Advertisement

Burnley down but not out, says boss Dyche

LONDON (Reuters) - Rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table and without a win in their first nine matches, Burnley may be down but they are certainly not out, according to manager Sean Dyche.

Burnley, who have four points, are the only team in the top four divisions of English football without a league victory this season.

With a trip to Arsenal on the horizon on Saturday, few would predict Burnley causing an upset against Arsene Wenger's fifth-placed side, but Dyche said his men have not given up hope despite their tough start to the season.

"It dents you, but it doesn't break you," Dyche told a news conference on Thursday. "It can be a reality, whether it hurts or not is irrelevant.

"It gives you the added motivation to get wins. It's important we focus on what we're about. We get the players prepared to go and achieve things."

Despite a number of spirited displays so far this season, Burnley have lacked a cutting edge and Dyche said he is learning from the experience of working in the Premier League.

"Everyone gets questioned, even people like Arsene Wenger," he said. "I'm learning from it. My instinct is to win, it has been since I was a kid.

"It's the same for most footballers and managers. We can't afford to overthink what we're doing to move forward."

Burley were promoted to the Premier League after finishing second in the Championship (second tier) last season and Dyche admitted there is a gulf in class between the two divisions.

"There's no mistake the challenge has got harder," Dyche said. "It's arguably the biggest step up in football, the Championship to Premier League.

"The only thing I ever guaranteed is we would have a group of motivated players working together to achieve things."

(Reporting by Michael Hann; editing by Toby Davis)