It’s about continuing to build from where we are now
David Moyes brings his Sunderland team to Turf Moor tomorrow, the first time he’ll have come face to face against us since the 2009/10 season when he was manager of Everton.
Moyes has spoken about how tough a game it could be for them against a Burnley team who have collected all but one of twenty points at home. “I have played and managed there many times,” he said, recalling his days at Preston.
“Burnley have had a great tradition over the years. Turf Moor has never been an easy place to go and get a result, but they have had a bit of consistency in terms of not having to change their team much.
“Burnley have come back up with near enough the same group of players, that regularity has given them a good team. You might not necessarily pick out loads of individuals but you would pick out a good team. That makes t hem dangerous and more the reason why they have picked up lots of good home results this season.
“They have scored a good level of goals from set pieces and some of their centre halves can come up with a goal too.”
Sean Dyche is looking to end the year in a positive manner as the Clarets continue to look for Premier League points. “It’s been another strong and productive year for everyone connected with Burnley Football Club, and an enjoyable one too,” he said.
“The stats are against our coming down and doing it again, but I’ve been so, so pleased with how my staff and the players have gone about that and how the fans have gone on with their backing and support.
“It’s made for a healthy mix and that continues. Now we have to work hard to make sure it does and the main focus is to work on what we need to do against Sunderland.
“Burnley fans will have heard me say this so many times, but we tend to not get carried away too early. The fans here have become reality bound and they know it’s a tough ask, whoever we play against. They know there are no givens, but we have got ourselves into a healthy position in a tough division and earned the right to enjoy what we’ve done, particularly at home.
“We are on the cusp of the half way point and in good shape, so now it’s about continuing to build from where we are now.”
He added: “You need to win the games when they are awkward and we did that, in particular, here last time out against Middlesbrough, a team who were resolute in their organisation. Sunderland is a different proposition again. They will have their own fair share of demands and their fans will be questioning them, but football is a tough business.
“They have spent a few quid on certain players, but they still have some very good players, I must make that clear. They have managed to turn a few more results in over the past eight or nine games, and they have a very good manager.
“David has had some question marks, but I personally think he’s a fantastic manager and he’s earned the right to be considered that. It’s not easy to put things into place where he’s been in the past and now he’s trying to do it again at a different club.
“There are a lot of challenges, but we’ve all got them in different ways. We just know we have to earn the right in every game. There are no easy games in the Premier League and this is certainly not one, so we won’t take anything for granted and we have to make sure we are focused on delivering a performance.”
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