Ex-Burnley man discusses how Clarets can get back to Premier League stability

Getting the right squad blend is the secret to getting Burnley back to being a stable Premier League side.

That’s the verdict of former Claret Phil Bardsley, who knows exactly what it takes to avoid relegation from the top flight on a regular basis.

The former defender was a part of Sean Dyche’s side between 2017 and 2022 and saw first-hand the ingredients required to avoid the constant yo-yoing.

It comes as Burnley prepare for another season back in the Championship, having just suffered a third relegation in just five years.

“Sean Dyche managed to do it when I was at the club and before that they were a bit of a yo-yo club,” Bardsley told BetGoodwin.

“It’s all about bringing players in who are of the required level to stay competitive in the Premier League.

“Getting the right blend in the squad is important and that’s exactly what we had when I was there. We had a mix of players who were willing to run through brick walls and work their socks off alongside some real quality at the top end of the pitch who won us games.”

With a new manager at the helm in Nicky Hayen and another squad churn predicted this summer, there’s plenty of uncertainty surrounding Turf Moor at this minute in time.

Bardsley believes getting recruitment right will be the number one determining factor whether the Clarets can enjoy another instant promotion.

“It will all depend on their recruitment over the summer,” he added.

“They still have players in the squad who were competitive in the Premier League and the core of the squad should be good enough to challenge for promotion this season.

“The Championship is a difficult league and there are some big clubs in there this season. It will come down to who they’re able to bring in to strengthen the squad.

“They already have quality and experience with the likes of Kyle Walker and hopefully they give the manager the tools to build around that core.”