‘What a joke’ – Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville slam Burnley decision to sack Sean Dyche

Carragher was joined by a number of pundits in criticising Burnley

Jamie Carragher has slammed Burnley's decision to sack long-serving manager Sean Dyche and described it as "a joke." Dyche was relieved of his duties at Turf Moor after almost 10 years in charge at the club with the Clarets in the midst of a relegation battle. With just eight games to go, Burnley are four points behind 17th-placed Everton however despite their struggles on the pitch, Dyche's future had never previously been questioned.

Burnley's official statement

The club's statement said: "Burnley Football Club can confirm the Club has parted company with manager Sean Dyche, assistant manager Ian Woan, first-team coach Steve Stone and goalkeeping coach Billy Mercer.

"Dyche was the longest-serving manager in the Premier League, having been in charge of the Clarets for nine-and-a-half years, overseeing a period which will go down as one of the most successful in the Club’s history. "During this time, the team was promoted twice from the Championship, achieved two top-half Premier League finishes and qualified for Europe for the first time in 51 years."

Meanwhile club chairman Alan Pace paid tribute to the work the 50-year-old had done in his time in Lancashire. "Firstly, we would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Sean and his staff for their achievements at the Club over the last decade," he said. "During his time at Turf Moor, Sean has been a credit both on and off the pitch, respected by players, staff, supporters, and the wider football community. "However, results this season have been disappointing and, while this was an incredibly difficult decision, with eight crucial games of the campaign remaining, we feel a change is needed to give the squad the best possible chance of retaining its Premier League status."

Social media's reaction to Dyche's sacking

The decision left the football world shocked with many disagreeing with the decision to sack Dyche, who previously appeared to be under no particular job threat. Sky Sports pundit Carragher was one of those who found the move baffling and he instead cited the lack of funds the club had given Dyche to work with over the years. He tweeted: "What a joke. If you had given him a decent budget you would never have had a worry about getting relegated." https://twitter.com/Carra23/status/1514903189383958528 Carragher was also joined by his on-air colleague Gary Neville who said: "Well done to Sean Dyche for doing one of the great managerial jobs in PL history. "He had a bantamweight budget and yet punched hard against the heavyweights for years." https://twitter.com/GNev2/status/1514930454931120132 Fans of the Clarets were also left bemused by the decision. One supporter said: "If you think SD couldn't keep us up, you bin him after Watford, if you think we're already down. Give him till seasons end, he's earned the right to say goodbye to the fans and be thanked for his contribution to the club's history. Shameless decision." https://twitter.com/MartinPrudden/status/1514948937240690690 Another fan said: "Worst day of my life." https://twitter.com/dillerrrr2/status/1514904584526999552 Burnley face West Ham United on Sunday. Related links:

• Wilfried Zaha finally has the Crystal Palace team he deserves
• Thomas Tuchel reveals he has apologised to Conor Gallagher
• Sean Dyche sacked by Burnley after nine years in charge

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