WHEN Liverpool came to Turf Moor on Boxing Day it was just 12 days after they were beaten 3-0 by Manchester United and the Reds resembled a rabble rather than last season’s slick machine which went so close to winning the league title.

They left East Lancashire with all three points thanks to Raheem Sterling’s goal, but speak to any Burnley player about that afternoon and you will soon realise how fortunate it is widely regarded that Brendan Rodgers’ side were fortunate to escape with anything.

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The Clarets were by far the better team over the 90 minutes, but were hit by a rare moments of quality and ended up empty handed.

If, at that point, you would have suggested that Liverpool would lose just once inside 90 minutes between then and the return meeting you would have received some strange looks.

But last week’s reverse in Turkey is the Reds only regulation time defeat in 20 games, and it is the second half at Turf Moor which helped spark the revival that has seen Liverpool closing in on the top four.

Emre Can came on at half-time on the right side of a three-man defence that day, and that is a formation that Rodgers has stuck with since, with Can a key player in that revival.

Dyche, who knows Rodgers well having worked with Rodgers at Watford, believes the Northern Irishman has turned a corner this season.

“There are no guarantees in football, every manager knows that,” said the Burnley boss.

“Even with the great finance that some of these teams have they have still got to recruit well, formulate a team that works and the players that can gel.

“Having those players you hedge your bets it will come together over a season, there might be pockets when it doesn’t as well, but when you’ve got that many good players they will have a good run at it and they have done that with so many good performances and results,” said the Burnley boss.

Back in December Rodgers was under pressure. The defeat at Old Trafford meant Liverpool had won just two of their last 10 games and many people were calling for his head.

Dyche wasn’t surprised at the criticism his friend received during that tough run, and believes it is part of the job when you are in charge of a big club.

“I’m not surprised by any criticism at any level, but it always seemed to me that managers had a window of six, eight, 10 games; even on a bad run and now it’s one game and it’s a crisis – particularly real big clubs, Liverpool are certainly in that pack,” he said.

“It’s constant opinions in the media and with fans on Twitter, Facebook and other social media.

“I’ve learnt a lot about it. It was beginning to build for me at the end of last season, a lot more media so there was a window to look at it, but you come into the Premier League and it changes radically.”

A decision to switch to the 3-4-3 formation which has sparked Liverpool’s fine run of form means Dyche will face one of the Premier League’s lesser seen systems tonight, although he puts the tactical flexibility Rodgers has shown over the last 18 months down to having a high quality squad at his disposal.

“There is a flexibility tactically to how it can work,” he said. “When you pay vast amounts of money, it is not just technical ability you are getting, it is the players with a better reading of the game. He has tried a few systems usually, but usually it is down to players and they’ve got good ones.

“He’s found system that is appropriate for the players and he’s certainly getting the results.”