Sean Dyche says Burnley's position in Premier League table is 'easy on the eye'
Thursday 30 November 2017 19:12, UK
Sean Dyche says Burnley's position in the Premier League table is "easy on the eye" but insists there is no room for complacency from himself and his players.
Burnley sit sixth with seven wins from 14 games after Wednesday's 2-1 victory over Bournemouth, and the manager says his side are reaping the rewards of hard work shown both in and away from the training ground.
Hailing his side's belief and maturity in handling the pressures of playing in the top flight, Dyche feels the club are "earning the right" to belong there but are not getting carried away with their current success.
"It's good on the eye for the fans," he said.
"It means nothing to me, it's a season's work, it's always been a season's work for me, but it is easy on the eye for the fans, that's for sure.
"There's a nice feeling about the group.
"I think they're getting the benefits of some very good work on the training pitch and good work as a group.
"We're still earning the right to belong in the Premier League, but we're doing a good job so far of that."
The Clarets finished 16th in the table last term and Dyche says his season-long aim is to go one better this time around.
"We're never shouting from the rooftops but we've always thought the team is moving forward - whether that be on the training pitch or on the daily basis we see and by performances.
"This season really is about can we go and build on last season? Can we achieve more than we did last season?
"We are certainly in line for that at the moment.
"It's my job to look at the whole season, not just any given period.
"We've had a very good period from the start of the season to now - it's safeguarding that, building on it and continuing to look to move it forward."
Dyche placed emphasis on the importance of bringing the very best out of his players, both individually and collectively.
"I've mentioned many times the ongoing idea of developing individuals and as a team has been something I've been really pleased with," he said.
"Some of it is work on the training field, some of it's the connection they make as players through working on the training field and playing together.
"Some of it's the side maturing into, sort of, feeling a little bit more at ease about being a Premier League player and all that it offers - whether that's on the pitch with the fact that you're playing against high quality all of the time.
"Whether it's off the pitch, or the media demands, or the change of feel that the Premier League brings.
"Moulding that all together to allow yourself just that little bit more belief in what you're doing and what the team are doing."
The 46-year-old revealed defender Matthew Lowton is a doubt for this weekend's visit to Leicester, while midfielder Steven Defour is likely to be fit to feature.
"Matt Lowton, I doubt it, a very minor medial ligament... We'll have to keep an eye on that one," he said.
"I doubt he'll be fit for the weekend. Everyone else is fit.
"We made a show of being open-minded about all the different challenges - Leicester will be another one."
