Why Scott Parker isn’t cut out for the Premier League
When Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea conceded 15 league goals on their way to Premier League glory in 2004/05, many thought there would never be a stingier defence in English football. That was until Scott Parker arrived at Turf Moor, heaving a suitcase bulging with cardigans and bomber jackets.
Parker’s Burnley seem almost impossible to score against this season. James Trafford has conceded just nine goals in 31 games—the fewest any team has conceded at that stage in Premier League and EFL history, and one fewer than Petr Cech in 2004/05 after the same number of games.
The Clarets sit third in the Championship, three points behind Sheffield United in second, and are unbeaten in 18 games. They have conceded 12 goals in 34 games across all competitions, and their 1-0 FA Cup win at Southampton marked their 10th clean sheet in 11 matches.
The style of play is dividing opinion within the Burnley fanbase. Parker’s side have already matched the most 0-0 draws (10) in a Championship season since 2008, and a Burnley player hasn’t scored a goal at home since December.
When pushing for a return to the top flight, is it worth grinding out results by any means possible to get there at the expense of an entertaining spectacle?
‘Parkerball’
Parker secured promotion from the Championship with Fulham (2020) and Bournemouth (2022) at the first attempt. It was during stints at these clubs the colloquial phrase ‘Parkerball’ was born, sending shivers down the spines of Cottagers and Cherries fans when uttered.
Parkerball is unofficially defined as a dull, unimaginative brand of football – possession for possession’s sake. It got results, aided by squads at Fulham and Bournemouth souped up by parachute payments that were far too good for the Championship.
Despite an alarmingly low xG, Parker had Aleksandar Mitrovic at Craven Cottage and Dominic Solanke at the Vitality leading the line. The Serb and Englishman claimed the Golden Boot with 26 and 29 goals during their respective seasons, bailing their manager out of numerous slugfests.
Parker’s Burnley have been poor in front of goal without a prolific centre forward to spare his blushes. They rank 11th in the league for goals scored, 13th for shots on target per match, and 20th for both xG and big chances.
Joe Redmond of TurfCast told TalkSport: “At the moment we’re not winning enough games. We should be beating more teams. Us fans expect 0-0 draws now. It’s not us just missing chances, it’s the fact that we’re not creating anything.”
TurfCast’s comment sections are littered with comments such as: “Horrible to watch,” and “I fell asleep around the 60th minute.”
It should be noted that many supporters back Parker because he is getting positive results. Even if it can be a tough watch at times, will it be worth it if Parkerball could keep Burnley up in the Premier League?
A history of failure at the top
Parker’s two stints in the top flight were disastrous. The Whites whimpered to an 18th-placed finish in 2021, despite boasting talent including André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Ademola Lookman, and Ola Aina. The Englishman opted for Ivan Cavaleiro up top at times over Mitrovic, with the former netting three goals in 36 appearances.
Fulham’s football was overly cautious yet defensively frail, and familiarly, mind-numbingly boring.
Bournemouth sacked Parker after just four Premier League games in charge of the 2022/23 season. The Cherries were trounced 9-0 by Liverpool before Parker described his team as “ill-equipped” to compete at this level.
Marco Silva has since thrived with the same core group of players, Gary O’Neil steadied the ship to keep Bournemouth up, and Andoni Iraola is currently working wonders – highlighting the tactical ineptitude of Parker at each club. Both sets of fans complained of a lack of identity on the pitch.
What can Burnley fans expect?
If Burnley earns promotion and gets another stab at the top flight next term, perhaps being extremely difficult to break down could be an effective strategy for survival.
Parker may look to ex-Clarets boss Sean Dyche’s philosophy, ripping up the playbook of Vincent Kompany whose side let in 78 goals in a dismal campaign last season. At the other end of the pitch, smart investment could change their goal-scoring fortunes to give the Lancashire club a fighting chance.
But history has proven that even with Premier League calibre attackers at his disposal, Parker is unable to get the most out of his players. While Championship opposition struggles to grind Burnley down, it seems fanciful that top-flight teams would experience similar issues.
Parker tarnished his legacy at Fulham and Bournemouth by falling out with both boards and in turn the fans over lack of investment. Burnley famously doesn’t have the deepest of pockets, making a self-imploded ending to his tenure at Turf Moor seem likely if form starts to turn upon their potential Premier League return.
Promotion at any cost
Fans yearn for moments that get you off your seat. Clarets fans watching their side draw 0-0 one in every three games is not most people’s idea of value for money.
Maybe Parker will propel Burnley to a near-invincible campaign and restore Burnley to part of the Premier League furniture. Perhaps most supporters won’t mind defensive-minded football as long as they are dining at the table with England’s elite.
But Parker is starving Burnley fans of moments to cheer about, a price that doesn’t seem worth paying.
