No barrier to the top jobs, insists Burnley boss Sean Dyche

Spurs wasted no time in replacing Mauricio Pochettino with Jose Mourinho earlier this week, with the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss lined up over the last couple of weeks, according to reports.

Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe and Brendan Rodgers of Leicester were mentioned in the speculation immediately after Pochettino’s departure, but Mourinho’s appointment appeared something of a fait accompli.

However, while there has appeared to be some snobbery in terms of British managers - and many have had to win promotion to get their chance in the Premier League, Dyche feels there is no reason why it can’t be a fair fight in terms of opportunities at the elite clubs.

Dyche said: “I think (there are) possible breakthroughs with Brendan doing well at Leicester, I thought he did a very good job at Liverpool, he’s a top manager.

“Frank Lampard is doing very well, albeit pretty new to it, and I think English and British coaches need those guys to do well, Eddie as well, myself included, Graham Potter, Dean Smith...it’s good for our national game.

“It gives more strength and belief to the coaching here and what we’re trying to achieve.

“But as regards individual clubs, I think jobs are up for grabs for anyone, for me anyway, if you’re good, you’re good.

“It’s never been in my thinking whether you’re English, British, foreign, the bigger picture is it is helpful if there are a number of English and British managers doing well in the Premier League.

“It will be interesting how the future opens up, because sometimes people forget there are a lot of foreign owners and often want different coaches with different thoughts to English coaches, so sometimes, as much as anything, they just want someone from their own culture.”

Dyche is full of respect for both Pochettino and Moutinho and their achievements in the game: “I don’t know the ins and outs of it, but I do know about the manager (Pochettino), he’s a fantastic manager, I think he’s changed somewhat the look of Tottenham, particularly their commitment to the cause, their pressing lines, the energy of the side and quality - but I think Tottenham sides in my lifetime have always had quality.

“He’s done a great job, as regards respect for the manager and his staff, full of respect for them, and the manager coming in.

“He’s a legend of the game, his record speaks for itself.

“They’ve made a change and it’s what they’ve deemed fit and appropriate.”

Dyche added of Mourinho: “It’s changed over the last four or five years, since I’ve been doing it, a lot more attention to them, and he’s not short of attention for the right reasons.

“He’s a top, top manager. You can’t not respect someone like Jose Mourinho after what he’s done, and I certainly have massive respect for him.”

And he smiled: “I don’t know him, hardly at all, only in passing when we’ve played games, he’s always having a go a me! I never do that...

“Pochettino a little bit more, I’ve met him a few times and spoken to his staff.

“I just think he’s a very good manager, we always spent a bit of time with his staff after games, sometimes with him as well depending on press commitments.

“They’d got into the underbelly of English football and the mentality of it and done very well, I think he’ll come out as a positive, so there’ll be no shortage of people trying to align him for their clubs.

“I wouldn’t have imagined he’ll be out of a job for long unless he chooses to be.”