But while Dyche has largely been pleased with performances, he knows that hard luck stories count for little.

Burnley have to start picking up wins, and victory at St Mary’s, against a side with only one win to their name themselves, would be a good start.

Asked whether he was still feeling positive, Dyche said: “I don’t lack positivity, but that doesn’t win you a game alone.

“You have to keep performing, do all the details, and I think we’re not far away.

“I don’t think we lack positivity, there’s certainly not a lack of energy, noses are all pointing in the right direction – I like that.

“But it’s finding the killer moments and delivering on them, that’s what we’ve got to do.

There were signs again (at Manchester City), the team are motivated.”

Burnley are sixth in the Premier League in terms of creating big chances, only topped by Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and West Ham.

But the side have only scored five goals in eight games, and, at the other end, only Leeds United and Leicester City have conceded more big chances.

Dyche added: “There is energy and belief in what we are trying to achieve, and that is all there, but we have to take our chances.

“Yet again we created some (at City), not as many, but still high quality, but that is the key.

“It is very difficult to create high quality chances in the Premier League, but now we are doing that.

“We just have to make sure we take them.”

The players are well aware of the scenario, but have been in this position before, and there remains a calmness to their approach:”We keep reminding the players of the positive things we are doing, because that is important.

“The level of performance over a season is very important, we have taken the game on (at City) and we didn’t wait and defend.

“We came to take the game on, and there were moments where we got ourselves in some great positions.

“There is a lot of things to take from that performance, the two centre halves (James Tarkowski and Nathan Collins) were outstanding, Popey looking sharp and commanded his box.

“There were good signs but we have to keep building on them.”