SEAN Dyche has warned his players that it is ‘pointless’ to argue with referees and risk ‘silly bookings’ that could rule them out of crucial Premier League games in the run-in.

The Clarets are yet to have anyone booked for dissent this season, and Dyche revealed that it is not something he is willing to stand for, and any players who do see yellow for haranguing the referee would be spoken too at the club.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Burnley top the Premier League’s fair play table at the halfway stage of the season, a feat that could see them qualify for the Europa League.

And Dyche, who says his own disciplinary record was good for someone often cast as a ‘maniac’ on the pitch, said he is pleased his squad play the game with a ‘good respect’.

Burnley are also one of only two Premier League clubs yet to have a man sent off this season.

“My players know they mustn’t speak back to referees, because I’d tell them off – and that’s a conversation they don’t want to have,” Dyche said.

“I get frustrated sometimes on the sidelines, I was frustrated with some of the decisions on Wednesday night, but it’s not going to change anything.

“Forget the referee, get on with the game, get back into position and we move forward. They know that’s how I feel.”

Although they have had no yellow cards for dissent, Burnley players have been booked 39 times in 21 Premier League games this season, ranking them 11th in the league.

They also score highly in fair play categories such as behaviour of officials and respecting opponents and referees.

Dyche was booked just twice for dissent in his career, once for kicking the ball away a short distance, and secondly for complaining about shirt pulling, and he believes that confronting officials isn’t required on the pitch.

“I don’t think it’s necessary and I’m pleased they don’t show that,” he said of his players.

“They might question the ref but not in a manner that gets them in trouble.

“Players get frustrated but it’s still a silly booking to give away and I don’t think we need to do it, so we don’t and the players and quite respectful of that.

“It’s pointless getting involved in that.

“There were a couple of decisions on Wednesday night where if I was a player I would have been frustrated, but there’s no real point to it, we all know that, it’s just heat of the moment stuff and our players control it quite well.”

The second of Dyche’s bookings for dissent led to one of only two career red cards, which were the only two times he missed games through suspension.

“In my career I was never suspended for bookings,” he said, “three was the most I had in a season, yet everyone thinks I was a maniac, so that’s an interesting one.

“Look at my record, I didn’t get involved with referees.

“We try and play in a fair manner. There’s a good respect in that and the way the players go about it.”