Under-fire Burnley boss shares honest verdict on future as Portsmouth wait after international break
Pompey travelled to Turf Moor to face early strugglers Burnley on October 31.
Under-fire Burnley boss Nicky Hayen has conceded he doesn’t know whether he’ll still be in the Turf Moor hot-seat after the three-week international break.
But the Belgian remains 'resilient’ as he battles to keep his job, with Pompey waiting in the Championship after the stoppage.
It’s been a terrible start to the campaign for the second-tier new-boys, who were relegated from the Premier League last term.
Having appointed Hayen, who was sacked by Club Brugge in December 2025, on a three-year deal in the summer, Burnley now prop up the early-season standings just eight games in.
In fact, the Clarets are yet to pick up maximum points in the opening weeks of the campaign and are just one of three sides in the top four divisions of English football yet to taste victory.
Pressure is mounting on the 46-year-old just months into his tenure, with his side suffering stoppage-time heartbreak against Derby County on Saturday, with Mohammed Fuseini netting a 93rd-minute equaliser for the Rams.
Under-fire Burnley boss’ verdict on future as pressure mounts
With Burnley propping up the standings, uncertainty over Hayen’s future is growing, with the head coach unsure as to whether he will still be in the hot-seat after the international break.
Speaking to The Lancashire Telegraph, he said: ‘I don’t know.
‘I really hope so because I really work really hard for this club and I want to give back to the fans for their patience.
‘I really understand how disappointed they are and that they even blame me. I don’t have a problem with it.
‘I don’t know. You have to ask this question to other people, but I speak a lot with those people also.
‘We always do like a recap of the game and have feedback and always have an honest conversation.
‘So I don’t know what’s going to happen. I know the fans are disappointed. We have had a really bad start and this is also not what I expected.
‘But I’m always resilient. I’m always a fighter. Tomorrow I come back with a new positive energy. That’s always how I’ve worked. And that’s the energy that I want to bring towards the players and towards this club.’
Pompey’s first trip to Burnley in two years
John Mousinho’s troops currently sit 19th and four points above winless Burnley, who face Watford immediately after the stoppage.
With all eyes on Hayen’s future, Pompey make their first trip in two years to Turf Moor on October 31 in the midst of a hectic run of six matches in three weeks for the Blues.
Mousinho’s men return to action against Southampton on October 11 before games against Sheffield United, Norwich City, Wolves and Millwall ahead of their Lancashire visit at the end of October.