BURNLEY WIN TO GO 7th
Seventh in the Premier League after 10 games. Who would have thought that possible when Sean Dyche pitched up at turf Moor exactly five years ago?
the anniversary was a fitting tribute to his time here. not a Burnley display that Dyche will particularly remember but one of huge significance regardless. With Burnley now level on points with Liverpool, his stock continues to rise. Little wonder that everton and West ham are monitoring his progress.
‘the more success Sean gets the more people will look at him,’ chairman Mike Garlick said last night. ‘But we look after him well and hopefully he’ll be here a long ng time.’
Rival clubs have taken notice e and will continue to do so. . Leicester, who eventually y appointed Claude Puel, had a serious look. It is believed the e size of Dyche’s close-knit back- room staff was too much for them m to solidify their interest and in n turn shell out £ 2.5million in n compensation. One suitor will ll come knocking sooner rather r than later and Burnley just hope e that headache does not thud in n the middle of a season.
‘I just get on with my job,’ ,’ Dyche straight-batted after a seventh 1-0 win since their return n to the Premier League in 2016.
he is the master of marginal al gains. Burnley wait and wait for or their opportunities, for that at moment when quality takes over er and it presented itself again last st night. A dreary draw beckoned as the clock turned to the 74th minute. Jack Cork drove into the box and thrashed at Rob elliot.
the save bounced save bounced to Johann BergJohann Berg Gudmundsson and then came the guile. Gudmundsson crossed to the back post without a second’s thought and Jeff hendrick fired home. ‘Our pressing for that was fantastic,’ Dyche said. ‘We got a nibble and were straight back into them. You can disorganise a back four.’
these are heady days and his i influence on Burnley cannot be overstated. As well as two promotions, he has overseen a new £ 10.6m training facility. that, Dyche said before this, would be his true legacy when he does finally d depart for pastures new.
he was keen to not take sole c credit for the transformation, but not every manager would be quite so accommodating when their b bosses have such grand plans that directly impact on the budget. that will also interest other boards. Dyche oversaw a £14m profit in the summer transfer window with the sales of Michael Keane and Andre Gray. he has not complained yet there are reasonable questions, ones he must be asking himself, as to how far he can take Burnley.
For now, the eyes are looking up. ‘We’re not a recognised Premier League club yet,’ Dyche said. ‘You have to deliver consistently. We are earning respect but there is still work to be done. I have never made out we can be an expansive side and can have 600 passes in a game because that is not relevant to this group but we can play a bit.’
Chances were at a premium here. hendrick’s shot wide inside 34 seconds was about as good as it got until his eventual winner.
For newcastle, Christian Atsu should have done better early on when he fired over. Ayoze Perez forced nick Pope into a sprawling save as the visitors rallied late — Isaac hayden and Javier Manquillo almost equalising — but Burnley were in control.
‘We edged it,’ Dyche added. ‘there was a calmness to our play. We’ve found that a bit more this season. they just stuck at it, trying to find ways of affecting it.’
newcastle were disorganised when Burnley found a second wind in the final quarter and Rafa Benitez summed it up eloquently.
‘We made a mistake (before the goal) and afterwards we were out of position,’ he said. ‘ We had chances but these kind of games you have to make sure you’re strong enough in defence. they have to make that mistake. they didn’t.’
Burnley rarely do under Dyche.