DYCHE: IT'S A BUILDING PROCESS

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Manager Sean Dyche looks ahead to Saturday's clash with Crystal Palace at Turf Moor

2021-11-19T11:16:58.488Z

DYCHE: IT'S A BUILDING PROCESS

Manager Sean Dyche looks ahead to Saturday's clash with Crystal Palace at Turf Moor

2021-11-19T11:16:58.488Z

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Boss Sean Dyche believes Ben Mee’s handling of his traumatic family ordeal perfectly epitomises the qualities that make him Burnley captain.

Skipper Mee opened up ahead of World Prematurity Day this week around the birth of his daughter, Olive, at just 24 weeks old.

The footballing world have rallied around the experienced Clarets defender and Mee has been widely lauded for his bravery and honesty after telling his story.

After being born at 1lb2oz – the same weight as a tin of beans – Olive spent 16 weeks in intensive care but after making a significant recovery, Mee and wife Sarah were able to bring her home.

Dyche hailed Mee for his maturity and say his level-headed nature make him the perfect fit for donning the captain’s armband at Turf Moor.

Ahead of the Clarets’ clash against Crystal Palace on Saturday, Dyche said: “Ben went through a really tough spell – the worry, the concern and the challenge of staying focused.

“We obviously supported as well as we could, but there’s no true support in that situation. He’s a grounded balanced fella, very caring about his family – like most are – and I think he’s in a situation that he dealt with very, very well, among other situations that he’s dealt with very, very well.

“That all encapsulates – on a lesser lever than his real life and his family – why he’s ended up being a captain. There’s a maturity to a captain – some captains are by performance, of course, but for him it’s not only performances: it’s a maturity to what he is and who he is.

DYCHE: IT'S A BUILDING PROCESS - Image 1

“Sometimes it’s nice to remind [fans] that they are human beings and there is life behind what they do at all levels. Sometimes that does get lost a bit in a stadium, but I don’t think outside of a stadium that gets lost.

“I’m sure fans are certainly of mind that these are human beings, and certainly of mind there’s a lot challenges they have away from the football pitch.”

Mee and his players welcome Crystal Palace to Turf Moor on Saturday bidding to build on an impressive pair of results before the international break.

Burnley blew away Brentford 3-1 on home soil before battling their way to a point against table-topping Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Dyche says his squad had to be versatile in both fixtures and believes their qualities at both ends of the pitch can serve as a platform for progression up the Premier League table.

The gaffer added: “The Brentford game took care of itself with a real performance.

“We were very good on the day, took chances we created and saw the game through.

“But Chelsea was a whole different ball game. We defended for our lives at the time, stuck in there and got a nice point. We can do that – and have done that down the years.

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“Both games were very different shows of us – against Brentford we were very good and on the front foot, but Chelsea was a different ball game. We had to dig in, fight, do the ugly stuff and get a point.

“We’ve had one loss in five – the mentality is good, but that doesn’t guarantee the next one.”

The Clarets remain in the Premier League drop zone but lie just two points off safety and 17th-place Watford.

And Dyche knows his players are in for a stern test against Patrick Vieira’s Palace this weekend, with the Eagles racking up 15 points from 11 games and currently sitting 10th in the table.

The boss is full of admiration for Saturday’s opponents and with a near-fully fit squad at his disposal after a busy international break, said: “[Crystal Palace] have got some very good players and they’ve made a nice start to the season.

“They know how they go about their business on and off the pitch – they’re a good club, with good support, a rounded situation and there is respect there for clubs like Crystal Palace.

“It’s just a building process of the performances we’ve had this season and pre-season, continuing to add the layers of detail and be on the right side of the margins.

“It comes down to you performing – I enhance that to the players all the time. We’ve not been far away – we were very strong against Bretford and we’ll have to do that against a good side in Palace. That’s just the nature of the league.”