Blues boss Mick McCarthy believes his Burnley counterpart Sean Dyche was very unfortunate to lose his job at Watford in July 2012, but says he’s done “brilliantly” to build a Clarets side which is currently top of the Championship having taken over at Turf Moor three months later.
"He was very unlucky,” McCarthy said. "But as it turned out that turned out to be a good decision for Watford because they got in the play-offs. Who knows what would have happened with Sean.
"I spoke to him at the time he was very disappointed but he’s resurrected himself and doing brilliantly, he’s top of the league with a good team, I might add. A really solid, well-organised outfit, they are.
"They have been a very, very good club, a top club and they’ve been in the Premier League more recently than we have, what was it three years ago? And they played some great stuff then, I might add.”
Amongst a number of faces familiar to McCarthy in Dyche’s squad, which is unbeaten in nine and has lost only once this season, will be winger Michael Kightly, who is currently on loan from Stoke.
McCarthy signed Kightly from non-league Grays Athletic in 2006 when Wolves manager, the Basildon-born player going to win England U21 caps and to play in the Premier League.
The Blues boss says it’s pleasing for all concerned when gems are discovered in that manner: "It’s lovely for all of us who are involved with it, scouting systems, all your staff, the people with them, the coaching staff, we all take a bit of that credit.
"He’s a good one. We’ve got one here in Ty Mings, who we picked up [from Chippenham Town]. He’s been in the first team and played well.
"It’s great when you get them, it really is, sometimes you just have to take a chance on people. You could see with Michael Kightly from day one that he was going to be a player.
"You get a gut feeling as a manager and you think it, but quite clearly you don’t know it because a lot can happen. You take your chance when you see them and think ‘There’s a player there’.”
McCarthy hopes that Town’s good form at home, the Blues have won 14, drawn three and lost four at Portman Road since he took over just under a year ago, will bring in a big crowd.
"I would always hope that whatever good memories we left them with before we finished [for the international break] are still there and Burnley are coming, they’re top of the league," he said.
"We’ve got a great home record and Burnley have just got a great record home and away.
"The two teams are fairly similar. Both work very hard, both are very well organised, both are well drilled. There are some good players in both sides and it’ll be a really tough game. I’m looking forward to it, it should be a really good game.”