Dyche has sympathy for Seasiders

Paul Ince brings his side to Turf Moor on Saturday without veteran striker Ricardo Fuller and Spanish midfielder Angel, who are both suspended after recent dismissals.

After Ince returned from his own five-match stadium ban for “violently shoving” a fourth official in an expletive-laden rant, Pool picked up three red cards in injury time at Yeovil, and another two in the following game at Derby.

That adds up to eight sendings off this season, and accusations of a lack of discipline, but Dyche admitted: It can be harder now for players - there are some strange moments.

“Michael Duff at Huddersfield was booked after a very poor decision, and then sent off for a second, which was nothing malicious.

“We also had a couple last season, Dean Marney’s which was rescinded, and Kieran Trippier’s which amazingly wasn’t.

“So it is getting tougher in a sense to stay on the pitch, referees have a very tough job to do, and the rules are forever changing - they are more stringent on physicality now, and maybe Blackpool have been unlucky.”

Burnley could be top of the Championship at Christmas if they beat Blackpool and QPR lose or draw with Leicester, and although the prospects of success in May for sides in the top two at this time of year are historically excellent, Dyche is taking nothing for granted: “We’re just looking to keep the performances going. There are no guarantees. You can use the facts and stats historically as markers, and it gives you a marker of where the journey is headed, but it isn’t fact - there are anomalies.

“We are on course, and there are rough markers of key points levels at the top, middle and bottom.”