Burnley FC Blog: Doer Dyche has passion (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Burnley FC Blog: Doer Dyche has passion

9:10am Thursday 1st November 2012 in Football By Suzanne Geldard, Burnley FC reporter

LAST night was fright night. But Hallowe’en has nothing on the fear factor that can envelop football fans when a search for a new manager is in full swing.

Of all the names mentioned in connection with the vacant position in a frenzied fortnight at Turf Moor, Sean Dyche might not have been the most obvious or, indeed, the most popular among the people of Burnley.

Perhaps that’s because he is still relatively new to management, or because he was out of work, or maybe because not enough is known about him north of the Watford Gap.

In football, as in life, there is a fear of the unknown.

But in the 41-year-old, the Clarets hierarchy feel they have found the manager for the people.

Yes, he ticks the board’s boxes. He is accustomed to working on a restricted budget, and has been successful at it – guiding Watford to their highest league position for four years in his first year as manager.

He also advocates the development of youth team players. His first coaching appointment at Watford was with the Academy in 2007, but even after working his way up to become Malky Mackay’s assistant, then going on to succeed the Scot in the summer of 2011, he still looked to young talent.

Last season, Britt Assombalonga became the 50th Academy player to make his first team debut since its doors opened in late 1998.

Dyche’s progression through the backroom ranks at Vicarage Road was described by former chairman Graham Taylor as “The Watford Way”.

It is those assets, among others, that have brought him to Harry Potts Way.

Some fans remain sceptical. Results will be beneficial. But ringing endorsements emanating from Vicarage Road are winning them round in advance.

Our sister paper, the Watford Observer, even re-printed a column written by Hornets reporter Frank Smith at the time of Dyche’s dismissal, in which he points to honesty, integrity, dignity and desire being among the new manager’s key characteristics.

Passion is something that will strike a chord, in particular, with Clarets fans.

Eddie Howe was criticised for not displaying it enough – unfairly in my view. Just because he didn’t express his delight or disappointment in an overt manner didn’t mean he didn’t care. He did.

By comparison, however, Dyche appears dynamic in the dug-out.

He is big on work-rate too.

In Watford’s matchday programme when Burnley were the visitors on March 3 last season, it included the feature ‘60 seconds with Sean Dyche’.

Against the clock, he was asked ‘What would be your best advice for a young player wanting to become a professional?’ He answered: “Have a great attitude to everything that is offered to you as you travel along the pathway to being a professional and be willing to work hard.”

To the question ‘Why should a young player choose Watford?’, he said: “We have an excellent record as a club of helping young players to develop and become first team players. We care about every player’s development and supply the chance of a total football education.”

Finally, his favourite quote was from golf legend Gary Player: “The harder I worked, the luckier I became.”

Graft is a common denominator in the life of Dyche, and he demands nothing less from his players.

Burnley fans, demand nothing less from their team.

While points are preferable, dropping them will generally be forgiven if supporters have seen everyone in claret and blue giving their all.

It’s certainly what Dyche will drive to deliver.