It’s felt a little like our days in the Championship
The season comes to an end with the visit of Brighton & Hove Albion and for the last time in the 2019/20 season we will take a look at what the two managers have had to see prior to a game.
Graham Potter will be ending his first season as Brighton boss. He’s kept them up after they looked in some danger at the restart and he said: “Our main focus was to stay in the Premier League which we’re delighted to have achieved and now we are going there to hopefully finish the season in a good way.
“We can look back on the season and feel we have made progress. We have been in transition with a different way of working to get used to and when you do that in a competition as fiercely competitive as the Premier League it can be hard at times, but we’ve made a start and we all know a lot more about each other and we’ll be better for that next season.
Asked about Burnley, Potter added: “Sean has done an amazing job, and their points haul this season is fantastic. They have resilience and quality in their team and I think sometimes people are disrespectful and they get a bit of negative comment. They can mix it up, press high and are an experienced team with a lot to offer.”
Sean Dyche has regularly praised his players since the restart and nothing has changed with his comments ahead of today’s game. He said: “The players have been extremely diligent during the lockdown period and they have got their rewards for that.
“Most clubs will come back and you think you have everything in place, but you are never quite sure until the whistle blows. It could be argued we didn’t have everything in place at Manchester City, but equally I argued straight after the game that there were a lot of good signs of what we want to do. We were just playing against one of the best teams around and they hurt you.
“I’m obviously pleased to have been subsequently right, because they’d have been foolish words if not, but there’s no doubt the players respected the lockdown period, came back and have been very clear minded of the challenge in front of them. They’ve had a lot, but they’ve seen through all that and I am absolutely delighted for them, more than anyone else.
“It’s felt a little like our days in the Championship, where the turnaround is pretty quick and you are playing all the time. That’s been different, and finding the balance of rest and recuperation, and then the right training levels, has been tough. We know, historically, where the players need to be, but that’s harder to judge, given the number of games in a short period.
“It’s been quite interesting and I’m bound to say I’ve enjoyed it because of the results. I’m sure some have found it harder and more confusing, but we feel our work has gone well and been rewarded.”
With just a short break and a shortened pre-season to come before the new season kicks off in what will be our fifth successive Premier League season. Dyche said of that: “It’s hard to be recognised as an absolute Premier League team. There aren’t many teams who are, although there are some who you could hedge your bets, but I always feel we are in that zone where we have to take it on with absolute clear mindedness.
“It’s improbable, although not impossible, that we spend a fortune, so therefore we are often working to improve the players’ development, while adjusting the squad where we can and keeping that hunger and edge. It sounds easy, but to find the balance isn’t. We have done well over time with that, but again it comes down to the players. I can only guide them; they have to take ownership and deliver it and they do that fantastically well here.”
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