Power struggles behind the scenes could end Sean Dyche’s successful time at Burnley

Nothing hurt Sean Dyche last week like the sight of this grim banner of “White Lives Matter” circling Etihad Stadium shortly after Burnley kicked off Manchester City.

It was a reminder of much bigger challenges beyond football. But the weak reaction of his older players to the news that Burnley could only name seven substitutes for this game, two of whom were untested goalkeepers, hit Dyche in a different way.

Some wondered if the Burnley manager wanted to raise just one more point to its chairman, Mike Garlick, just a few days after deciphering the club’s hierarchy to allow contracts to expire. But as Dyche explained to his unimpressed captain Ben Mee, this wasn’t a trick: the featured players were the only ones available to him.

Burnley lost the game 5-0, but recovered three days later against Watford and met Crystal Palace on Monday. On the surface, everything would look good for a club that continues to beat well over its weight. However, behind the scenes, it’s a very different story, as there is a power struggle between the two men who have done more than anyone else to elevate Burnley to such heights.

Dyche and Garlick have always challenged each other, but what was once one of the healthiest manager-chair dynamics in the country is now under heavy strain and may even be broken beyond repair.