No six-pointers in Sean Dyche's world, as Burnley prepare to host Fulham
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But for Sean Dyche, it's just one of 38 Premier League games - the Clarets' season will not be defined by it.
Burnley sit eight points clear of the Cottagers, with 15 games to play, with Scott Parker's side having picked up only a third win of the campaign at Everton on Sunday evening.
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Hide AdA win could essentially secure survival for the Clarets, especially with a further three points at home to next-bottom West Brom on Saturday.
Equally, a Fulham win would draw Brighton, Burnley and Newcastle into range for the Cottagers, as they look to mount a great escape.
It remains to be seen whether Fulham treat it as a must-win game, and go for Burnley from the off, but Dyche isn't one for 'targeting' games, knowing every point is vital along the way - and that his side have shown they can get results against anyone, having won at Arsenal and Liverpool.
Dyche said: "We’ll have to see if it works out like that. But my feelings on not targeting games is that I can’t talk about the need for consistency, and then only apply it to certain games.
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Hide Ad"My way of looking at is that we should be up for every game. We should be well-organised and ready to deliver every time.
"If that mindset is right over the course of a season, then you’re ready to take on any team.
"I believe we are organised, we’re fit, we have a strong mentality towards performing as well as we can, and we have a fair amount of technical quality as well.
"On the training ground I stress the need for those things every time, so I don’t think I can then talk about the need to target certain opponents.
"I want to see them perform at a high level all the time."
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Hide AdWhile Dyche will be eager to keep Fulham at arm's length, he also knows a win would move Burnley level on points with Southampton, in 13th, and Crystal Palace in 14th: "It’s not just about us. There are a few teams around that 25-29 points mark – five in all – so they won’t just be thinking about catching us.
"But yes, I can assure you they (Fulham) will be looking to win games. They’re out to win as many as they can.
"The win over Everton was their third and realistically, over the course of a season – unless you are getting loads and loads of draws – you are looking for a minimum of 10 wins to have a decent chance of staying up.
"But I’m sure Scott Parker won’t just have been saying we need to get wins against the teams around us, and they’ve shown that with a very good victory at Everton. We’re the same – we’ll take wins wherever we can get them.
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Hide Ad"When we’ve been playing catch up, it hasn’t been a case of us shifting our focus, because I always expect a lot from my players, whatever the circumstances.
"As much as you’re aware of the situation, I can’t remember making too many changes in how we go about things.
"Our job is to be clear-minded about what we want to achieve, and to be ready to go out and deliver performances."
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