Dyche tinkered with his formation and came up with 4-5-1, the real Tinkerman stuck to his favoured 4-4-2 and Burnley got hammered 3-0 at the King Power Stadium.
Photo source: Burnley Football Club.
Burnley gaffer Sean Dyche came unstuck at the King Power Stadium yesterday after attempting to outfox the Italian "Tinkerman" Claudio Ranieri.
Sean Dyche elected to switch from his usual 4-4-2 and played a 4-5-1 formation in the hope of nullifying the Foxes' offensive arsenal which included England striker James Vardy and Algerian international and record signing Islam Slimani.
The strategy looked to be working in a fairly uneventful first half at the King Power Stadium until on the stroke of halftime with the score goalless, Burnley right back Matthew Lowton conceded an unnecessary foul on Leicester's Marc Albrighton.
The ball was whipped in by Leicester's Christian Fuchs for Slimani who had got in between Burnley's central pairing of Michael Keane and Ben Mee to ram a header past Burnley's Tom Heaton.
The game was effectively over for Dyche's men just two minutes into the second half when the Foxes' electric wideman Riyad Mahrez set up Slimani's headed second goal via Vardy's clever flick on,
Dyche described it post match as "four minutes of madness". Sending out a disorganised, unfamiliar Clarets formation at the home of the reigning Premier League champions might be described to be equally mad?
Last season's leading Championship goalscorer Andre Gray asked to play the solitary role up top, was like a fish out of water and ended the game looking disillusioned and completely out of sorts.
It is clear Gray is struggling for form. Perhaps the imminent FA disciplinary hearing for alleged offensive Tweets is hanging over his head and affecting his performance?
Ben Mee needlessly poked home a soft own goal to compound Burnley's misery in the 78th minute. The Clarets throughout ninety minutes plus stoppage time, managed one solitary strike on goal.
A late thirty yard free kick from Burnley substitute Johann Berg Gudmundsson was deflected but saved by Leicester debutant goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zeiler.
The save ended any hopes of even a consolation goal for a disjointed and outplayed Burnley team. Too good for the Championship but not quite good enough for the Premier League is an apt description for Sean Dyche's Clarets on this showing. (TEC).