The ex-Premier League manager is only one among many who have recently complained of boring football
Former Burnley and Everton manager Sean Dyche has criticised what he sees as the over-complication of modern football, claiming the sport no longer entertains when managers overcomplicate it with their attempts at tactical patterns.
Dyche voiced his frustrations on Stick to Football, saying that fans are growing tired of teams passing the ball around in defensive zones instead of attacking.
“I think football is going in the wrong direction now and I think there’s an uprising,” said Dyche. “I speak to a lot of fans, and they go, ‘I’m getting bored of it, I’m getting bored of people passing it around the six-yard line’.
Dyche’s comments come at a time when debates over footballing philosophy are heating up. In April, Gary Neville bemoaned what was a boring Manchester derby draw and said that Premier League teams have become too robotic. Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca has been booed several times at Stamford Bridge this season due to his side’s constant attempts (and failure) to pass out from the back, often too stiff and causing errors leading to goals.
Sean Dyche is well-known for his results-driven style of play, with his teams usually trying to gather as many points as possible to avoid relegation. During his time at Burnley, the 53-year-old built a reputation for winning with limited resources and employing a direct, physical style of play.
But most managers in the Premier League in recent times are much more interested in high-possession, high-press systems, often intending for it to be executed by players who just aren’t good enough for that. Dyche’s successor at Burnley Vincent Kompany brought a high-possession style to the club, but they only lasted a season in the top-flight, before being relegated back to the Championship.
Speaking further on the matter, Dyche added: “Managers go, ‘It’s our philosophy’, but how about changing your philosophy and staying in the Premier League rather than getting relegated?”
