Burnley Sack Nicky Hayen After 4-1 Defeat at Lincoln Leaves Them Third Bottom
Burnley have sacked head coach Nicky Hayen after a 4-1 defeat at Lincoln City in the Championship on Saturday, October 24. The club announced the decision in a short statement after the match, saying the head coach had been dismissed with immediate effect following a disappointing start to the season.
Hayen, a 46-year-old Belgian, was appointed in July as the successor to Scott Parker, after Burnley had failed to land Wales boss Craig Bellamy and former Wolves manager Rob Edwards. He leaves with just one league win from 12 matches, a 4-0 victory at Watford on October 10. Burnley, relegated from the Premier League last season, sit third from bottom of the table on eight points, a worrying position for a side that started the season among the promotion favourites.
The defeat at Lincoln summed up the season. Burnley went ahead at Sincil Bank through Andreas Hountondji, but Ben House equalised for the hosts. Mikkel Ladefoged then scored twice, with a goal from Dom Jefferies in between, to give Lincoln a comfortable win. It was Burnley's sixth league defeat of the season.
Speaking after the match, before news of his dismissal emerged, Hayen apologised to the fans and said the story of the season was one of conceding easy goals. He also said he would not lose his energy over something out of his hands when asked about his job security.
His cup record was little better. Hayen's reign began with a Carabao Cup penalty shootout win over League One side Notts County, but Burnley went out in the next round on penalties to Bradford City. Including cup games, he was in charge for 14 matches.
The sacking leaves Burnley searching for a new head coach with the threat of back-to-back relegations growing. The Clarets sit in the bottom three with eight points from 12 games, and the board will have to act quickly to turn around a season that has slipped away at the bottom of the second tier.