Burnley can win survival battle - Jackson

No matter who is at the helm for the remainder of the season at Burnley, interim boss Mike Jackson is convinced the Clarets can win their survival battle.
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Jackson took charge of Sunday's 1-1 draw at West Ham, two days after the shock departure of Sean Dyche.

And he was again in the dugout for last night's home game with Southampton.

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At the time of writing, there was no sign of a permanent replacement for Dyche, or a decision made on who will take the side for the remainder of the campaign.

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 17: Mike Jackson, Caretaker Manager of Burnley reacts during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Burnley at London Stadium on April 17, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 17: Mike Jackson, Caretaker Manager of Burnley reacts during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Burnley at London Stadium on April 17, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 17: Mike Jackson, Caretaker Manager of Burnley reacts during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Burnley at London Stadium on April 17, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

But no matter the managerial situation, Jackson, asked if this is a fight the players can win, said: "Yes, definitely, I believe it - you'd probably say you're going to say that, but you've got to.

"I've seen enough in the group, I know they've been here before, I've seen the reaction and response, how they all came together at West Ham, and those signs are good.

"I've seen bits within their play, there's still a lot of points to play for, it won't be defined by Thursday night, it will be defined by the last game of the season, when we'll be told whether this group have been good enough.

"But I still think they have enough."

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Jackson could again take the team for Sunday's visit of Wolves to Turf Moor, and he has been taking things one game at a time as chairman Alan Pace searches for a new man: "You can only focus on the next game, you can have plans for the ones to come, but as regards what's happening outside the club, you can't affect that as a player, you've got to take the noise away.

"This group is not a young group, it's experienced, they know what they have to do, they're fighting, they're ready.

"The full focus is on the next game, the next challenge."

And he is pleased with how the players have responded to a new voice in the dressing room: "Regarding what the players have shown, I think you saw that the other day in the game, I actually said to them on Tuesday I don't think I gave them the credit they deserved.

"Sometimes when you watch the game back and take the emotion out of it, you actually see what happened in the game, and they showed some real good qualities.

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"That character you're after, the workrate, togetherness, having to dig in when you have to - they showed that in spades, and that's the identity of this group.

"There was a lot of pressure on the group, a lot of people asking questions of them, but they showed they are willing to fight and come together, and that's a good thing to see at this moment in time."

In the meantime, he awaits news from Pace: "I spoke to the chairman the other day, he just asked me to prepare for the Southampton game, and that's where we're at at this moment in time.

"It's not an easy process, but we've just been asked to deal with this game.

"For me, my sole focus is on this game, I've been asked to prepare the team, and if I'm asked again on Sunday, I'll go through the same process."