Burnley boss backs Mee for national duty
AS the pressure cranked up in those desperate final ten minutes, the eye kept being drawn to the imposing blond figure who stood firm. There is nothing flash or fancy about Ben Mee, Burnley’s captain. He puts his head in when it matters and makes clearances that count. He is an indefatigable figure in the centre of defence and, again, was crucial to a win that showed why his club won’t be relegated. Still, Sean Dyche felt there was something unappreciated about Mee’s qualities. A measure of the esteem in which Burnley’s manager holds him came from the comparison he made when asked whether Mee, 31, could play for England. ‘I don’t think there were many England internationals before I got here,’ said Dyche. ‘Ben Mee has been overlooked but he is a fantastic centre-half. He is like the modern-day Steve Bruce, for me. ‘Brucey was a fantastic centrehalf who never played for England. Ben Mee, over the years, has at least deserved to get in a squad, but that’s the way it goes. ‘There are other players who have shown signs. We’ve had a few knocking on the door, under the radar a little bit, but when he’s on real form and fitness, Charlie Taylor must be at least around the thinking. ‘Jack Cork even got a cap, the fantastic player he is. Just keep knocking on the door by playing well in the Premier League and eventually you might get noticed. ‘Gareth (Southgate) is open-minded to that, he’s certainly been to Turf Moor many times to watch games. He knows about our players, he knows about the players I believe in, but inevitably it’s down to him to choose who he wants.’ Dwight McNeil scored a fabulous goal at Goodison Park to cap a superb all-round performance. Burnley had to withstand pressure at the end but this success owed nothing to fortune. They capitalised on Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to play a midfield diamond and overran Everton in the first half, with Chris Wood opening the scoring before McNeil’s howitzer. Dominic Calvert-Lewin pulled one back with a header but the hosts’ home form is in danger of wrecking their season. Since New Year’s Day, they have lost five times in seven matches at Goodison — Burnley have more wins on Merseyside since then than Liverpool and Everton combined — and Ancelotti’s problems grew when goalkeeper Jordan Pickford sustained a hip injury. ‘We lost a great opportunity to climb the table,’ Ancelotti lamented. ‘We made the same mistakes we have most games this season. We didn’t start well, went 2-0 down and to be back in the game was difficult. We tried, but it was not enough.’