2 Nicky Hayen replacements name-dropped as Burnley pressure grows | OneFootball

Sean Dyche and Carlos Corberan have been name-dropped as potential candidates to replace Nicky Hayen at Burnley

Burnley's difficult start to the Championship season has yielded just three points from their first seven games, and following a damning 3-1 away defeat to Swansea City at the weekend, the pressure is beginning to grow on head coach Nicky Hayen.

It's been far from the return to the second tier that Burnley were expecting following their relegation last campaign, having failed to win any of their opening seven league games thus far.

The Clarets sold the likes of Loum Tchaouna, Florentino Luis, Maxime Esteve, Martin Dubravka, Jaidon Anthony, and Zian Flemming over the summer, as well as losing head coach Scott Parker, with a huge summer of change at Turf Moor ensuing.

Whilst few had expected them to be the same beast the last three times they were in the division, being promoted on each occasion, few had also expected for performances and results to have been as bad as they have, as the pressure grows on Hayen to turn things around ASAP.

Nicky Hayen is under pressure after a difficult start to life at Burnley

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Hayen, 46, joined Burnley in the summer after numerous trophies, including the Belgian top flight with Club Brugge, and it was hoped he could follow in the footsteps of Sean Dyche, Vincent Kompany, and Parker to take the club back to the Premier League.

However, after seven games, it's looking increasingly likely that he will break that trend, drawing three and losing four of their opening seven league games, conceding 16, the same amount the Clarets conceded across the entirety of the 2024/25 Championship campaign.

It was always going to be a difficult task for Hayen to match up with his predecessors, but he hasn't come close to showing any signs of being capable of doing so, and with the pressure building, it could be a matter of time before he's given his marching orders.

Football League World's Burnley fan pundit name-drops former Clarets boss and West Brom head coach as potential Nicky Hayen replacements

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Football League World's Burnley fan pundit, Aaron Wright, has shared their thoughts on whether they can see Hayen being sacked sooner rather than later, and if so, who the obvious candidate to replace the Belgian would be.

Aaron said: "If history teaches us anything, no. He'll be patient and wait until it's almost too late. But I think, with the fanbase pressure, I think this derby game this weekend is a must-win for Nicky Hayen, because otherwise, the fanbase turns on him as well. He's had a pretty clear run at the minute.

"If he were to be sacked. I think there are two clear options, although both are unlikely. One is the obvious shout of getting the man in to fix it who built it - get Dyche in, and just go, 'here's your club back, fix it, and we can work everything else in there.'

"I think his ego's too high for that, so we want a head coach, and with recent news, that probably leaves Corberan as the standout candidate.

"Whether he'd want the job immediately is a different matter. And then you've got the obvious, Graham Alexander shout that people will have because of his success at Bradford."

Burnley must be cautious in considering Nicky Hayen's future

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Before taking a drastic decision on Hayen's future, Burnley must weigh up the pros and cons of a potential dismissal, and what it could mean for the club's long-term future.

Should he be dismissed, a replacement they believe can have a more positive impact must already be in the crosshairs; otherwise, it would just be a huge risk to press the red button without a backup plan.

Burnley's squad is clearly better than 24th in the Championship, and though Hayen will point to the array of departures over the summer, some results and performances have been inexcusable.

Things could turn around quickly if Hayen is given more time, or they could just become worse, as Burnley must be very careful when considering their next move.