Dyche: Let's Raise The Levels

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2021-03-03T09:30:00.000Z

Dyche: Let's Raise The Levels

2021-03-03T09:30:00.000Z

Sean Dyche has called on his players to kick-start another unbeaten run by raising their levels to the recent past.

The Clarets four-game run without defeat was brought crashing to an end at Tottenham at the weekend, following another below-par performance at home to WBA.

And Dyche wants his players to summon up the spirit shown in their recent win at Crystal Palace, against injury-hit Leicester City at Turf Moor.

“I think they are missing a few good young players and I appreciate Brendan’s challenges because we’ve had a lot ourselves,” said Dyche, who could again be without a handful of first-teamers on Wednesday night.

“It all comes down to us focusing on what we do and getting back to where we were just a short while ago.

“We were excellent against Palace and at least solid here against Fulham, but we’ve come off it in the last couple of games.

“We do need our players to get fit, but equally those who are playing can, I think, operate at a better standard than they have in the last couple.”

Spurs ran out cosy 4-0 winners at the weekend, where Dyche at least welcomed back top scorer Chris Wood to bolster his strike force.

“It’s a fine balance because you know when you are operating correctly, but equally, particularly against Spurs, they were clinical,” recalled Dyche.

“But you look at yourself as well and we could definitely have done better – including the West Brom game.

“I don’t want to discredit them because they took the game on with 10 men, but on the other hand in the two previous games we were excellent.

“We’re still a work in progress. I’ve never claimed we are the real deal, or close to it, and there will be peaks and troughs.

“But we do like the group here; they always max out and there is never a lack of physical effort, so the mentality and physical side are intact and then it comes down to the details and tidying things up.

“When we do that, we’ll start looking after ourselves again.”

The weekend game at Spurs’ was Burnley’s 13th in just 42 days, and kick-started another three game week in what has become a gruelling match schedule.

But Dyche refused to make that an excuse, as Burnley eye a welcome three-week break in just 10 days time, following the front-loaded rescheduling of the Leicester game.

“It’s not ideal and neither of us wanted the game this week, but we all know the challenge,” added Dyche

“It’s not like it's been thrust upon us out of the blue. We knew where the game schedule was going to be loaded this year and I don’t remotely want to be picking fault.

“We’re all in this together and when the whistle blows shortly against Leicester, we have to be ready to perform.”

There is live commentary of Wednesday’s game on Clarets+, with Phil Bird behind the mic from 5.45pm. (KO 6pm).