SEAN Dyche has sympathy for Liverpool’s fixture pile-up with it evoking memories of his run to the FA Cup semi-finals with Chesterfield.

The Burnley boss was part of the third tier Spireites side that took Middlesbrough to a replay in the last four in 1997.

That meant Dyche and his team-mates played seven games in final two weeks of the season, winning four and losing three as they fell out of play-off contention in the old Division Two.

Jurgen Klopp’s side will next month play two games in two days on the other side of the world to each other with their Carabao Cup quarter-final at Aston Villa being played 24 hours before a Club World Cup semi-final in Qatar.

“FA Cup semi-final year, add in games called off at Christmas, in the last two weeks we played Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Monday, Wednesday, Saturday,” said Dyche.

“Bear in mind we were pushing for promotion, because the FA wouldn’t extend the season for us.

“We were dead, we fell out of the play off zone with three games to go, we just couldn’t do it.

“We played Bristol City away, lost 2-0, and Jamie Hewitt slept all the way down, I remember thinking ‘you must be knackered!’.

“Its not easy sleeping on a bus, obviously we didn’t have hotels and all that, he slept all the way.

“But we’re talking about a different level of football, with all due respect, don’t get me wrong, they have support now, but the games are a much higher level, much higher pressure.

“I totally understand his concerns, you’re talking about the absolute pinnacle, Champions League, possible cup finals, winning the Premier League, that is a whole different ball game.

“I don’t know how you get round it, let’s face it, it you are successful, you’re going to have all these games in all these competitions, and you have international players.”

Despite Liverpool’s deep squad meaning two squads will be in operation on December 17 and 18, Dyche believes Klopp and other managers of top clubs have every right to speak out on fixture congestion.

“I think there’s a lot on it, so I totally understand when the managers get frustrated,” said the Clarets boss.

“Your instinct is to try and win everything so you get caught up in your successes. I don’t know what the answer is, I’ve been in those meetings, and you say ‘can we make the season a week longer, two weeks’, but you’ve got internationals.

"Back in the day, I remember Teddy Sheringham, in four years, the maximum amount of time he had off was two and a half weeks, and on year five, he had a bad season, meltdown, his body couldn’t take it.

“I do feel for them, it’s really hard on the super powers who are successful, but what do you do?

“I was at the Champions League Final, it’s 38 degrees, I was wet just sitting in the stadium, never mind playing, and then you expect them to play this amazing game, when really it’s hang on football, just get through it to win it, which is how it panned out, two teams slugging it out, muck and nettles.

"What will happen in 2022 with the World Cup? Imagine that? I feel for the top players and managers, they are a victim of their own successes.”