Sean Dyche hopes his Burnley squad’s experience of going through difficult times can help them turn things around.
Burnley are one of three Premier League teams who are winless after eight games, with the Clarets’ only points having come from three draws.
Last Saturday saw Burnley lose another match at the Etihad Stadium, although this encounter with Manchester City was much less one-sided than recent meetings and only resulted in a 2-0 defeat.
Ahead of this weekend’s clash at Southampton, Dyche said: “That’s the key thing, remind them of the performance levels.
“Of course my job, their job, all of our jobs, is to win. Simple as that. I’m not hiding behind performances, I can assure you. You’ve got to win. So the next level of our performance is to turn those good performances into winning performances.
“You would take a lucky one now and again if that’s what it takes to change that mentality but ideally you want players to play well and earn the right to win.
“I keep reminding the players, there’s some good work being done, stay strong, stay believing in what we do. The confidence is there I believe, an in-built confidence, and they’ve had these challenges before.
“There is some good experience here when things have gone against us and how we find a way through that.”
Dyche will check on the fitness of full-back Charlie Taylor, striker Matej Vydra and captain Ben Mee, who missed the City match after testing positive for coronavirus.
“He wasn’t particularly unwell but he had to follow the protocols because of a raised temperature and things like that, so obviously it knocks your training programme,” said Dyche of the defender.
Summer recruit Connor Roberts was involved in the squad for the first time last weekend but stayed on the bench, and Dyche is reluctant to throw him in too soon.
“He still hasn’t played 90 minutes,” said the Burnley boss. “We’re trying to get him games. He went away with Wales and, if it went wrong it would be too early but as it happens he’s come through it, which is good news.
“He’s training with us regularly now, of course. We are trying to get games that would suit him at the appropriate level. He’s good to have around the squad, that’s for sure. We want him to integrate into the group.”
Southampton were in the same position as Burnley prior to last weekend, when they pulled off a first league victory of the season over Leeds.
Dyche said: “Tricky start for them. They always seem to me like a decent outfit – organised, want to work hard, try and take the game on. They worked hard to get a result.
“Our job is to go down there and take on the game again – I think we’ve done that well this season – and make sure the details are right.”
