CLARETS chief Sean Dyche believes Burnley’s healthy financial situation means there is no extra pressure on the squad to ensure they maintain Premier League status.
Promotion to the top flight last season was secured with a loss of £7.6million, which came about due to bonuses of £7.9million being awarded as a result of going up.
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And having spent far less than their rivals at the bottom of the league, with the £3million paid to Hull for George Boyd the highest transfer fee paid this term, Dyche thinks the Clarets are free from the external pressures other clubs are facing over the final 10 games of the season.
QPR, promoted with Burnley last season, posted a £65.4million loss in their most recent accounts for the 2012/13 season, with debt rising to £177million, while Leicester, who complete the trio of clubs who went up from the Championship last season, posted a £20.8million loss for last season, and have spent £20million on new players this season.
“We put pressure on ourselves, but you look at some of the clubs with massive debts, situations off the pitch, let alone on it, massive demand and expectations from the fans,” said the Burnley boss.
“We want to be in the Premier League, but I think we're different to the ones spending £30/40/50m that desperately need to be in it, because it affects the whole club, not just the team.”
With 10 games to go the three promoted teams occupy the three relegation places at the moment, with Burnley in 19th with 22 points from 28 games.
But Dyche isn’t giving any thought to how many wins or points they may require from those final 10 games, and is only targeting enough to make sure the Clarets finish at least fourth from bottom.
“It's hard to give a points total, as long as we are on the right side of it, I couldn't give a monkey's if I'm honest,” he said.
Despite a run of just two points from their last seven games Dyche’s side are still only three points adrift of safety, a situation that seemed unlikely when they were five points adrift after just 10 games, having won none of those matches.
And the boss isn’t too concerned about the recent form, admitting he would have taken this position at the start of November, when they remained winless in the Premier League.
“I would have taken it certainly after 10 games, it's a hard one for me to be too disappointed because the journey has come so far since game 10 when we had four points and hadn't won a game,” he said.
“We've moved on so far that there has to be a balance. It's a funny league, everyone talks about runs of wins and games, but it means nothing, it's the end, that's what counts.
“Teams have stayed up with a few wins, loads of draws, etc, it's getting to the end and being in the Premier League, that's the challenge, runs of wins, losses are irrelevant, it's getting to the end and being in the Premier League.”
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