Burnley manager Sean Dyche has warned Manchester United there is no shortcut to sustained success, pointing out that Liverpool’s resurgence has taken place over several years.
United, the dominant English side in the Premier League under Sir Alex Ferguson, are a whopping 30 points adrift of this season’s runaway leaders Liverpool after losing to their fierce rivals at Anfield last weekend.
There has been some scrutiny of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s position in recent weeks, with United five points adrift of the top four, and Dyche will take Burnley to Old Trafford on Wednesday hoping to heap more misery on the Norwegian.
Dyche accepts that United’s history and financial might means they will continue to be competitive in the transfer market, and he thinks Solskjaer is not far away from establishing United as a force to be reckoned with.
But Dyche reasoned that some form of patience must be shown, pointing to the example of Liverpool, who appointed Jurgen Klopp more than four years ago, allowing the German to build the Reds into an all-conquering outfit.
Dyche said: “Even with the badge and financial power, it does take time to remould things and get a unit that can be successful.
“With Liverpool, it’s taken them three, four, five years to get that to where it is now, it has taken time.
“Liverpool have managed to allow that period for that manager. Whether Man United allow that period for Ole, I don’t know.
“But it is interesting for me that even with all that power, even with everything that comes with Man United, it still takes time to form a real winning unit.
“I think they’re still a good side, they’ve got still some very good players. They’re in some form of transition. It’s taken a big transition from Sir Alex to where it is now and it continues to be that.
“It’s not an easy task, even at their level, even with their finances, even with their power to attract players. It’s not easy to find a way of rebalancing.
“I don’t think they’re a million miles away, personally, and Ole’s doing a good job of staying calm in that period, of finding the right players and mixtures to be successful.”
United’s hopes of getting back to winning ways against the Clarets have been hampered by the news 19-goal top-scorer Marcus Rashford is facing at least six weeks on the sidelines with a stress fracture in his back.
Dyche said: “Injuries to very good players like Rashford are not helpful for them. It might be a help for us, who knows? That would be pleasant if it is.”
Burnley will be without Ashley Barnes after he underwent a hernia operation but Johann Berg Gudmundsson is close to returning and has an outside chance of being in the squad to travel to United.
