Nicky Hayen has issued a rallying cry to his Burnley squad ahead of Tuesday's Championship trip to Wrexham, insisting that the club will do "everything to try and change it" as they look to arrest a difficult spell of form.
The weight of recent results
The context behind Hayen's words is not hard to locate. Burnley have endured a turbulent run in the second tier, with a 4-1 defeat at Norwich City among the more painful results of a period that has tested the Belgian head coach's resolve. Tuesday's fixture at Wrexham arrives at a moment when the Clarets badly need a response, and Hayen made no attempt to downplay the urgency in his pre-match address to supporters.
Speaking ahead of the trip to the Racecourse Ground, Hayen chose directness over diplomatic language. The message, stripped of ambiguity, was that the squad understands the situation they are in and is prepared to face it head-on rather than wait for fortune to change without effort. That kind of tone from a manager often signals one of two things: a group that has lost its way and needs a public jolt, or a group that is frustrated by bad luck and wants to prove the table is flattering rivals. Given what we have seen this season, the first explanation carries more weight, though only Tuesday night will offer any real evidence either way.
A testing venue to prove a point
Wrexham are no straightforward proposition. Phil Parkinson's side have had their own inconsistencies to manage, as a recent Welsh derby result illustrated, yet they showed at Millwall that they can be dangerous on the road. Playing at home, with the Racecourse Ground crowd behind them, Wrexham will believe they can add to Burnley's discomfort.
For Burnley, the travelling support will be watching closely to see whether the squad responds to their manager's words on the pitch. Hayen has spoken before about character and resilience, with the phrase "Hayen urges Burnley to show character" already familiar to those following the club this season. The question is whether repeated calls for a reaction eventually yield one, or whether the underlying problems require more than motivation to solve.
It is worth noting that Burnley did bring Jamie Vardy to Turf Moor before the transfer window closed, a signing that divided opinion among supporters. Whether Vardy features against Wrexham, and what role he is given if he does, will be one of the more closely watched decisions Hayen must make. A fit, motivated Vardy playing in a team structured to supply him could yet prove a reasonable gamble; a misfiring Vardy in a side lacking cohesion would only deepen the frustration. We do not have the numbers yet to judge how the Vardy signing has affected Burnley's attacking output, because the sample is simply too small.
What the Clarets need from this fixture
A Championship away fixture in September is rarely the moment a season is won or lost, but it can shift momentum in a meaningful direction. Burnley need points; they also need, arguably more urgently at this stage, a performance that persuades the dressing room and the support that the direction of travel is changing.
Hayen's language, "we'll do everything to try and change it," is at once honest and carefully bounded. He has not promised results. He has promised effort and intent, which is the most a manager can credibly offer when form has deserted his side. Whether that is enough to convince Burnley's supporters will depend almost entirely on what they see at the Racecourse Ground on Tuesday.
Both clubs come into this one with points to prove. The Championship rarely waits for anyone to find their feet, and neither Hayen nor his players can afford to treat this fixture as anything other than an immediate opportunity to change the narrative.
Frequently asked
- When is Burnley's game at Wrexham?
- Burnley travel to Wrexham's Racecourse Ground on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, for a Championship fixture.
- What did Nicky Hayen say before the Wrexham game?
- Hayen issued a rallying cry to his Burnley squad, saying they will 'do everything to try and change it' as the club looks to reverse a difficult run of results in the Championship.
- How have Burnley been performing in the Championship recently?
- Burnley have endured a difficult spell, including a heavy 4-1 defeat at Norwich City, prompting manager Nicky Hayen to call for a stronger response from his players heading into the Wrexham fixture.