CHRIS Wood and Ashley Barnes ‘need each other’ according to Burnley boss Sean Dyche.

In a tactical age where it is something of a rarity to play two centre forwards, the Clarets manager has stuck to his guns in terms of how he wants his team to set up in the final third.

Wood and Barnes have become his go-to pair, both scoring in the 3-0 win over Watford on Saturday meaning their partnership has yielded 30 goals in the last 30 games they have played together.

Jay Rodriguez arrived in the summer to provide some real competition but has found it hard to shift the more established duo, the 30-year-old limited to just three league starts since his return home from West Bromwich Albion in the summer.

He has scored three goals, one of those coming in the EFL Cup exit against Sunderland back in August.

Dyche has flirted with a 4-3-3 system briefly at times this season to incorporate his three main front men, but there is seemingly no immediate change on the horizon, especially with the Clarets having risen to seventh in the Premier League after back-to-back victories.

“A lot has been made of me playing two centre forwards, but I think centre forwards are the best players, in that it’s the hardest job, so if there are two of them, commonsensically it gives you at least somewhat of a better chance,” the Burnley boss said.

“But I appreciate the players you’ve got, if you’ve got a key centre forward who needs other players in midfield to go and adapt, if you’ve got wide players who can come inside and join in with the centre forward, then that’s another weapon.

“But with us, I think they need each other - and Jay Rod as well, he came on and nearly nicked a goal (against Watford) and was effective.

“I do like playing two centre forwards.

 “I think it’s effective, when they play well, together, and when they link, when they do that, you usually see two centre halves in trouble.”

Both Wood and Barnes have six goals to their names this season, the former’s coming in his last six games.

That is after the pair tied on 13 in all competitions in the 2018-19 campaign.

As well as Rodriguez, Dyche also has Matej Vydra at his disposal, the Czech Republic international having been battling a hip problem in recent weeks.