"I think we showed a lot of signs of continued belief in the growth, and literal growth in performances, last season, that's stuttered a bit at the beginning of this season, for many different reasons I feel.

"We know where the team is statistically and we know that still needs adjusting but, for the last number of weeks, we are showing signs of getting back to where we want to be. We know we still need to do more on the offensive side."

Burnley sit on nine points, one point above the bottom three, alongside Newcastle, who have hit form after a winless first 11 games of the season, beating Watford and Bournemouth back to back.

"Sometimes there's a bottoming out period and then a team's ready to go again," said Dyche.

"You need a couple of twists and a couple of bits of luck and you might get a result, and then you get another one and life feels different. Maybe they're going through that.

"I don't think there's any radical difference in the shape of the side and the belief in what the manager wants them to do. They've got energy, they've got a belief, they want to take on the challenge.

"I think for the first time in recent seasons the superpowers are way in front but the rest are not. It's a clutch of teams that are all working hard to get points on the board."

With manager Rafael Benitez and his players caught in the middle of the toxic relationship between the Newcastle fans and owner Mike Ashley, a couple of wins will not change the mood radically on Tyneside.

Like Dyche, Benitez was unable to achieve what he had hoped for in the summer transfer window, and has already warned fans to expect more of the same in January.

Dyche will not be feeling too sorry for his opposite number, saying: "It's not new to have limitations in the transfer market that's for sure. It's just the realities of any given club.

"There's is slightly different I think, there's a little bit of noise off the pitch. Ours has got clarity to the way we work, it's just a different way of working. So I can empathise, but I don't sympathise with too many on that."

Burnley's injury concerns are easing, with Steven Defour (knee) fit to play and James Tarkowski on track to make a quick return following hernia surgery, while Ben Gibson, Stephen Ward and Nick Pope are also making good progress.

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