Sean Deitch was fired as Burnley’s manager after 10 years when the club was struggling to be relegated from the Premier League.
Burnley is currently 18th in the table of four safety points. They have won just one of their last seven Premier League games, losing 2-0 to relegation counterparts Norwich on Sunday.
U23s coach Mike Jackson, assisted by academy director Paul Jenkins, U23s goalkeeping coach Connor King and club captain Ben Mee have been asked to lead the team for Sunday’s game against West Ham.
Sky Sports News has learned from sources close to the players that Dyche has not lost the locker room, despite their difficulties.
Deitch is no longer the longest-serving Premier League manager after spending nearly a decade at Burnley. He temporarily joined the England U21 team behind the scenes in September 2012, soon taking over the post in Burnley from leaving Eddie Howe in October of that year.
The 50-year-old led Burnley to two Premier League promotions, most recently in the 2015/16 season.
After signing a new four-year contract in September 2018, he led Burnley to seventh place in the Premier League. The achievement allowed Burnley to secure football in the Europa League for the first time in 51 years and their best finish in the championship after sixth place in 1974.
Burnley achieved another place in the top 10 in the 2019/20 season, but finished 17th last season. However, this was 11 points out of the last three.
Chairman Alan Pace said in a statement: “First, we would like to express our sincere thanks to Sean and his team for their achievements at the club over the past decade.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Norwich’s Premier League victory over Burnley
“During his stay at Turf Moor, Sean was credited both on and off the field, respected by players, staff, supporters and the wider football community.
“However, the results this season have been disappointing and although it was an incredibly difficult decision, with eight important matches left in the campaign, we believe that change is needed to give the team the best chance to maintain its Premier League status.
“The Sean replacement process has begun and further announcements will be made to supporters in a timely manner.”
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Jodie Morris and Jonathan Morgan have reacted to the news that Sean Deitch has been fired as Burnley’s boss after 10 years at the club.
His assistant manager Ian One, first team coach Steve Stone and goalkeeping coach Billy Mercer have also left the club.
Sky Sports expert Jamie Carragher later tweeted: “What a joke! If you had given him a decent budget, you would never have bothered not to fall.”
Analysis: Daiche leaves as a Burnley legend
Nick Sports from Sky Sports:
When Sean Deitch was appointed to Turf Moore in October 2012, he inherited a team that is ranked 14th in the Championship table, conceding the most goals in the division.
Over the next decade, he will see the club’s complete transformation, winning promotion to the Premier League in 2014 and again in 2016 after a brief return to second tier.
Deitch was Burnley’s third managerial appointment in two years after Brian Lowe and Eddie Howe, but all of these upheavals soon became a distant memory, and the club instead became a picture of stability.
At the end of the 2019/20 campaign, after Burnley’s 10th place and Howe’s relegation from Bournemouth, Deitch even became the longest-serving manager in the Premier League.
The focus of his Burnley tenure remains their exceptional 7th place finish in 2017/18, but that is what he has done for the club as a whole, establishing their presence in the top league with a budget far smaller than that of their rivals and building a unique identity on and off the field that supporters will appreciate the most.
The team’s struggles this season have prompted the club to act, but proof of Deitch’s exceptional work is that even now, when the threat of relegation is high, his dismissal is a big shock. This is a gamble that their owners may regret.
The rest of Burnley’s games
April 17 – West Ham
April 21 – Southampton (h), live on Sky Sports
April 24 – Wolves (h)
April 30 – Watford
May 7 – Aston Villa (h)
May 15 – Tottenham
May 19 – Aston Villa
May 22 – Newcastle (h)
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