Potters stalemate summed up Clarets season - Dyche

Boss Sean Dyche felt Burnley’s season was summed up in the game against Stoke.
Sean DycheSean Dyche
Sean Dyche

A second successive clean sheet - a ninth of the campaign - wasn’t enough to beat the Potters as Jack Butland produced a string of saves to keep the Clarets out at the other end.

Burnley stay 19th in the table - the highest they can finish - above QPR by a goal ahead of the last game next Sunday, and Dyche said: “Over the 90 minutes and certainly the first 20-odd, the clinical edge that you need at any level of football is just sometimes harder to find at this level.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The game should have been done really in the first 15 or 20 minutes, we had three great chances and didn’t take them.

“That has been the frustration all season and that is the reality of playing at a high level, you have to take chances, you have to make those moments yours.

“Once again it was generally a good performance, solid, defended very well.

“Good shape, good energy, made chances, you’ve got to take them.

“That’s the frustration this season.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Dyche was again happy with the overall performance, however: “I think the tactical side of the game has been pretty solid throughout the season no matter what shape we’ve come across, no matter what the opposition have offered we’ve taken every game on home and away and I’m very pleased with that.

“We’ve wanted to do that.

“I thought we did that again today when probably people were wondering, are they going to go under a bit because of what happened last week.

“I thought it was on show again, pride in our performance, how we work, how we operate, the will and demand from the players was on show again and for the fans as well, it’s important they realise they’ve got a team who do give everything no matter what the circumstances.

“That was definitely on show today.”

The fans gave the players and staff a terrific reception on a lap of appreciation, and Dyche thanked them for their support: “I’ve said over the last few weeks, it’s hard, I do understand the frustrations of supporters, I’ve had good times and bad times with varying supporters. I asked for positivity at the start of the season and I think we’ve always been really honest with how I see things on behalf of the club, I speak often for the club, my staff and the players.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Often the link to the fans is through the media and that has been fair as well, most of my words are delivered in the right manner and they know there is an honesty about what the club, not just what I’m trying to do and the players but what the club are trying to do.

“I think they’ve respected that and they’ve certainly backed it all the way.”

And after relegation was confirmed at Hull last week, he praised his players’ reaction: “I’m really proud of the players because it was a big knock last week, because don’t forget the outside thoughts on that all season have been no chance, ours wasn’t.

“It’s a big thing to take when it doesn’t go your way and your big key decisions over the last seven or eight, the big key moments that have gone against us.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It’s a lot to take in and to come out of that, make sense of that and then deliver a performance like that, I’m very pleased with the players.

“It always starts with you as a manager, I’m not really one for excuses unless I think they are actual real moments that are the truth of the matter.

“Of course you always reflect on yourself and what you’re doing.”