SEAN Dyche celebrated six years in charge at Burnley earlier this week. The success in those memorable half-dozen years has been built from the back.

At their best under Dyche the Clarets are a team that play in the image of their manager - organised, diligent and resolute. You don’t normally get any gifts from them.

But all of a sudden the floodgates are opening. Suddenly Burnley are vulnerable at the back. For most of this season they’ve been open, easy to carve apart and error prone.

When Dyche marked that sixth anniversary on Tuesday there would have been little celebrating done, in truth. He’s always looking for the next edge that will take this side forward, to continue the remarkable journey he’s taken the club on.

But he knows this season is proving to be perhaps his toughest yet. It’s back to basics. Once again he insisted after the 4-2 defeat to West Ham - a result that flattered the Clarets - that his side weren’t far away from the high standards they’ve set, that little things were going against them, things that went for them last season.

The malaise looks deeper than that though, and nobody seems quite sure exactly what the problem is, therefore nobody seems quite sure exactly what the solution is.

The biggest change in the defensive unit has been the introduction of Joe Hart in goal, but he’s been keeping the scores down in recent weeks, despite conceding 13 times in three games. That speaks volumes. Burnley are certainly less organised than they were last season, but the blame for that can’t be laid at Hart’s door.

He made some key saves on his return to West Ham again, but when the fourth went past him in stoppage time he looked like he’d just about had enough. While his own form continues to improve, he’s finding himself playing behind a defensive unit that is not as it was advertised.

Once again the Clarets played a huge part in their own downfall. James Tarkowski turned to try and play the ball back to Hart in the early stages, but fluffed the pass. Marko Arnautovic was the grateful recipient, slipping a finish beyond the overworked goalkeeper.

The Hammers dominated the rest of the half. Hart made a fine save to deny Arnautovic a second, Ben Mee produced a miraculous goal line clearance to flick Felipe Anderson’s shot over and Steven Defour somehow got away with a foul on Grady Diangana in the box.

Then, completely against the run of play, the Clarets were level. Ashley Westwood pounced on a loose ball, produced a perfect pass to free Johann Berg Gudmundsson and he clipped a finish beyond Lukasz Fabianski.

The goal, on the stroke of half-time, made Dyche’s team talk easier, but it didn’t change the pattern of the game.

Hart made saves from Arnautovic and Robert Snodgrass before the hosts restored their advantage. Steven Defour’s careless pass put Westwood in trouble. West Ham countered, Diangana found Anderson and he finished through the legs of Hart.

Somehow Burnley responded again. Robbie Brady came off the bench to send in a corner that fellow substitute Chris Wood powered home from seven yards.

It looked like the Clarets were about to play their get out of jail free card, but they just can’t keep the backdoor closed.

They were given a warning when Anderson clipped a post, but didn’t heed it. Arnautovic’s blocked shot fell to the winger and although Hart looked to have his shot covered, it clipped Mee’s heel and trickled into the back of the net.

Dyche’s men almost found a third response, Wood heading against the top of the bar after fine work from Charlie Taylor, but the game was out of sight in injury time.

Anderson’s pass was chested down by Antonio into the path of Hernandez, who finished beyond Hart. The Clarets goalkeeper beat the ground in frustration. This isn’t the Burnley he admired from afar last season, and that is a worry.