Sean Dyche has suggested a novel way for football managers to help fans beat lockdown blues – playing lookalikes.
And the Burnley boss has even said any rival bosses not willing to join in should be slapped with a wet fish!
Dyche gave his thoughts as a routine press conference to preview his side’s Premier League clash with Manchester City on Wednesday drifted off-topic.
The subject of lookalikes came up and one reporter likened Dyche, 49, to the Simply Red frontman Mick Hucknall.
“It’s uncanny you say that,” joked Dyche. “Apparently I look very much like Chris Evans too. Personally speaking I can’t see it, but apparently I do.
“Thank you very much for reminding everyone of that clear fact that I, obviously, do look like Mick Hucknall.”
Dyche added that regularly discussing lookalikes with media would make for far more entertaining press conferences.
He said: “They’re brilliant because they’re less boring. Lockdown is really hard for everyone and really boring for everyone. So we’re just having a natter and showing a bit of humanity in the world. We are human.”
Clearly warming to the matter, Dyche insisted this would not be lowering the tone.
“We’re not sinking,” he said. “We’re raising ourselves to lookie-likeys. Lookie-likeys make the world go round.
“Have you ever sat in a pub – although that seems like a distant memory – with your mates and just sat there and found lookie-likeys in the pub? It’s one of the best bits of fun you’ll ever have in a night. I love lookie-likeys. We’re not lowering ourselves, we’re raising the bar!”
Dyche also shared his own favourite ‘lookie-likey’.
We have updated our Media section accordingly. 👍 https://t.co/zGB4dg7kuC pic.twitter.com/LTrTEOVkyW
— Nat. Football Museum (@FootballMuseum) February 3, 2021
He said: “Has anyone seen the kids’ film ‘Up’? You know the little old man with the glasses? I swear to you, we were playing away at Sunderland and a live, human version of that man in ‘Up’ was there!”
He then told reporters to talk to other managers about this when they get the chance.
Dyche said: “If you want to get to the real depths of reporting, go around all the Premier League managers and ask, ‘Do you play the lookie-likey game?’
“If they give you a boring answer, we will drive down and slap them with a wet fish and say, ‘That is for your boring answer about lookie-likeys’.”
