{"id":903668,"date":"2026-09-21T04:20:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T04:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/903668\/"},"modified":"2026-09-21T04:20:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T04:20:13","slug":"hayen-must-worry-about-his-burnley-future-but-fans-fears-are-existential-burnley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/903668\/","title":{"rendered":"Hayen must worry about his Burnley future but fans\u2019 fears are existential | Burnley"},"content":{"rendered":"

The greatest moments of Burnley\u2019s history were beamed on to a big screen before kick-off at Turf Moor, accompanied by famous lines of commentary. The final one, the moment promotion was sealed under Scott Parker in April 2025, was soundtracked by: \u201cBurnley are back in the big time.\u201d That feels a long time ago now, with a return to the Premier League a remote prospect.<\/p>\n

Burnley appeared to have this game against Derby sewn up, leading through Zeki Amdouni\u2019s first-half header, but a stunning stoppage-time strike from the Rams\u2019 substitute Mo Fuseini soured the Turf Moor mood. It means Burnley\u2019s winless home league run could now reach a year, the Clarets last tasting victory at Turf Moor on 18 October 2025. Their last win in any competition in 90 minutes was on 11 February.<\/p>\n

The draw left Nicky Hayen, the under-fire head coach, under scrutiny, though the majority of fans will direct their anger towards Alan Pace, the chair, given the financial problems and off-field turmoil that plagued the club during a disruptive summer.<\/p>\n

Hayen vowed to fight for his future and revealed he would talk with Pace, though could give no assurances he will remain in charge for the next game at Watford on 10 October after the extra-long international break. \u201cI can understand the fans are angry after a start like this, it\u2019s not what they want to see from their team or from myself,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s my responsibility. But I\u2019ve always shown resilience and I\u2019m always going to fight. We need this [international] window to change a lot of things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mohammed Fuseini celebrates scoring a late equaliser for Derby. Photograph: Alfie Carling\/PPAUK\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n

In his programme notes before the game, Pace called for fans to \u201cunite and show togetherness\u201d, after they had chanted for his removal during the home defeat by Bristol City a fortnight ago. There was some early encouragement for Hayen\u2019s team as they sought to make inroads against Derby. Although a lack of thrust in the final third was evident at times, Burnley made the breakthrough via Amdouni\u2019s forehead, the forward peeling around the back post to nod home Lucas Pires\u2019s corner.<\/p>\n

Hayen, who was managing Haverfordwest County in the Welsh Premier four years ago and was not Burnley\u2019s first choice to replace Parker, celebrated. Having been accused of muddled selections in his tenure so far, he had made some brave calls, dropping the club captain, Kyle Walker, and struggling goalkeeper Max Weiss, and recalling Marcus Edwards, who had been jettisoned after featuring in the campaign\u2019s opening two games.<\/p>\n

Those decisions were nearly vindicated, right up to the moment Fuseini pounced, leaving Hayen to bear the brunt of more fan criticism. \u201cIt is really difficult [to take],\u201d he said. \u201cYou saw the reaction of the players after the game, sitting on the ground, disappointed. We wanted to give the fans the win, I wanted this for them, I can accept their frustration. I want to give back to the fans, I feel we can give back a lot. You saw we were close, we wanted to do it just before the international break.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quick GuideL\u00f3pez fires Wolves to derby win over West BromShow<\/p>\n

Fer L\u00f3pez fired Wolves to a 1-0 win against arch rivals West Brom in a bruising Black Country derby on Sunday. Lopez punished a blunder by Albion defender Nat Phillips to score his fifth goal of the season in the second half of the Championship clash at Molineux. It was no more than Wolves deserved after Albion keeper Max O\u2019Leary had kept West Brom in the game during the first half with three outstanding saves. Albion rarely threatened to snatch an equaliser in the first Molineux meeting between the west midlands rivals in five years. After fears of a repeat of the serious crowd trouble that marred their previous showdown at West Brom two years ago, the derby passed off peacefully inside the stadium. Elsewhere in the Championship, Bolton twice came from behind to win 4-3 in a thriller at Norwich.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The break may represent a chance for Hayen, if he remains, to regroup, though for Pace and the board there remain unanswered questions about the \u00a3142m of external debt the club owes, as well as the \u00a381m owed by his firm ALK Capital to the club itself after a leveraged buyout in December 2020. Comparisons with the Glazers\u2019 takeover and ownership of Manchester United have been made. James Holroyd\u2019s recent departure, after 15 months as chief executive, feels reflective of the worsening malaise in the boardroom. Holroyd previously worked under the Glazers at United.<\/p>\n

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Despite two promotions under the current regime (and three relegations) the Clarets\u2019 financial situation has deteriorated, with some fans now harbouring genuine fears of total extinction if debts are not repaid. Parachute payments may help for a time, but Burnley no longer have the cash reserves they boasted in their debt-free era before Pace and ALK when they enjoyed five successive seasons in the Premier League under Sean Dyche. Such stability now feels a world away and problems are spilling on to the pitch. Money has been spent on transfers, with squad turnover high in recent seasons, but there was particular concern when the \u00a320m made from the sale of Zian Flemming was not reinvested in a new striker, with 39-year-old Jamie Vardy hastily arriving on a free transfer after the transfer window had closed.<\/p>\n

Zeki Amdouni sprints off to celebrate his goal for Burnley. Photograph: Alfie Carling\/PPAUK\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n

Hayen sent on Vardy and loan signing Largie Ramazani to retain a counterattacking threat against Derby late on, as Burnley hung on. But with a slender lead going into stoppage time, their confidence appeared brittle. Goalkeeper Gr\u00e9goire Coudert had been forced into a couple of late interventions after Ryan Hedges should have equalised for Derby on the hour mark.<\/p>\n

Then, just when it seemed Burnley\u2019s winless streak would be broken, the rocket from Fuseini snatched two points away, leaving them bottom of the Championship<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to take,\u201d said Hayen. \u201cIt\u2019s frustrating.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The greatest moments of Burnley\u2019s history were beamed on to a big screen before kick-off at Turf Moor,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":903669,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[440],"tags":[49,48,561,82],"class_list":["post-903668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-soccer","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-soccer","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/903668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=903668"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/903668\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/903669"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=903668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=903668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=903668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}