Joey Barton has questioned Burnley's decision to sack his friend and former manager Sean Dyche.
Dyche had been in charge of the Clarets for close to 10 years but was surprisingly relieved of his duties on Friday with Burnley in the Premier League relegation zone. Bristol Rovers boss Barton had formed a close bond with Dyche when he played under him at Turf Moor.
The pair won promotion to the Premier League together in 2015/16 and Barton said he was "gutted" to see his former manager lose his job. The Rovers boss said Dyche will be a tough to replace at Turf Moor.
"I’m really surprised," Barton said. "Arguably, he’s been Burnley’s best manager in living memory. For as long as I’ve been around that’s certainly the case. He’s done incredible things at the football club, I saw that when I was there, building the infrastructure behind that.
"(He) hasn’t gone and spent all the money on big lavish foreign signings and agents fees and transfer fees. He’s done it in a really sustainable way which has given the club a tremendous platform for the next ten years, not just next year.
"From my experience there, I’m not in the dressing room, I’m not in the club so I don’t know what’s gone on, but I would think you’d have a much better chance with Sean Dyche, Ian Woan, Steve Stone and Tony Loughlan and Billy Mercer in the building than Burnley would without them.
"I’m disappointed for them but every good thing comes to an end. Nine and a half years and I’ll be very surprised if Sean Dyche is not in employment by the start of next season.
"It takes out the compensation that Burnley probably could have got. It’s sad to see it end that way. I think for the work he’s done he deserved to get to that ten years and he deserves to have a chance of keeping them out the trapdoor.
"I text him this morning when I saw the news. I texted all the guys this morning just sending my love across to them and that I’m thinking of them. I’ll probably touch base with them this week to just make sure they’re okay.
"I’m gutted because Burnley is a fantastic football club and he was a fantastic manager as a player for me. But he’s been an incredible manager for Burnley as a town and a football club. So, hopefully, the next man who comes in can take it on to the next stage but it’s going to be a very touch act to follow that’s for sure."
Burnley are 18th in the Premier League, four points from safety with eight games remaining.
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