FA Cup means so much to me but staying in top flight is more important DYCHE’S PRIORITY STAYS SAME DESPITE TAKEOVER
IT was the FA Cup that rewarded Sean Dyche with his 15 minutes of fame as a no-nonsense centre-half.
The Burnley boss still pines for the days when a May day at Wembley was the crowning glory of the season.
But he insists that the Clarets’ Premier League future must dominate his plans.
Burnley face Fulham today with a fifth-round home tie against Bournemouth or Crawley up for grabs – and Dyche has never taken his team beyond that stage in eight years at Turf Moor.
He did reach the semi-finals as Chesterfield captain 24 years ago, scoring in a 3-3 draw with Middlesbrough.
The Spireites were cruelly denied a trip to Wembley by referee David Elleray’s failure to spot Jonathan Howard’s shot had crossed the line after bouncing down off the bar.
But Dyche’s priorities remain the same – despite a £200million takeover of his club by ALK Capital being completed last month.
Dyche (right) said: “We have always taken the Cup seriously and whatever team we put out will be one that I feel is good enough to win.
“But the Premier League has got a lot of kudos around the world and is important not just for the club, but for the town of Burnley itself.
“That must be factored in. This is a business and if you take away the emotion of football then it makes sense to prioritise the League. If you’re a business and you’ve got one product that pays so much and another product that pays so much more, then you gear up to that side of the market.
“There has been a change of ownership, but that hasn’t changed the priorities we have.” Dyche’s only venture to the fifth round saw Burnley beaten at home by Lincoln.
The draw has also been unkind to the Clarets, with two ties against Manchester City and games against Arsenal and Tottenham.
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted the competition further this season, with replays taken out of the equation.
And Dyche insists there is nothing more he would love than to lead his team out at Wembley.
He said: “I had my moment in the sun in the FA Cup when I was a player, so I understand the emotions of it.
“I grew up in the era SHAKE ON IT Burnley and MK Dons after the Clarets’ anxious third-round win on penalties when FA Cup Final day started first thing in the morning.
“Then you had a build-up that told you about the history of it all.
“That has softened slightly because of how the Premier League has grown.
“But it’s not easy to roll out a Cup-winning team every year, believe me.
“You could have the best team in the world – and you still won’t be guaranteed to win it.
“But there is still something special about the FA Cup – that’s why everybody loves it.
“Trust me, despite the priorities we have with staying in the Premier league, I will put out a team that I believe will win the tie.”