It’s a thankless task, being an English football manager.
Thankless, that is, when you lose. No room for manoeuvre in the crying game, increasingly dictated by the success-now-at-all-costs demands of the fans, the boardroom, and, sadly, those writing the cheques.
Little is left for a talented manager to do when his one job was to win games of football. Without that, the CV doesn’t matter; the backdrop won’t pay your bail money, and what friends you had all turn on you because they can’t publicly support you any more.
So it was with Nicky Hayen, the Burnley manager who wasn’t given enough time to prove his ability, or, more probably, to prove that what you did in 2024 has next to no bearing on what you achieve in 2026. You’re only as good as your last game, they say. By now the Belgian thinker at the helm of the Lancashire club is looking for another chance to rekindle what momentum he had a few years ago.
This all means that Dastan Satpayev, about whom Hayen spoke so fondly earlier in the season, is without a boss and probably wondering who will get off the merry-go-round and saunter through the Burnley revolving door with a suitcase tentatively filled with just enough to be able to re-pack if he, too, fails to reach the playoff zone before Santa comes along.
As Kazakh club football is blessed with more stability than its English counterpart, a summary of the European game might simply be summed up by the words, ‘just win!’ when we are talking about managers of clubs anywhere in the Top 18 divisions, who tend to find themselves out of a job before they get anywhere near the end of the proverbial bad patch. Few such trainers have survived when unable to turn things around, although those who have often demonstrate the value of boardroom patience and allowing a manager time.
That was never going to be the case with Nicky Hayen, who took over at a club hotly tipped to return to the Premier League but which now has fans expressing concerns that they might end up like Luton or Leicester, who also thought they were ‘too good to end up in League One’.
Dastan Satpayev is not the reason for this mess; indeed, he is probably part of why they are not cut adrift at the foot of the table. He has given 100% for his loan club, and the fans recognise his contribution. But one player can’t save an entire club, meaning that the next manager will step into one of the hardest jobs currently on offer in England.
That man will have one job: to win games of football – but in order to stand a chance of that, he will have to unite a squad of young talent, raring to go, and some ageing players, who (some have claimed) consider themselves too good for even the Championship, let alone its relegation zone.
The Next Burnley Manager
Among those tipped to take over at Turf Moor and on whom Dastan Satpayev’s career will partly depend, the favourites are, in no particular order:
Steven Gerrard
This is an odd one for many fans, as one good season with Rangers excepted, the Liverpool legend has reminded football fans that being a good player does not necessarily mean becoming a good manager. Not long since back from a very well-paid gig in Saudi Arabia, the Scouser doesn’t have a good record and left Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi League ‘by mutual consent’, which in layman’s terms means he didn’t do very well.
“Football is unpredictable, and sometimes things don’t go the way we want,” said Gerrard.
In fairness to Steven Gerrard, he is a much sought-after manager and is often linked with top jobs, but this hasn’t always worked out. With his other English club, Aston Villa, even the mutual consent was absent, as he was dismissed having performed scarcely better than Nicky Hayen did at Burnley. At least the tops are the same colour.
Should Gerrard get the job, he is likely to pick Satpayev. As to whether Satpayev, or any of the other players, understands Gerrard’s tactics remains to be seen.
Sean Dyche – Return of the King?
Former Burnley manager Sean Dyche could make a shock return to his old club, one for whom he worked for a decade from 2012-2022, a spell which included one relegation but a quick return to the Premier League, then qualification for the Europa League in 2022. This led to a local Burnley pub being renamed ‘The Royal Dyche’ in his honour, although Burnley then failed to make it to the final stages of the tournament when they lost to Greek side Olympiacos.
Dyche has got himself a reputation in English football as a saviour, a man who finds a way to keep a side in their division, usually the Premier League. As Burnley are so desperate to avoid a double-dip relegation, he could be their man.
As to what this means for Dastan Satpayev, well, he stands a good chance of being selected, but Dyche teams are not known for pretty, flowing football; instead, the man himself is labelled ‘anti-football’ by pundits less than impressed by his unattractive style. So if this is the way Burnley choose to go, it might not be so pleasing on the eye, and it might mean that young Dastan doesn’t get the chance he needs to shine.
The other names are listed, but won’t make for such entertainment on the page, if indeed they do on the pitch, but it is often the case that big-name managers (frequently just somebody who’s been sacked four or five times) don’t have what it takes any more (usually why they are available in the first place).
Dave Challinor, Rob Edwards, Steve Cooper, Craig Bellamy, Gary Rowett, Karl Robinson, and Scott Parker. Add to those a few lesser-fancied names: Robbie Keane, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Thomas Frank.
Scott Parker
Of the names above, Scott Parker was previously Burnley’s manager and is well known for getting teams promoted TO the Premier League but then doing badly when in it. A Championship specialist could be the answer for Burnley now; Parker is precisely that. And he would be a perfect mentor for Satpayev’s career aspirations, as he uses ‘wingers’ in a way that would allow the Kazakh to play to his strengths.
According to Total Football Analysis, Parker’s sides:
Often look to press in the wide areas more than centrally, with this part of the strategy being to pin the ball to one side first before engaging.
Carlos Corberan
Perhaps the best opportunity for Satpayev will be if Spaniard Carlos Corberan takes the helm, as the Marcelo Bielsa protege has a very high-intensity attacking style of play which sees his teams utilise fast, vertical thrusts into space using pace-heavy runners or a hardworking central striker. Notable indeed, when you consider that Pep Guardiola (not in the running for this vacancy) said in 2017 that Bielsa was the best coach in the world.
In order to supply such a central striker, you need a pacey and committed player on each wing, and with Dastan Satpayev fully recovered from injury and available to start matches, the Kazakh-Spanish blend of class might just be what the Clarets need to finally climb the Championship table.
