Burnley manager Dyche in quest for the real deal (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Burnley manager Dyche in quest for the real deal

9:57am Monday 11th March 2013 in Football By Suzanne Geldard, Burnley FC reporter

SEAN Dyche insists he is constantly striving to find the right blend for Burnley, and deliver a winning formula.

The Clarets boss has been satisfied with a four-point return from their last two league games, after ending a run of six games without a win with three points at Charlton Athletic.

Succumbing to a late leveller in their next game, at home to Barnsley – after Charlie Austin had given Burnley an early lead – was a source of frustration for all concerned, given that they have now not celebrated a home win in four attempts.

Dyche is working towards their luck changing at home to Hull City in tonight’s televised clash (kick-off 7.45pm), but he explained getting the best out of his squad is an ongoing process.

“We’re not the real deal. Yet,” he said.

“We might become the real deal, that’s what we’re challenging ourselves to become.

“We're not there yet, but I must say, is anyone? Even Barcelona.

“We've got an interesting group. We've got some good players but they're nearly round players in nearly round holes to fit together as a group, as a team.

“Often when you're trying to decipher the ones who fit the best into what shape in that transition from what was to what is now – it's been probably smoother than I thought, but it probably went so far so quickly that that changed the perception and the expectation.

“Deep down I don't think we've found THE players for THE holes and it all obviously fits swimmingly.

“There's always something that we're trying to tinker with and change.

“Some of it is taken out of our hands with injuries and the odd suspension here and there.”

Dyche added: “It's a fine balance.

“Even throughout the good run we had not so long ago with four out of five wins, we still had to change things along the way.

“Until the squad gets a chance to change, which will arguably be the summer now through different reasons like contracts and players coming in and going out, that will probably change the balance slightly.

“Until then we'll work hard with the players we've got and I think they've been good overall. They're flexible, open-minded and want to improve, and that's a real important part of it.”

Dyche believes his players have given promising performances in overcoming a winless February.

“They've been very flexible with our coaching ideas and our philosophies and what we think is important for them to develop,” he said.

“We want continued flexibility of their thinking because that's important.

“The challenge of an awkward run needs addressing. The players went down to Charlton and delivered a really good performance – it was not as good a performance against Barnsley, but we came out of it with a point, and let's face it certain circumstances were out of our hands. But that's four points from two games and at the training ground the feelgood factor is pretty clear.

“They're not over-thinking it, they know the demands and they get used to the expectation.

“The fact is they want to deliver performances, they want to be the best they can be and play in the positions that suit them as well as the team and it is finding that balance. The thing that's making it more tricky is that every time we get somewhere there are injuries and you have to change it all again.”

Dyche hopes to have an injury boost tonight, however, with Michael Duff and Ben Mee back in full training and Ross Wallace close to a return. Dean Marney is a doubt to face former club Hull as he is struggling to shake off a calf problem.

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