We know that this is the reality of the Premier League

Last updated : 11 February 2015 By Tony Scholes

He's fielded an unchanged team just once this season but has said: "I have not been able to play with the same side as I have always had to look for a solution because of the injured players.

"We are in the top four and in the next round of the FA Cup. When you asked that months ago, then I have signed for that but it has to be like this at the end of the season."

Much of the remainder of his press conference was pointing at charts refuting Sam Allardyce's claims of them playing long ball football.

Burnley go into a really tough run of fixtures starting tonight at Old Trafford. Dyche said: "We had a tough beginning and we didn't know how the league table was going to map out then, but we look back and most of the teams you thought would be up there were in and around that group.

"Then we had a tough run over Christmas where people were saying we wouldn't get anything and we picked up five points and a good win against Southampton.

"We know that this is the reality of the Premier League. I said after the game on Sunday and I have done before that you've got to play everyone home and away. How they fall is irrelevant, you've still got to play them and it's a challenge we all wanted, myself, the players, the club and the town.

"We can't all of a sudden be thinking oh they're big games against some big teams, yes they are and that's exactly what we expected coming into the division."

Referring to Dean Marney's injury and the need to make that first change in over two months, he added: "If things change for whatever reason, whether it be an injury or otherwise, I know as an ex-player that's your time to say here I am, let's go.

"That's certainly how our group operate and that's how they will operate I'm sure of that. Weirdly, it's a good chance for someone.

"We wouldn't want this chance to come in the way it has of course but it has and it's an opportunity for someone to come in and the team to operate in a different manner. I believe in the subs, everyone knows that and whoever comes in will be ready."