FORMER Burnley boss Sean Dyche admits he felt the Clarets were “losing our edge” prior to his sacking.

The club parted company with Dyche last month after more than nine years in the Turf Moor hotseat.

The Clarets have climbed out of the bottom three under interim boss Mike Jackson thanks to wins against Southampton, Wolves and Watford in recent weeks.

“The knife edge of the season at Burnley is that winning and losing is marginal,” Dyche told the Second Captains Podcast.

“I thought we were losing our edge, not the quality, but the edge the players have to play with.

"And what you notice when we left and they win the game after, it is almost like someone lifts everything up off you.

“I thought the edge is coming off some of these and footballers start growing their own opinions and start deciding they know what they need and what they want.

"It is almost like a collective down time when it just starts drifting. Then we pop up with a big win against Everton and we are back in the room.

“But then we go and play Norwich and the expectancy changes. Then the edge is important and when you haven't quite got that edge, players do that one per cent different - that nervousness, that edginess."

Dyche is open to a return to management if “the right project” comes along but admits it is not always that easy.

He added: "I don't feel like I need a break but if a break comes my way I will use it wisely.

"Then it is when does the time come. You want the right people and the right project but that is not that easy and you often don't know until you are in it anyway.

"I have no problem with working abroad, no problem with geography of the country. I am pretty flexible with my thinking on what can and can't be done on clubs, so I am pretty open minded."

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