After just shy of 10 years in charge of Burnley Football Club, you could understand if Sean Dyche feels a little bit empty now that the rug has been swept from under him despite his more than well-versed record and career with the club
With the Clarets rooted in the relegation zone for much of this Premier League campaign, the club’s hierarchy felt that they had no choice but to part company with their long-serving manager, ending one of football’s most recognisable manager-club partnerships.
Why Sean Dyche Was Hard Done Despite His Record And Career At Burnley
After discovering his fate, Dyche will no doubt have reflected on the transient nature of football. For nearly a decade, he worked wonders at Burnley — winning promotion from the Championship on two separate occasions, and then keeping the club in the Premier League since 2016 despite operating on a shoestring budget at times. All it took was for one campaign to fall slightly below standard before Dyche was met with the harsh lesson that, in the world of football, the here and now is all that matters.
There was always going to come a time where Dyche could not quite maintain Burnley’s results, and this season has been a struggle since minute one. They have shown heart at times, but the most worrying thing is that they appeared easier to beat than ever before. From Dyche’s point of view, it’s just a shame he wasn’t afforded the opportunity to turn things around.
Looking at the results Burnley have enjoyed since under caretaker boss Mike Jackson, the decision made to remove Dyche from his role has clearly been justified. At the time of writing, they have won three matches on the spin, and have given themselves a real chance of survival according to the latest Premier League odds. If anything, it’s a reflection of the way the modern game works. Managers come and go, with the clubs hoping that mere change is enough to spark a turnaround in results.
You only have to look at other clubs to see that this is the new reality in professional football, and the Premier League. Indeed, it speaks volumes that the two longest-serving coaches in the league now are Pep Guardiola of Manchester City and Jürgen Klopp of Liverpool. The two clubs setting the pace in the English top flight are the two who have afforded their managers the most time to build a project. But those two coaches are unique cases, and for most clubs the aim is seemingly to find someone who can do a job for two or three seasons max.
There’s no doubting that Dyche will find himself back in a job before too long, probably at another Premier League club. He is too good a coach to be left unemployed, and it will be interesting to see how he performs in an environment where he has more money at his disposal to build a team. It’s a shame, however, that his Burnley story came to such an abrupt ending.
If Burnley go on to avoid relegation, there can be no denying that the right decision was made. If they do slide down to the Championship, then perhaps the club will rue not sticking with their man. As ever, time will be the true judge.