Sean Dyche: 'A huge gamble that smacks of blind panic by Burnley's owners'

The decision to sack Sean Dyche is a huge gamble that smacks of panic by the club's owners.

If the Clarets stay in the top flight, and they are currently four points from safety with eight games to go, their American chairman can be proud of his gamble.

If they go down, they will be accused of being guilty of a desperate, misguided move that removed the man who is still arguably their best chance of survival, even after a season where they have won only four league games, losing five of their last six.

This is the punt the board of directors has taken when making a decision, which raised eyebrows even in the normally shockproof world of management.

In a town where he has overcome the odds and financial limitations, Dyche is hugely respected and loved by the community. They are currently in their sixth successive season in the premier league, their best run since the 60s, and Dyche took them back into Europe for the first time in 51 years when they finished seventh in the last season.

Dyche was able to bring them back up after they went down.

It seems the new owners feel their future financial and footballing fortunes are so heavily locked in with retaining Premier League status that they had to act, the 2-0 loss at bottom clubNorwich City last Sunday seemingly the last straw.

A loss to the Canaries this season appears to be a sign of weakness for struggling clubs, as both Ranieri and Benitez were fired after defeats.

Dyche was able to drag a crucial result out of a squad assembled on a shoestring, when they came from behind to beat their closest relegation rivals.

There was growing noise that this may well have been Dyche's last season at the club, and that the time had come to move on, but surely he deserved the right to make that decision himself.

Dyche is close to the end of the season and that hints at fear behind the scenes. The high stakes that brought the club's owners to a huge decision will make this look like a wise move, once again showing the high stakes that brought the club's owners to a huge decision.

Dyche has never had a big budget. That is not a criticism of the previous owners, but an acknowledgement that the club had to live within its means. The scale of the job he has done is only increased by this.

The manager built a side that played with limitations but knew how to survive. It is very risky for the Turf Moor hierarchy to believe they can improve on a manager who has been through this before.

With so few games left, the assumption is that there is a replacement lined up. Sam Allardyce is being heavily promoted.

The outcome of this move is likely to be unpopular with many fans of the club. If it goes wrong, they will view the club's decision-makers with great suspicion.

Dyche can leave with his head held high and a reputation that is sure to guarantee plenty of offers before the start of next season.

He was linked with many vacancies in the English premier league, but never got the job.

His body of work will demand attention now that he is open. It is possible that the pain of the sack will allow Dyche to make a fresh start and enjoy life away from the club where he has been the focal point for so long.

The priority is survival. It is important for the owners of the club to have a good reputation with the supporters.

Even if no one can deny that this season has been one of struggle, it is still a high-risk strategy to sack a proven manager. The consequences of that decision will be known soon.

Dyche was dismissed so that they can stay in the league. The equation is very stark.