Thursday 28 December 2017 15:37, UK
Sean Dyche has admitted he has been impressed by the way David Wagner has moulded his Huddersfield side following their promotion to the Premier League.
Huddersfield broke their previous transfer record - £1.8m spent to sign Christopher Schindler in June 2016 - four times during the summer window and Wagner has led the Terriers to an encouraging 11th place in the table mid-way through the campaign.
Burnley, sitting in seventh place, face Huddersfield on Saturday hoping to end 2017 in winning fashion and could create a 13-point buffer over their opponents in the table with victory.
"I think there is only maybe four or five players who are playing regularly in the (Huddersfield) side who played last season," Dyche said.
"That means you have got a lot of change and they have moulded that into a team that can operate together.
"That's a fantastic thing to do as a manger and as a staff.
"The players have also accepted it and got on with the task of making a 'side' and I think they have done that very well.
"They have got good points on the board."
Huddersfield are unbeaten in their past three Premier League fixtures and Dyche, who has led Burnley to seventh position, believes the Terriers are having a 'real go' at maintaining their Premier League status beyond the end of the campaign.
"They were a side (after promotion from the Championship) that were making a lot of noises they wanted to run it more business-like.
"But they have gone on to spend I think £50-60m so they have had a real go at it. I must say what they have done extremely well is mould a team."
Dyche's Burnley are only seven points off last season's points tally and the English manager spoke of his pride at the way his side had galvanised themselves in recent weeks despite their squad being "at full stretch".
"I have mentioned it in the build up to the circumstances (injury absences), how much pride I take in the players who are playing, let alone those who are playing including the professional respect they have for each other and the way they work.
"When it is their turn to play they have then got a better chance of being ready. The value we have on the whole squad is quite obvious from mine and the coaches' point of view.
"I think that has helped galvanise the group when it is the first time in a long time we have been at full stretch. We are literally at the end of our squad numbers if you like."
