I felt we gave a good account of ourselves today
It was the Swansea boss who was the happier of the two managers as the first game of the season came to an end with Swansea returning to South Wales with all three points from a 1-0 win.
“Everyone in our group is very happy because we have won a difficult game at a difficult ground against a good team,” Francesco Guidolin said when he spoke to the media after the game.
“This is the first time for Burnley this year in the Premier League and the atmosphere was very, very strong, but we played a good game and I am proud of my players. I am happy because I think this will be a difficult ground for all teams in the Premier League.”
He admitted they didn’t get things their own way and added: “We suffered sometimes, especially in the middle of the second half. If Burnley had drawn the game they would have felt it was right, but I am happy because I think last season we would have lost this game.
“it is early, but I hope we can see something has changed for us, for example set-pieces both defensively and offensively. Today we defended very well against a strong team and we attacked well also. This was a good sign.
It was a disappointed and frustrated Sean Dyche after the game, disappointed with the result and certainly frustrated at the penalty decision he felt we should have had when Michael Keane’s shirt was pulled at a corner.
He said: “It was frustrating because I felt we gave a good account of ourselves today. The margins are tight and the details are important. We gave away a soft goal, but in the second half in particular we put in a good performance and kept a good side on the back foot.
“Their keeper has pulled off a couple of fantastic saves, so we have created things, which is pleasing. We can learn from that and we have to quickly. I said it last time in the Premier League, because it’s an unforgiving league.
“The details are really, really important and we needed a big decision today with the foul on Michael Keane, who has a header from two yards. You can clearly see his shirt is being pulled all over the place and neither the linesman or referee see it, but we can. That’s frustrating, but that’s the way it goes.
“Overall though, I am actually pleased with the performance. It gives us something to build on and belief in what we want to do and how the players will hopefully mould into a team that can hopefully be creative and go and win games.
“We learned this from the Premier League last time. Even when you are being the dominant force, you have to do everything right and it was a soft goal really. They are the details that count, but we will learn and move forward.
“I want the respect of being well thought of and giving everything, but I also want the respect of winning games and being in the Premier League. That’s the bit we are trying to change and flex, and that’s why we are working in the market too, in order to give us level of depth you need in this league.”
All the speculation is about Steven Defour, and on that, he said: “It sound like positive news coming out of Belgium on Steven, so we will wait and see how that develops over the next 24 hours. It’s never done until it’s done, so we will wait and see.”
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