Burnley ‘make Scott Parker sack plan’ with fans in uproar
Burnley could be forced to make a decision over the future of Scott Parker after the crowd’s reaction to their latest defeat at Turf Moor.
Parker’s side lost 2-0 to fellow relegation battlers West Ham last time out, further extending the gap to safety to 11 points despite Nottingham Forest’s defeat.
A win against West Ham would have seen Burnley close the gap to the Hammers to just two points, but they are instead being cut further adrift of safety.
The full-time whistle at Turf Moor was met with boos from the home crowd as many have now lost patience with Parker and his side’s performances.
However, former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Burnley are unlikely to sack Parker and may stick with him heading into next season.
Burnley make Scott Parker sack plan
Brown told Football Insider in December that Burnley could be forced to sack Parker as they have entered “panic stations” with relegation looming.
Their situation has since got worse, but there is a belief that there aren’t any managers available who would be able to improve their situation immediately.
“Burnley are in a very difficult position,” Brown told Football Insider.
“Everybody knows this season hasn’t been good enough, the fans aren’t happy, and they’re not winning games so of course fingers are pointed at the manager.
“But the problem they have is, there aren’t a lot of alternatives out there, if they do sack Parker where do they go to get somebody better?
“He did a great job to get them promoted with that wonderful defensive record, but the team isn’t good enough to compete in the Premier League.
“They’ve picked up some good points against Man United, Liverpool, Tottenham, but points aren’t enough to get them out of the position they’re in.
“I think they’ll look at the situation because they have to be realistic and think yes, they probably will go down, but Parker has shown he can lead them in the Championship.
“I don’t think anybody could come in and change their situation now, even though the pressure is on Parker with the results and the fans aren’t happy.
“I expect they’ll want to stick with him into next season one way or another, if that’s in the Championship then so be it, they’ll have to go again.”
Who could replace Parker at Burnley?
The pressure on Parker’s position has led to speculation about who might be available to replace him, with a lack of standout candidates coming to mind.
Gary O’Neil was previously tipped for the Burnley job, but has since taken over at Strasbourg where he is thriving, while Michael Carrick was tipped before his success at Man United.
Steven Gerrard could be an option for Burnley after he opted against taking the Rangers job in 2025 and remains out of work as things stand.
Football Insider exclusively revealed in October that Burnley had no plans to sack Parker despite slipping into the relegation zone, but that could change.
The lack of immediate top-class replacements could now force them to stick with him, while his previous success in the Championship remains a positive.
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