Nicky Hayen responds to questions over his Burnley future

Nicky Hayen says it’s up to Burnley’s board to decide if they want to show him patience after a disastrous start to the season.

The Clarets dropped to the foot of the Championship table on Saturday with a miserable, self-inflicted 3-1 defeat to Swansea City.

While we’re only seven games into the season, early pressure is already beginning to grow on Hayen - despite the Belgian only being appointed a little over two months ago.

The Clarets boss has consistently claimed his side just need to “survive” until the upcoming international break and then take it from there.

When asked if he expects Alan Pace and the Burnley board to show enough patience to keep him in position to that point, Hayen said: “I don't know, you have to ask them.

“Of course, we could win games and this is something you can blame me. Of course, there are also a lot of other reasons. I don't say there are excuses because this is also part of reality.

“What I said with the injuries, the lack of fitness, the new signings…this is something you have to ask them.

“I will keep on working like I always do. I always work like it was my last game. Then you stay sharp and you show the energy into the group. I keep on working the same.

“It's a disappointment today, but tomorrow I'll put the energy back into the group.”

Hayen didn’t hide away from the importance of next week’s home clash against fellow early strugglers Derby County.

When asked how important it could be for his own career, the Clarets boss added: “I don't know. Look, I know I'm a really important piece in that puzzle, but I always give the maximum that I can.

“I said before, if we have three wins in a row, I'm not jumping on the table because I know how fragile football is. But if we lose three times in a row, I'm not going to sit in the corner.

“Of course, I'm disappointed. But I will always be resilient and want to fight back and this is the thing that I want to do with the team and this is also what I already said to the management.

“They already know for weeks what I said, so it's up to them if they want to be patient or not.

“But we're quite confident that after the international break we will change everything, but of course you have to win that game. We need this win to change everything.”