Hayen Targets First Win as Burnley Visit Watford

Burnley will seek to end their prolonged winless run when they visit Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday, October 10, 2026, in the Championship. Manager Nicky Hayen believes an extended international break has helped his squad rebuild confidence, improve tactical organization, and prepare for a result that could lift the club from the bottom of the table.

According to BBC Sport, Burnley have gone 23 games without a victory in 90 minutes, with their most recent such win coming against Crystal Palace in February. Their poor run continued after relegation from the Premier League, and they entered the October break without a win in the 2026-27 Championship campaign.

Burnley currently sit 24th with four points, while Watford occupy 20th place with eight points, according to BBC's Championship standings. Burnley also missed an opportunity to secure a much-needed victory before the break after conceding a late equalizer against Derby.

Hayen said the international period offered an opportunity to reset, particularly because several players returned from national-team duty with positive experiences.

"What was positive was that players were playing in the international break for their national team and had positive and successful experiences," Hayen told BBC Radio Lancashire.

The Burnley manager said those experiences had helped improve the atmosphere within the squad ahead of the return to competitive action.

"They came back with a different mindset, with lots of energy and positivity and this is also something that I have to bring into the team." Hayen said.

Hayen acknowledged that the team's previous results could not be changed and emphasized the importance of focusing on upcoming fixtures.

"From now we just have to look forward and of course we can talk about but it won't help us towards the future so this has to be a new episode for us starting from Saturday," he added.

Burnley also arranged a friendly against League Two side Oldham Athletic during the break. Hayen said the additional preparation time had helped players work together and develop a more constructive approach.

"We had this window to build and having players back who had the positive experience [we can] work together to have that first win." Hayen said.

Speaking to the club's media team, Hayen described the break as an opportunity to improve both physical readiness and tactical consistency. He also said spending time away from football had helped him return with renewed energy.

"I went back to see the family and switch off from football for a little bit. Like the players did, I came back with a lot of positive energy, and I want to show this on the pitch." Hayen said.

The coach said the additional training sessions had allowed the squad to concentrate on match preparation and reinforce its playing principles.

"I had a good few weeks with the players to practice and be ready for the next game." Hayen said.

Hayen also highlighted improvements in physical preparation and the team's daily training routines.

"We’ve worked really well on the physical aspects but also on the principles, on the habits, so we can be ready." Hayen said.

He said establishing a recognizable tactical identity was a central objective after Burnley had frequently changed their approach during matches.

"First of all, the main focus has been tactical because we want to show a different face to what we have already shown. A clear identity, I can imagine that no one saw the real face because we changed a lot of things during games. But this is the first thing that we want to show. Of course, you have to train these habits, but also the energy, the intensity has to be higher than we showed.

"Also, cohesion within the team and the mental part. There were a lot of things that we worked on.

Hayen added that players returning from international duty could help strengthen the team's mentality and collective energy.

"It was also positive that there were players playing in the international break for their national team who had positive and successful experiences and they come back with a different mindset, with lots of energy. And this is something that they have to bring into the team." Hayen said.

Burnley will be without Josh Cullen for the Watford match after the midfielder suffered a setback during training. Hayen estimated that Cullen would need another seven to 10 days before returning, while Jaydon Banel was also expected to be sidelined for approximately one week.

"Unfortunately, Josh Cullen had a setback a few days ago so it will be between 7-10 days before he comes back. He was actually quite good in the training sessions, did very well, and then had a little knock, unfortunately for us and for him because he was really close to the team. But now we have to be patient for another week to 10 days." Hayen said.

The manager also provided updates on other squad members as Burnley assessed their availability for the trip.

"Like Josh, Jaydon Banel also had a little setback so it will also be one week.

Hayen confirmed that Dastan was back in full training and available for selection.

"Dastan is back, he’s fully in training and will be ready to be in the selection.

Oliver Sonne had also returned to training after a minor problem.

"Oliver Sonne is back, he trained today. He had a little problem, but he had a full training session today." Hayen said.

Hayen acknowledged that Watford's approach changes depending on whether they are playing at home or away. He expects the hosts to adopt a more attacking style at Vicarage Road, despite their own difficult position in the standings.

"They play a different style at home than away. They play more positive football at home, but they are also not in the best situation at the moment." Hayen said.

The Burnley manager said his team needed to concentrate on its own performance rather than become distracted by Watford's recent results.

"We just have to look to ourselves. They will just talk the same way that we are talking, they are not in the best form and that we need confidence.

Hayen said Burnley had worked hard during the break and remained confident about their preparation for Saturday's match.

"We just want to see to ourselves. We’ve worked really hard to prepare for this game and we’re really confident that we will be there." Hayen said.

Watford manager Alessio Dionisi is also preparing for the return to Vicarage Road. The Watford Observer reported that Dionisi was eager to be back in front of the club's supporters for the home fixture against Burnley.

According to BBC's team information, Watford were listed in a 4-2-3-1 formation under Dionisi, with Ravaglia in goal and Kjerrumgaard leading the attack. Burnley, meanwhile, will attempt to translate their improved training atmosphere into their first league victory of the season.