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Sean McCormick

Premier League headlines as Southampton make Burnley vow to Leeds United and relegation rivals

Here are your Premier League headlines on Wednesday, April 20.

Burnley hoping for 'jolt' from Sean Dyche sacking

Burnley caretaker boss Mike Jackson believes the shock sacking of Sean Dyche last week has made clear to the players the precarious position they find themselves in.

The Clarets are no strangers to a relegation battle, but this season's feels different, with a side who have won only four league games all term showing few signs they are about to dig themselves out of this hole.

Dyche paid the price on Good Friday as the club abruptly ended his nine-and-a-half-year reign only months after giving him a new four-year contract.

"I think that can be a trigger for a team sometimes," Jackson said. "It gives them a jolt. They think, 'This is where we're at, what do we do as a group now? Do we sit and wallow or do we come together and take on that challenge?'. From what I've seen so far that's what they've done."

READ MORE: Real Madrid legend Raul 'was considered' by Leeds United as Marcelo Bielsa replacement

Southampton vow to Burnley's relegation rivals

Ralph Hasenhuttl has no intention of using Southampton's remaining games to blood youngsters as he is no longer satisfied with merely avoiding Premier League relegation.

Saints banished any lingering fears of the drop by moving on to 39 points with six games to go following Saturday's 1-0 win over Arsenal.

Manager Hasenhuttl has aspirations of guiding the club to their first top-half finish in five years.
And, with loftier ambitions than previous seasons, the Austrian plans to field his strongest available XI during the run-in, beginning with Thursday's visit to struggling Burnley.

"I think it is visible that this season we are not speaking about 'now we are safe'," said Hasenhuttl. "I think that is the first time since I am here, we are not saying 'OK, now we are safe, so that's it'.

"This season we try to focus on higher targets and this is what we said. We are in this middle part of the table. It is very tight, every club now has the chance in the last six games to climb positions or to lose positions.

"This is the goal now. There is no time for looking for who can get the chance now. I think there should be a very clear message for everybody that the best XI should play and the players that deserve the most to play should get the chance to play."

Manchester United announce double departure ahead of summer rebuild

Manchester United chief scout Jim Lawlor and head of global scouting Marcel Bout have left the club ahead of the summer rebuild.
The Red Devils are reeling from Tuesday's chastening 4-0 defeat at rivals Liverpool, where the chasm in quality between the clubs was clear from the outset.

Interim manager Ralf Rangnick said after the match that United needed as many as 10 new players to order to close the gap and a shake-up to the recruitment team was announced the following day.

Chief scout Lawlor has decided to end his long association with the club and Bout, who came to Old Trafford as part of Louis van Gaal's backroom team in 2014, has also left.

A club spokesperson said: "Jim Lawlor has decided to step down from his role as chief scout in the summer after 16 years with the club. During that time, Jim played a key role in the development of multiple trophy-winning Manchester United teams and was an important source of guidance to Sir Alex Ferguson and each of the managers who have followed him.

"Jim leaves the club with our warmest thanks for his significant contribution and our very best wishes for the future. Marcel Bout has departed from his role as head of global scouting after eight years with the club.

"A respected figure within and outside of Manchester United, Marcel has played an important part as an assistant coach and in the strengthening of our scouting capabilities in recent years. Marcel leaves the club with our warmest thanks for his significant contribution and our very best wishes for the future."

Go here for all the latest Leeds United news.

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