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The Burnley manager has proved himself in the top flight and could move on after raising concerns about board decisions
An endgame seems to be approaching at Burnley, where Sean Dyche has expressed frustration at the tightness of the purse strings even as the club climbed into the top half of the Premier League table after another season of punching above their weight.The manager is ostensibly unhappy that too many out-of-contract players have been allowed to leave without arrangements made to help tide the club over for the remainder of the restarted season.
Dyche has managed to secure the 35-year-old Phil Bardsley on a one-year extension but that appears to be the limit of the board’s present generosity. Joe Hart, Aaron Lennon and Jeff Hendrick are gone, and with Ashley Barnes, Chris Wood, Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Robbie Brady all injured, Burnley could manage only a seven-man bench at Crystal Palace on Monday and two of those were inexperienced goalkeepers.Despite their lack of numbers Burnley won quite comfortably, which says a lot for the quality of the players Dyche still has at his disposal and the manager’s ability to deploy them effectively. It is well known Burnley are a model of how to succeed on limited resources, though equally obvious that money rather than magic beans will be needed if the club’s status is to be maintained. Continue reading...