Sean Dyche insists Burnley must maintain their recent standards to stay in the top-flight
Friday 30 December 2016 12:39, UK
Burnley manager Sean Dyche insists his players have to maintain their standards or risk being dragged into a relegation battle.
The Clarets are 14th in the Premier League with 20 points, six places above the relegation positions in the table.
But while manager Dyche recognises his side are coping better than in their last top-flight spell of 2014-15, he is guarded against any complacency.
"I always say we're not the real deal. We know we have got to continue to use everything we have got to get points on the board. That's what our focus is on," Dyche said.
"The key word is reality - we don't do blind faith here. We know it's a tough challenge in the Premier League. We are playing some 'Super Bowls', as I call them, then there is a middle group and we're below that.
"We have played some very strong sides and managed to get points on the table against the odds but it must continue.
"You get to where we are now and most people would take that but it's an ongoing thing."
All bar one of Burnley's points have come at Turf Moor but Dyche does not want to over-emphasise the importance of home advantage ahead of their New Year's Eve outing against Sunderland, who are below them in the league.
Dyche said: "I don't really go in for all that chatter. I go in for realities and that is you can find yourself being unbeatable if you're ready to perform.
"We target every game with the mindset to win, we focus on every game to get a performance that can give us what we want.
"But it is helpful that when we're at home we've got a strong crowd who get behind the team. That doesn't guarantee you anything but it gives you a better chance."
