Liverpool vs Burnley preview - Rodgers praise for Burnley's Dyche

Posted Tuesday, March 03, 2015 by PA

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers thinks he will have to outwit one of the managers of the season to maintain his side's recent resurgence.

The Reds are unbeaten in 10 Barclays Premier League games but Rodgers expects a strong test as Sean Dyche brings relegation battlers Burnley to Anfield on Wednesday.

Early in that sequence Raheem Sterling struck as the Merseysiders edged to an unconvincing 1-0 win at Turf Moor and, despite the improvement in form since, Rodgers knows his team will need to be alert.

Rodgers said: "I rate Burnley as a team, and the manager in particular. Sean Dyche has done an incredible job at Burnley. He is a Premier League manager who is very talented.

"I think they have given absolutely everything to the cause. They got a great promotion and Sean is maybe up there, I am sure, as one of the candidates for manager of the year, irrespective of what happens."

Burnley are in the bottom three and in need of points after collecting just two from their last six games.

But amid that run they were unlucky in defeat at Manchester United and held leaders Chelsea to a creditable draw before conceding an unfortunate own goal to lose to Swansea last weekend. They also drew at champions Manchester City in December.

Rodgers said: "I am always impressed when I watch Burnley. I watch their workrate. They have gone away from home in big games and performed well and got good results.

"They have great motivation when they play, great commitment to stay in the league and they are fighting. They are a team we are wary of. They are always in it, they don't concede too many goals and are very organised at set-pieces. They are a good side and will be pushing all the way through to the end.

"We respect them but we want to get the three points. We are at home and we want to do everything we can to win."

Burnley will travel with every belief they have the gameplan and fitness to once again cause problems for one of the Barclays Premier League big guns, according to Clarets forward George Boyd.

Already this season, in what is the club's comeback top-flight campaign, Dyche's men have caused upsets by securing draws at home against Manchester United and away against champions Manchester City and leaders Chelsea.

And they will be hoping that stands them in good stead for picking up some vital points during a daunting-looking run of fixtures ahead - five fixtures in a row against teams in the current top seven - as they continue in their battle to avoid relegation.

Certainly Boyd feels Burnley can approach those matches, starting with the trip to Anfield, in confident mood.

The 29-year-old Scotland international said: "We've got results at City and Chelsea, we drew early in the season with Man United, and even at Old Trafford (where they recently lost 3-1), we battered them to be honest.

"So we are full of confidence that we can go to places like Anfield, put in good performances and get points.

"I think we've grown throughout the season (with the belief) that we do belong at this level."