Why is Sean Dyche still at Burnley?

Let me rephrase that.

How is Sean Dyche still at Burnley ?

As Frank de Boer and Mauricio Pellegrino are ushered into jobs at Crystal Palace and Southampton, ­despite a significant lack of front-line experience in English football, Dyche must be thinking ‘What about me?’

His Clarets falling through the trapdoor back into the Championship a couple of years ago was perhaps a black mark against him, but that sits between two Premier League ­promotions and, last season, keeping them in the top flight – not to mention saving them from dropping into League One in 2013 when he first joined.
Results? Dyche has taken Burnley up to the Prem twice, and kept them up twice (
Image:
PA Wire)

And he has consistently balanced the books, too.

If you need further proof the bloke knows his stuff, how about this: Dyche tamed the demons within Joey Barton . Even the lippy Scouser hasn’t voiced a negative word about his former boss, and he has had a go at pretty much ­everyone else.

So how come Dyche remains at Turf Moor, given the job he’s done?

There’s been more turmoil than ever in the managerial market this summer. Like a washing machine heading into its spin cycle, people have been in and out of jobs at frightening pace.
Man-management? He was also one of the few to get Barton to behave himself (
Image:
PA)

But a succession of bigger clubs and a string of owners – most, but not all, foreign – have overlooked Dyche.

Is five impressive years at Burnley not enough proof that the former Chesterfield defender knows what he is doing?

What is it that De Boer brings to the table that Dyche doesn’t? Knowledge of the Dutch market? I would respectfully suggest that A.N. Other in the recruitment department at Selhurst Park should have a ­reasonably good handle on that.

Pellegrino, who spent six months as a player at Liverpool under Rafa Benitez in 2005, returned to Anfield for a two-year spell as the Spaniard’s assistant.
De Boer won the Dutch title four years running from 2010-11 as Ajax boss... (
Image:
Getty)
...but his first crack at Europe's big leagues saw Inter fire him within three months (
Image:
Sunday Mail)

But being their No.2 is way different from fronting the ­operation for Southampton. Rene Meulensteen was Fergie’s for years at Manchester United, but it didn’t do him much good when he later managed Fulham , who sacked him after just 75 days.

Now, you might point to Ronald Koeman – that appointment didn’t turn out too badly for Saints, did it?

But French successor Claude Puel has lasted just one season. Eighth place in the Premier League and a first domestic cup final in a generation – a remarkable return, ­because Puel wouldn’t have inspired me to go and put the kettle on – is not good enough these days for the club's decision-makers.

Pellegrino has joined Southampton, who now deem eighth place and a cup final sack-worthy (
Image:
Getty)

Dyche isn’t the only Englishman with cause for complaint, either.

Eddie Howe has been similarly overlooked, ­despite the job he has done at Bournemouth.

It would probably help the ­Cherries boss if his name wasn’t absolutely intertwined with that the south-coast town.

He earned promotion – albeit by incurring a fine for overspending – but having a large budget hasn’t helped Derby County and Aston Villa back into the Premier League.
Howe won the Championship in 2015 — does he need more silverware to get a top job? (
Image:
Action Images via Reuters)

So Dyche and Howe are being snubbed by a string of star-gazing ­chairmen who assume foreign coaches have something that blokes from Kettering (Dyche) and Amersham (Howe) lack.

Is there a bias against young English managers? It’s almost got to the point where Sam Allardyce’s quip about ­landing a top gig only if your name is foreign is actually true.

Dyche and Howe can’t get a sniff of the plum jobs.

And short of actually winning the Premier League, I wonder if they ever will.