, ‘They’ve done it again’. Now it’s just, ‘Oh, well’. I find it peculiar. You wouldn’t tell children to do that and they wouldn’t allow it in any other sport.”
Dyche’s opposite number Chris Hughton says defender Gaetan Bong has no fears about returning to Burnley, where he was involved in a race storm last season. Bong was booed throughout the match at Turf Moor after previously accusing Burnley-born striker Jay Rodriguez of racially abusing him during a match against West Brom in January.
The charge was found ‘not proven’ and Hughton called the reaction of Burnley fans “shameful”. Now Bong faces going back to the ground but Hughton has no concerns. He said: “He is one of the most focused players I have seen, so definitely not.”