Burnley manager Sean Dyche has claimed that his side have more than one dimension associated with their style of play and they are capable of producing sequences of passes.
"I am a great believer in mixed football"
The Clarets boss suggested that football teams should not be perceived as 'long ball' or 'short ball' sides. He explained, "it's about coaching a team and players playing in a way that they think can affect the game. I am a great believer in mixed football. If you only have one way of playing it can make it difficult, it’s hard to make that work all the time."
Burnley have played more long balls than anyone in the Premier League this season but showed their passing ability with a move that encompassed 24 passes between nine players for the winning goal at Everton a fortnight ago.
Dyche suggested it is all about building "player intelligence". He added, "players at Manchester United, Paul Scholes for example, knew when to bring it to life and when to slow it down. It comes with experience."
"There's still a thrill about the long pass"
However, the former central defender still believes the direct approach can be exciting. Dyche explained, "there's still a thrill about the long pass. There's still a thrill about the ball going into the box and the ball breaking and we're not sure if it's going to be cleared or if somebody's going to score."
The Burnley boss is not overly concerned about how his side find the back of netting as long as they continue to do so on a regular basis. He concluded, "of course there are some fantastic passages of play now but still the moment of truth is getting the ball and putting it into the back of the net. However that comes around it's still joyous."
Dyche will be hoping for more of those moments against West Ham this weekend.