Dyche told by ´prominent managers´ diving complaints could affect his career

Burnley boss Sean Dyche claims he has been told by “prominent managers” to stop talking about diving because it will affect his career.

Dyche has never hidden his disdain for simulation and was last weekend outspoken on the issue once more when Callum Hudson-Odoi was shown a yellow card for going to ground too easily after a VAR review in Burnley’s 4-2 loss to Chelsea at Turf Moor.

In a radio interview this weekend, the Clarets boss called out “blatant diving” in the Premier League and stated he considers a booking to be insufficient punishment.

Despite suggestions from colleagues that his complaints could have an adverse impact on his future prospects, Dyche plans to stick to his guns.

“We’ve got a meeting coming up with the Premier League and it is one of the talking points, so that could be interesting. I’m not backward in coming forward,” said Dyche.

“I’ve been told by other prominent managers to stop going on about it because it will affect my career.

“I said, ‘Sorry, not my bag’. You have to be true to yourself and able to look at yourself in the mirror.

“A couple of managers said it could affect me. I’m the bad guy, don’t forget.

“But at the end of the day, it was a passing comment over a chat, and I said it wasn’t my thing.”

PREVIEW | What has been the biggest change at the club since you walked through the door?

Sean Dyche faces the press ahead of this weekend’s @PremierLeague fixture against Sheffield United.

WATCH https://t.co/Ufaj3IbFe8 pic.twitter.com/JJ2ivySPi0

— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) October 31, 2019

Dyche has particular concerns about the amount of diving he has seen in youth football.

He said: “Bear in mind I’ve been in football all my life, I’ve watched it all my life, at every age group, from seven, which my lad Max played in, through every age group … and people are going down with nothing wrong with them, and all that.

“And somehow I end up coming out of it the bad guy. I can’t fathom it at all.

“I keep meeting people – unless I only happen to meet the only people who don’t like diving – fans who’ve caned us, but then saying, ‘By the way, you were right though about diving’.

“I don’t know how it happens, people factually diving, feigning injury – which is even worse than diving – and I mention it, and people say I’m making excuses.

“Eh? I’ve been making excuses for five years? How’s that then, we’re still in the Premier League, what excuses am I making?

“They all see it with their own eyes, yet it’s, ‘No, I don’t think so, he touched his earlobe with his breath’. That makes it all right then.

“If your kid cheats at a maths test, do you tell them, ‘Well done’?”