Lack of wins provides extra motivation for Burnley boss

Burnley are the only side in the country without a win, from nine Premier League games and their Capital One Cup exit at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday.

Dyche isn’t losing any sleep over it, but as he celebrates two years in the job, he knows his side need wins sooner rather than later: “I think what we can’t afford to do is overthink what we’re doing because we need to move forward.

“The obvious story is that we haven’t won in the games we’ve played, the next story is how many of who have done what.

“We’re not overthinking all of that but it makes a story of course.

“It can be a reality, whether it hurts or not is irrelevant, it’s a fact.

“I use stays myself when I can, so it is what it is.

“What it does is it gives you the added motivation to go and get wins, that’s what it’s about, we’ve never been naive to that, we know we need to win football matches particularly in the Premier League.

“It’s important we remember the focus on what we’re about, we get the players prepared wisely and they’re ready to go and achieve things.

“The only way of doing that is giving performances and then performances when they’re correct win games.”

Dyche feels his players are delivering performances, and if they continue to do so, their luck will turn: “I think there are players who have shown real good signs in moving forward in their individual performances and then in the team, the challenge has got harder, there’s no mistake about it.

“It is hard to jump from one division to the other and still deliver success but it is where we want to be.

“The only thing I ever guaranteed when I came here is that they’d have a group of motivated people giving everything they can and that’s exactly what they’ve still got, now they’ve got to give even more because that’s what you’ve got to do to win football matches in the Premier League.

“These players want to be in the Premier League so they don’t get too down in the dumps about it but they’re also used to winning, I am and this group are, so that’s been something we have to get our head round and allow the players to still have the freedom to play football.”

Dean Marney is set to return after missing four games with a hamstring injury, and Dyche is happy to see the treatment room begin to empty after a testing time: “It was a strange one with the spate of injuries, it was unusual in my time here, sometimes that can happen.

“We are always aware of the training schedules, but we didn’t overthink that, it was such a random event, and now people are getting fit again.

“Deano has been very important over a number of seasons here, but certainly in my time, and grown in importance from his own personal performances.

“It’s well recognised and he’s deserving of that.”

And Nathaniel Chalobah is also champing at the bit for a first start: “We’ve got him some exposure with bringing Nathaniel on, and his fitness and sharpness, working with the first team every day, has improved.

“There is a time and a place, he’s a young player, him and Keano, still getting their first taste of Premier League life, and we’re as wise as we can be with them.

“But obviously Jonah and Marns have been fantastic for us so you’ve got to dislodge them first of all, and that’s not so easy because they’re very good players.”