Speaking ahead of Monday night’s clash with us at Turf Moor, Burnley boss Sean Dyche has admitted that our “biggest breakthrough” this season was the summer transfer window closing.
Dyche believes that speculation over transfers and talk of Benitez’s growing frustrations at the club will have had a negative impact on the club, but he now feels we have been able to ‘calm down’ and focus on footballing matters since the closing of the window.
Here’s what Dyche had to say on the matter this week, also admitting just why he is expecting a difficult game on Monday night:
“It seems to me the biggest breakthrough for Newcastle was the transfer window closing,” Dyche said at his pre-match Press conference on Thursday.
“Everything then seemed to calm down and they could get on with it with the players they have got.
“They have a good solid structure and shape with Rafa, which he is renowned for.
“Rafa also has good players, players who want to do well in this division.
“It will be a difficult game, as they all are, and we will have to be on top of our game again.
“We have seen how tough this league is, it goes to show the sides who have had tough starts this season, that just shows the quality in the Premier League.”
Sean has probably hit the nail on the head here. It was a frustrating summer for Benitez and fans alike and it sent us into the season with a bee in Benitez’s bonnet, opposed to a spring in his step.
We lost our opening two games of the season, but have picked up considerably since then, with the closing of the window allowing our work on the pitch to do the talking after a summer of uncertainty and frustration off it.
Dyche later admitted that he was ‘flattered’ to be linked with the vacant Everton job, but stressed that he would continue to get on with his job at Burnley ahead of our game on Monday night. A relatively reassuring message for the Clarets, however you’d imagine the speculation over the past week has not helped their preparations.
