Burnley Boss Sean Dyche Said He Remains Committed To The Club
Burnley boss Sean Dyche said he remains committed to the club after they boosted their hopes of qualifying for Europe with victory at Crystal Palace.
The Clarets have had a challenging time since lockdown, with the failure to extend a number of first-team players’ contracts meaning Dyche has only been able to name a seven-strong substitutes’ bench, comprised mainly of individuals from the club’s academy.
However, after suffering a 5-0 loss at Manchester City in their first game back after the Premier League’s 100-day suspension because of coronavirus, they have now won successive games 1-0 to take them up to eighth in the table.
“In the 100 days from the start of lockdown to the end, the dynamic of the club has changed somewhat, so that has been interesting to compute and to make sense of. But [today] you saw a group fully motivated, as am I,” Dyche told Amazon Prime.
“We’ve got a group here who never go under. I’ll be working hard. You saw me committed in the last game and this game and you saw a team full of commitment to playing for Burnley.”
When asked directly about his future by BBC Radio 5 Live, Dyche replied: “Everyone keeps talking about my future apart from me. I’m getting on with my job as I always do – I’m still here.”
Burnley’s victory came courtesy of a second-half header from captain Ben Mee, who threw himself in to meet an Ashley Westwood free-kick and steer an effort past Vicente Guaita, although the home keeper should really have saved it.
It was reward for a side hampered by the contract situation and who were also without three injured forwards.
However, they were marginally the more positive of the two, with Dwight McNeil showing flashes of inspiration in the final third.
Palace had Wilfried Zaha fit after he limped out of their previous game, at Liverpool five days ago, but his was a subdued display, like the rest of his fellow home forwards.
Their best chance fell to defender Gary Cahill, who fired straight at Nick Pope from inside the box.
Burnley’s win takes them to 45 points and eighth – a league position that could well result in a Europa League place if Manchester City’s European ban is upheld.
Palace, who also hold out hope of a late surge for a European place, are now 11th in the table, three points worse off than Monday’s opponents.
Mee epitomises Burnley resolve
Burnley continue to find ways to confound expectation.
Their first game back saw them hammered at Manchester City on a night overshadowed by a plane flying over the Etihad and arranged by some of their fans, pulling a “White Lives Matter” banner.
Phil Bardsley, fresh from signing a new deal, was restored to the side at Selhurst Park, but they were again without Jeff Hendrick and Aaron Lennon (both out of contract this summer), and lost Jack Cork to injury during the game.
But a second successive win was built upon a rock solid defensive display and the ruthlessness to seize on a big chance when it came.
Captain Mee has stood tall for his side both on and off the pitch since the restart.
It was he who came out to passionately and eloquently condemn the banner flown by Clarets fans at the Etihad and he who stuck his head in where it hurts to score his side’s winner at Selhurst Park.
He also contributed superbly to yet another clean sheet. That is 13 for the season now – only newly crowned champions Liverpool have more.
Dyche may not have the biggest squad, but the players he does have are full of character and resolve.
“In the first half we played very well. We’ve had to change things with the stretched squad we have and we did very well,” said the delighted manager.
“In the second half Palace came out strongly and we lost our way a little bit but we stayed resolute and we had to change our shape, because we had kids on the bench and we didn’t want to throw them in.”
When asked about the prospect of qualifying for Europe – a feat they achieved in 2017-18 – Dyche added: “There’s a long way to go because of how thin our squad is. There are no excuses though and the mentality is good, the physicality has to remain strong.”
Burnley Boss Sean Dyche Said He Remains Committed To The Club
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