Sean Dyche: ‘Prominent managers’ warned Burnley boss his diving complaints could harm his career

Burnley boss Sean Dyche has revealed he has been warned by “other prominent managers” to stop talking about diving for the good of his career.
The 48-year-old has never shied away from giving his opinions on diving, and last weekend had a strong opinion after Callum Hudson-Odoi was booked for simulation in Chelsea’s 4-2 win at Turf Moor.
Hudson-Odoi went down in the area during the second half after what appeared to be a foul from James Tarkowski and referee Michael Oliver initially pointed to the penalty spot.
What is Dyche complaining about? Five things to know…
- Dyche has long been vocal about his hatred for diving.
- Hudson-Odoi was booked for simulation in Chelsea’s 4-2 win over Burnley.
- After the game, Dyche spoke critically of Hudson-Odoi, stating a yellow card is not a good enough punishment.
- Dyche admitted his worry for the future state of football if diving becomes more prevalent.
- But he also admitted he has been warned by other “prominent managers” to stop complaining.
But VAR deemed the challenge not to have been enough for Hudson-Odoi to go down, leading to the decision being reversed and the teenager booked for simulation, although replays showed he was also pushed in the back by Matthew Lowton.
Speaking after the game, Dyche called for players to be sent off for diving for the “greater good of the game” before bemoaning the fact he feels that he is the only person bothered by it.
And Dyche has now revealed he has been told by some fellow managers to keep quiet about diving, though he will be taking no notice of them.
“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,” he told reporters ahead of Burnley’s Premier League game against Sheffield United on Saturday.
“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.”
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Dyche can’t fathom being painted as the bad guy
Also in his post-Chelsea press conference, Dyche revealed his thoughts that football will be in trouble in 10 years’ time if young players are diving.
And the Burnley boss admitted he is concerned with diving filtering down to youth football.
He added: “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’?”