Burnley out of drop zone for first time in 175 days
MIKE JACKSON’S first thought was to celebrate this win by going for eight pints. No doubt the regulars of the Royal Dyche would have been happy to pay.
The pub across the road from Turf Moor was renamed in homage to the man who twice took Burnley into the Premier League.
Jackson, the caretaker who took over following Sean Dyche’s shock dismissal 10 days ago, is rapidly earning similar status as the reluctant hero who could keep them there.
He was preparing for an Under 23s game against West Bromwich when chairman Alan Pace informed him that he was replacing the top-flight’s longestserving manager in what was seen as a huge gamble.
It has paid off so far with a return of seven points from three games, but Jackson’s record deserves even greater perspective.
Burnley took more than six months to win their first two league games of the season. Jackson made it two victories in four days yesterday, following up Thursday’s win over Southampton here with another fully deserved victory over Wolves thanks to Matej Vydra’s 62nd-minute goal.
It was enough to lift Burnley out of the relegation zone for the first time in 175 days stretching back to October 31. They are two points ahead of Everton who have a game in hand.
Jackson tried not to watch yesterday’s Merseyside derby, just as he kept away from Everton’s draw with Leicester last week.
‘I was watching telly with my little boy,’ he said. ‘It’s totally out of my control, I can’t affect that.
‘Just getting the results psychologically will bring the group together even more. But there’s still a long way to go and we know what the prize is at the end of it.’
So how he would be celebrating what was only Burnley’s sixth league win of the season?
‘My plan? I would like to say eight pints,’ added Jackson. ‘But I’ll be going home and sitting on the couch with the family, then seeing my dad tomorrow.
‘It’s been a tough week and we’ve come out of it with some really good things. Any manager or coach will tell you that team spirit is the hardest thing because it can carry you a long way. The group has come together, all credit to them.’
Burnley’s revival asks questions not only of Dyche but also the players who have fallen short of these standards all season.
They rose to the challenge again and clung on to a one-goal advantage as Turf Moor roared them to victory.
Vydra has hardly been prolific since arriving from Derby for £11million in 2018, scoring just seven league goals in four seasons before this — but No 8 could be his most important yet.
It arrived just after the hour mark with the game in the balance. Dwight McNeil started the move by whipping in a pass to the feet of Wout Weghorst who took the sting out of it with a faint touch. There was still an opportunity for Willy Boly to go into a 50-50 challenge on the Dutchman, but the Wolves defender decided to not commit. It allowed Weghorst to square to the unmarked Vydra who managed to dig the ball out from under his feet and knock it past Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa from close range. McNeil was Burnley’s standout performer alongside Jack Cork and went closest to scoring twice in the first half. He received the ball on the right flank in the 11th minute and cut inside, taking on two defenders before curling a shot just wide of the target. McNeil had another clear sight of goal seven minutes before the break, and this time it came at the end of a move that said everything about the football Burnley are being encouraged to play under Jackson.
Cork started it off on halfway, puncturing Wolves’ first line of defence. Josh Brownhill and Vydra were also involved as they sliced through to set up McNeil whose effort was tipped over the bar by Sa.
Burnley had a goal ruled out early in the second half when Cork was fouled by Hwang Heechan and took a free kick into the box. Vydra was offside but that was only confirmed after Sa blocked his effort and the ball ricocheted into the net off Conor Coady.
Wolves had their moments too, particularly in the first half when Nick Pope dived to turn away Jonny’s curling effort and in the second when he stuck out a hand to prevent Nelson Semedo’s effort flying into the top corner.
But they came up against dogged resistance from Burnley, summed up by Nathan Collins charging back to dispossess Raul Jimenez after he had been tricked by an excellent turn on halfway.
A sixth defeat in nine games further dented Wolves’ hopes of qualifying for Europe, and left their manager frustrated that they couldn’t turn greater possession into goals.
‘We’ve watched this game too many times this season,’ said Bruno Lage.
‘Today we deserved more. We were the better team but we gave them the chance to score. They get the three points and we get nothing.
‘We are not scoring goals and the frustration comes from that. When you play in the Premier League, you kill the game if you score goals.
‘But I don’t blame anyone because the first guy to blame is me.’ BURNLEY (4-4-2): Pope 7; Roberts 6.5, Collins 7, Tarkowski 7, Taylor 6; McNEIL 8 (Long 85min), Brownhill 6.5, Cork 7.5, Rodriguez 6.5 (Barnes 64, 6.5); Vydra 7 (Lennon 71, 6), Weghorst 7. Scorer: Vydra 62. Booked: Vydra, Barnes, Taylor. Manager: Mike Jackson 7. WOLVES (3-4-2-1): Sa 6; Boly 5, Coady 6.5, Saiss 6 (Trincao 79); Jonny 7, Dendoncker 6, Moutinho 5.5, Semedo 7; Silva 6 (Neto 67, 6), Hwang 5; Jimenez 5.5. Booked: Neto. Manager: Bruno Lage 6. Referee: Anthony Taylor 7. Attendance: Not provided.