WHEN Sean Dyche signed his new long-term contract at Burnley last week he highlighted the stability on offer at Turf Moor and his close understanding with chairman Mike Garlick as key factors in his decision.

It's a scenario that his opposite number at St James' Park tonight must envy. Rafael Benitez has again spent most of January bemoaning the lack of transfer activity at Newcastle, sending pointed messages to Mike Ashley about his budget.

Dyche, as always, refuses to 'judge others and their environment' but of his own relationship with those above him at Burnley, he said: "Since I've been here the one thing that I've been really pleased about is in my early days, when it wasn't such good news about what we were trying to achieve with the team, the chairmen let me get on with my work, as did the board.

"They were asking general questions in the boardroom but nothing like 'why aren't you doing this and why aren't you doing that?' There was nothing like that and I won't forget it."

Dyche has maintained a good relationship with Garlick and his former co-chairman John Banaszkiewicz during his five years at Turf Moor and believes being on the same page as those in the boardroom is a key ingredient to bring success to a club.

"The chairman here, both chairman originally and now Mike are reality bound and they understand the challenges of the club. That's a good starting point in a relationship," the Clarets chief said.

"But if you get this massive mismatch then the reality and the outcome become two different things. That's where it gets tricky but I don't have that here.

"At the minute and for the past five years everybody is on the same page. This is where we're at, this is what we think is achievable and anything on top of that is great and a bonus. We'll settle for that for now and then add to that when we move forward."

Newcastle are only one point above the relegation zone as the Magpies seek to consolidate Premier League status.

Benitez claimed earlier in the season that he couldn't compete financially with the Clarets, something that Dyche admits would be 'surprising'.

"Rafa will have his challenges - getting in to the Premier League and now can you stay there?," he said.

"I don't get involved in the judging and the debating just because of the respect. One thing I know, 100%, in this industry as a manager, no matter what club you're at there'll always be somebody thinking above the realities, someone thinking 'we should be doing this, we should be doing that, we should be signing them', so every manager regardless of the level will have all those challenges.

"I will add that I would be surprised if Newcastle United Football Club can't compete with us on a financial basis. I would be very surprised. I don't think we're the giants of spending."