Dyche aims to reward the fans

The Clarets go to FA Cup finalists Aston Villa knowing the only thing they can tangibly achieve is avoiding finishing bottom of the table.

They currently sit 19th, a goal better off than QPR, with a difference of £1.2m in merit payments up for grabs.

All 20 sides claim an equal share of £55m plus television facility fee, and merit payments rising £1.2m per place.

Dyche, however, is typically focused just on beating Tim Sherwood’s men, and ending on a high: “It doesn’t seem two minutes since the first game against Chelsea, but the last game is still one where we want to perform to win.

“We saw off our home fans last week and we want to do that for our away fans.

“They’ve been terrific, absolutely outstanding, so hopefully we can give them a win to go away happy with.

“They’ve been an absolute shining light, across the Premier League, in how they’ve supported us.”

Dyche knows that support will be critical next season if Burnley are to mount a bid to bounce back: “I think the fans are in a wiser place. They’ll have learned from the last time they were in the Premier League and how tough it is to come away from it and get back in there.

“I think the fans have been terrific in levelling out a couple of seasons ago, enjoying the ride and backing us wholeheartedly.

“I think that will continue now – the positivity of the ground and feeling in the ground has changed massively in the last two and a half years.

“I think they’ve enjoyed what they’ve seen, the club adapting through different financial troubles into a much stronger financial place, and there’s a more positive support-based feel now, than when I first got here.

“There’s more reality - I don’t think our fans think we automatically go in the Championship and go up, they know there’ll be a lot of hard work, hard graft and good play needed in order to do that.”