Burnley

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We asked for your views on whether Scott Parker should remain as boss next season or leave the club after being relegated to the Championship.

Here are some of your comments:

Bob: Parker should stay. We don't need any more upheaval. He can get us out of the Championship. I think he will have learnt a lot about his tactics and the fans expectations. We go again.

Mark: He needs to go ASAP. We've been dreadful all season with Parker at the helm. We need a fresh start and somebody with fresh ideas and tactics to give us some spark. A lot of Burnley fans say keep him, he does well in the Championship. He may do, but he can't do it in the Premier League and has no tactical knowledge on how to play in the Premier League. I'd go for Thomas Frank, who personally knows how to win the Championship and knows the Premier League.

Steve: Scott could very well do his specialist thing and get the Clarets promotion again. What he would likely benefit from, should that happy thing come about next season, would be the backing of the board to bring in Premier League-quality players and a well-experienced assistant manager.

Colin: Parker has shown at Bournemouth, Fulham and Burnley that the Championship is his limit. If he remains at Burnley for a further season, fans will not want another one full of scoreless draws.

Gareth: Parker has a 100% record of failure in the Premier League and a 100% success rate in the Championship. His teams are always relegated and, respectively, always promoted. So, whilst I've had my personal fill of Scott Parker - his tactical ineptitude, his vanity, and the stream-of-consciousness drivel he comes out with to the media - there is no better manager at Championship level. Another dreary season of Parker ball would be worth it to get us promoted back to the Premier League. And then sack the man, in 12 months time, before he can do any more damage.

Mike: Definitely need a change of manager. He might be a Championship promotion specialist but we need a motivational man. Even 'hoofball' Dyche would be a welcome change for me as a last resort. Having said that, I welcome the drop - the Championship is a better spectacle and without VAR. Burnley doesn't have the money or need to be at the business end of football. It is a town and a fans' club. Let's return to the real lifeblood of football.

Keith: Parker should have gone before Christmas, everybody could see where this season was heading. The board have to bear responsibility for letting this season slide into the shambles it became. One win in 25 says all you need to know. Parker is a very decent guy but the football is tedious and boring. Time for a fresh start.

Bob: How could he possibly stay after such an awful season? His mismanagement of the club is there for all to see. If the board were to keep him, I think fans would not tolerate it.

Scott Parker's future as Burnley manager is in the balance following the club's Premier League relegation and former Rangers and Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard, 45, could be in contention to replace the 45-year-old. (Talksport), external

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Natalie Bromley
Fan writer

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This may well be the first relegation I have ever been through where I felt nothing. Not anger, not sadness, not relief. As the final whistle went at Turf Moor on Wednesday night, my Dad and I just simply shrugged at each other and walked to the car. We talked briefly about how we at least won't need to put up with VAR next season, but then returned to our conversations about how I go about driving in a European country, and whether I can fix the leak in my bathroom sink myself (conclusion: I need a plumber).

Scott Parker's post-match interview was telling, in that there was no mention at all of his fans. No words of empathy, no encouraging battle cry and no acknowledgement of their likely disappointment. Perhaps that is our own fault - we have not been shy in vocalising our lack of support for him, and despair at his tactical skills - but the rift between club and fan base is, at present, very apparent.

His future is, if you believe the press, now under discussion with no decision yet being made. It seems futile speculating over likely replacements at this stage - he may well be in the dugout come August - but we are looking at a likely exodus of the current squad, a change in manager and only Kyle Walker pledging his commitment to the Championship campaign.

Is a fresh start necessary? Yes, I think so. But I also empathize with a board who don't want to be a "sacking club" and who seek some longer-term stability. Having to start again for the third time since ALK took over is far from ideal. But sleepwalking into a long spell in the EFL is not the answer either.

So if a new era of manager and squad is necessary, get it right this time.

Find more from Natalie Bromley at No Nay Never podcast, external

Should Parker stay or go? Tell us here

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Former Burnley defender David Unsworth says Scott Parker "deserves a second chance" after the Clarets were relegated from the Premier League following the 1-0 defeat by Manchester City on Wednesday.

Speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire, Unsworth said: "It was a competitive game. They stayed in it the whole time, created chances in the first half and defended with their lives second half.

"The fans stayed with them, which was massive. It wasn't embarrassing - City didn't run away with it.

"The effort was there, it was just a lack of quality.

"I hope Parker stays and has the chance to redeem a poor season. I don't think he's been handed the best cards.

"He deserves a second chance and I don't think a massive rebuild is needed. There is quality in the squad to come back up, but will they have the finances to really attack the Premier League in two seasons' time?

"If anyone can get Burnley up it's Scott Parker. His Championship success is there for all to see and I really hope he has that opportunity."

Hear more of the interview with Unsworth, external

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Burnley's position as yo-yo kings was confirmed with Premier League relegation, following Wednesday's 1-0 defeat by Manchester City, meaning next season will be their fifth year in a row of flitting between the top two divisions.

Only Fulham, between 2017-18 and 2021-22, have 'achieved' that before - with current Clarets boss Scott Parker also involved there.

It has led observers to wonder how Burnley can break this cycle... or if they even want to.

They will want it to go on for a sixth year at least - to take them back up.

Former Burnley winger Glen Little said it wouldn't surprise him if the Clarets "come straight back up" but added it's a shame that this season they are "the odd ones out" in terms of newly-promoted sides remaining in the Premier League.

Little told BBC Sport: "I suppose we could say we have been fortunate that every time we've been relegated, we have come straight back up and so it keeps the parachute payments."

"And then you get the Premier League money again after promotion."

Four times now, the Clarets have been relegated from the Premier League a year after coming up, equalling Norwich's record.

In total they have been promoted to the Premier League five times, and now relegated from it five times. Since 1992, they have been through eight English league promotions and six relegations. Only Rotherham, with eight of each, can beat that.

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We asked for your views after Burnley's relegation back to the Championship was confirmed following a 1-0 defeat to title-chasers Manchester City.

Where do you think it went wrong this season? Are there any positives or learnings to take into next season?

Here are some of your thoughts:

Emma: Hooray for the Championship! More teams, more games, more wins and more fun for the fans, plus no VAR! It's always a great feeling to be promoted, but the Premier League is little fun for fans of smaller clubs like Burnley.

Ted: Dear Mr Pace, can we please have our club back now that relegation is confirmed? You surely cannot accept the dross that is Scott Parker any longer. The performances have collapsed, gloom is hanging over the entire club, crowd numbers are down and - to nobody's surprise - so are we! I know you say you're not an expert in football, but you're a business manager so you must see proper change is required!

Rennie: The manager did not get the best out of this squad. We were poor in defence on the turnover and we were leaving huge gaps that were ruthlessly exploited. We also couldn't create and finish chances, with only Zian Flemming and Jaidon Anthony showing the necessary quality. It has been sure enough a disappointing season, where do we go from here I wonder?

Jeff: If you get promoted to the Premier League, you must spend money on players. If you don't, you go back down. That's the message to Burnley, yet again.

Graeme: Scott Parker is utterly out of his depth. He has no tactics, a penchant for picking very poor players and a habit of making unfathomable substitutions. He should've been sacked in October. Instead we've had incompetent management and, in the main, incapable players. Without a complete clear-out - save Dubravka, Flemming, Anthony and perhaps Cullen - and a new manager, they will struggle in the Championship. I fear next season will be another battle against relegation, which they may very well lose.

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After 34 Premier League games, and four games remaining, Burnley's fate has been sealed in the 1-0defeat to Manchester City as they return to the Championship.

Former Burnley winger, Glen Little told BBC Sport that Burnley fans "were a bit spoilt" during Sean Dyche's era at the club and that the Clarets "overachieved" during Dyche's nine-year and five-month tenure.

"It might not have been sort of the best football to watch, the modern-day football that we see now, but it was effective at staying in the Premier League, but once Dyche left, we came down," said Little.

"When Vincent Kompany came in, he totally changed the style of football, the way we played, and we had a great season in the Championship, one of the best Championship teams we've ever seen."

After being relegated from the Premier League with Burnley in 2024, Kompany was appointed by German side, Bayern Munich.

Little added it was a "mess" when Scott Parker took over from Kompany, but the club "regrouped" and secured 100 points to return to the top-flight.

"It'll be interesting to see what happens with Scott Parker now. Will he decide to stay on and try and get us straight back up? We've seen him do it with Bournemouth, Fulham and also Burnley," said Little.

Although Burnley have yo-yoed between the Premier League and Championship in the past five seasons, Little believes "if we keep most of the players, I think we'll be straight back up again."

Burnley boss Scott Parker, speaking to BBC Match of the Day after his team's relegation: "Overall, I think the performance tonight speaks volumes of us as a group. The inevitable was there, but I am proud of the players, we just fell a bit short. Playing against Manchester City, you're going to have few opportunities - in fact we probably had quite a few. Overall a brilliant performance and for that I am immensely proud.

"I thought the stadium was brilliant tonight. It has been mixed at certain moments and I get the frustration, but we left everything on the pitch tonight. I said that to the group tonight; the paying spectators want to see that, and we did that to a tee."

On the future: "The club has had to [bounce back] over the last few years. There is a lot of learning to do and that is exactly what we'll do. We'll reflect on where we've fallen short. We need to work out where we've gone wrong and come back stronger next year."

If the club want to keep you, will you stay?: "It's been a relentless season for everyone, me included. We [he and the board] will sit down and reflect, work out where we move forward and go from there."

Burnley defender Kyle Walker, speaking to Sky Sports after the club's relegation: "It was a disappointing evening. I am a player for Burnley and I will do my best for the shirt to make sure we get a result. Unfortunately, now we are relegated, but we need to play the remaining games with that level of performance.

"What this club means to this town is incredible. I drive through it every day. It means a lot to them. From us to them, thank you for every bit of support this season, and hopefully we can do you proud next season.

"I came here with a dream to keep this club up. I achieved a lot personally, but this would have been right up there. It would have been very special to keep this club up.

"This is people's dreams that have now come to an end in the Premier League. They need to use this fire to make sure we are back here next season."

Did you know?

• Burnley have been relegated from the Premier League for the fifth time, only Norwich City (6) have ever dropped out of the competition more often.

• Burnley have lost four consecutive Premier League games for the second time this season (a run of 7 between November and December), losing their 22nd match of the campaign – having lost 24 games in both 2023-24 and 2009-10, only West Bromwich Albion have lost 22+ games in more Premier League seasons (4).

Shamoon Hafez
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

One year and one day ago, Burnley beat Sheffield United to celebrate automatic promotion back to the Premier League.

But that delight turned to despair as their long expected relegation was confirmed against Manchester City, lying 13 points adrift of 17th-placed West Ham with only four games left to play.

Captain Kyle Walker enjoyed lifting 17 trophies while at City but his spell at Burnley has been a miserable one, as the full-back and his team-mates bowed out with a whimper.

Boss Scott Parker has guided his side to just four wins all season, with just one of those coming in their past 25 league games - dating back to the start of November.

The Englishman's own record against City is dismal, losing all six meetings, while his Burnley side have now suffered defeat in 12 consecutive games against them.

Parker is a specialist at taking teams up to the Premier League, having done so three times during his managerial career, but it remains to be seen whether he will be given the opportunity to do so again next season.

Burnley have been relegated to the Championship after defeat against Manchester City.

Tell us, what went wrong this season? And were there any positives to take?

Get in touch with your views here

Burnley make three changes from the side that were beaten 4-1 at Nottingham Forest last time out.

Bashir Humphreys, Loum Tchaouna and Josh Laurent come in for Florentino, Marcus Edwards and Lesley Ugochukwu, who all drop to the bench.

Former Manchester City captain Kyle Walkers takes the armband for the Clarets against his old side.

Burnley XI: Dubravka, Walker, Esteve, Ekdal, Humphreys, Hartman, Tchaouna, Ward-Prowse, Laurent, Anthony, Flemming.

Subs: Weiss, Broja, Edwards, Foster, Florentino, Lucas Pires, Tresor, Ugochukwu, Worrall,

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola makes just one change following their monumental win over Arsenal on Sunday.

Rodri fails to recover from a groin injury suffered in that game, so Rayan Ait-Nouri comes in at left-back.

It means Nico O'Reilly is shifted further up the pitch in more familiar territory.

Man City XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, Ait-Nouri, Silva, O'Reilly, Semenyo, Doku, Cherki, Haaland.

Subs: Trafford, Ake, Foden, Gonzalez, Kovacic, Marmoush, Savinho, Reijnders, Stones.

I completely understood Manchester City's celebrations at full-time on Sunday.

Arsenal are their main rivals, there is a lot of needle between the two sides - like Erling Haaland and Gabriel for example - and they had just beaten them in a must-win game in the title race.

Now Pep Guardiola's side will be fully focused on getting the win they need here - and I don't just think City will win at Burnley, I think they will win well.

I know the Clarets went ahead against Nottingham Forest on Sunday but they ended up losing that one heavily.

I can see a similar scoreline here. You just feel like City's tails will be up - they have got some tough games ahead, but this should be comfortable for them.

Burnley will battle and they will give it a go but with what is at stake for City, and the quality they have in the final third, I am thinking they can boost their goal difference as well as collecting the three points.

Sutton's prediction: 0-4

Read the full predictions and have your say

Sophie Brown
BBC Sport journalist

Manchester City visit Turf Moor on Wednesday seeking a win that would take them to the top of the Premier League table - a result that would also relegate Burnley.

The omens are not good. Burnley have won just one of their 19 Premier League games against City and have lost the past 11, which is their longest-ever losing league run against another team.

Scott Parker's side are also winless in their past 12 home Premier League matches, the club's second-worst run without winning at Turf Moor in their league history.

And they come into this match on the back of a 4-1 capitulation at fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest. Head coach Parker said the boos from Burnley supporters at the City Ground were justified, admitting that they "saw a team just fall away".

That was Burnley's second-heaviest defeat of the season - topped only by the 5-1 thumping by City at Etihad Stadium in September. It could be another long 90 minutes for Clarets fans.

Before City visited West Ham on 14 March, Pep Guardiola said his side's title hopes would be over if they dropped points. When they did just that in a 1-1 draw, it meant City were nine points adrift of Premier League leaders Arsenal, with one game in hand.

If City win at Burnley, they will take over at the top of the Premier League with both they and Arsenal having just five matches left to play.

It has been a fascinating and thrilling title run-in and there will surely be a few more twists yet before the Premier League season concludes on 24 May.

But City's win over Arsenal on Sunday suggests Guardiola has got his team going at just the right time and when it really matters, something he has made a habit of.

Since Mikel Arteta's first league game in charge of Arsenal in 2019, the Gunners have been top for 539 days to City's 453. Yet in that time, City have collected four Premier League titles while Arsenal have won none.

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On 21 April 2025, Scott Parker's Burnley confirmed their promotion back to the Premier League with a 2-1 victory against Sheffield United at Turf Moor.

One year and one day on, Parker's Clarets are on the brink of a return to the Championship.

They have taken only 20 points from their first 33 games and a loss to Manchester City on Wednesday would confirm their relegation back into the second tier.

The statistics of previous meetings between the two do not make good reading for Burnley followers.

They have won just one of their 19 Premier League games against City (drawn three, lost 15) and to add to the Clarets' woes, they have lost their past 11 in a row against City - their longest ever losing run against an opponent in their league history.

As a manager, Parker has lost all five of his Premier League matches against City by an aggregate score of 16-1.

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Burnley boss Scott Parker has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Premier League game against Manchester City at Turf Moor (20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Parker confirmed Wednesday's game will come "too early" for Hannibal Mejbri and Connor Roberts, but "everyone else is fully fit".

• Reflecting on Sunday's 4-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest: "A really disappointing result and final part to that game as well. A lot of reflection and, as always when you the results we have, it brings a certain dampness to the training facility. We rebooted well today and we're looking in a good place. In terms of the mental and psychological side of the group, today was bright."

• Parker was asked whether the fact a defeat by City would confirm the Clarets' relegation could impact their approach: "Regarding the outcome and the situation of what it can mean is one the players have been facing for some time. Having an understanding of where we are and searching for something - I don't think that's a big player in terms of us. That has been a challenge over the last few months because we haven't managed to pick up results. That burden has been on our shoulders for a long time now. That's where we are."

• What does he want and need to see from the players between now and the end of the season? "It comes down to what the players want as individuals. From my side, as always the driver will be that there are certain things you can control. There are certain traits and habits you can control. Not getting a result or the outcome of a performance sometimes you can accept when you fall a little bit short due to many reasons, but one thing you can never fall short on is what you are in control of. That has to be a mainstay and that will be the message."

• On whether he can take motivation from having an impact on the title race: "I don't think so. The main thing is to have an effect on us and what we do. That challenge is there for us and is an incredible challenge. We did what we did last year to have this challenge. We are going up against the elite of the elite - that's a challenge we should be relishing."

• On dealing with booing from supporters: "As a man I would say I am pretty fair. At the weekend I totally understand and totally deserved it because of the confusion our fans must have had was a confusion that I had as well. That frustration and the pure not understanding of it is what lives with us all, so I totally understand the booing. There have been other occasions when I have had absolutely no idea why that [booing] has been the case. There has been unrest and booing in the past that I don't really get."

Follow all of Tuesday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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Natalie Bromley
Fan writer

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No matter how the season is going, or the challenges you are trying to overcome, conceding four goals in 45 minutes is not good. Not good at all.

We did "OK" in the first half against Nottingham Forest and Zian Flemming's opening goal was a really well-worked opportunity. I have spoken about Flemming previously and vocalised my hope that he stays with us next year, but I fear he may wish to remain in the Premier League for another season, given how well he has adapted to it.

The second half wasn't even worth thinking about. We were second best all over the park. Our attacking threat non-existent. Our ability to string a positive or meaningful pass together laughable. And, again, Parker just seemed to lack any consistency or clear strategy in his starting line-up or his substitutions.

It feels like we are in Gameweek 33 and he still has no idea what his best starting 11 is.

But the most difficult part to take is that we simply crumbled so very easily. As ugly as the football was during the Sean Dyche years - and I have no desire to return to that - we had that strong jaw mentality. We gave our all. We fought for everything.

We are so very weak as a club. A club of nothingness. With no clear identity and none of the East Lancashire grit that has run through our DNA since 1882.

How we get that back is a concern that is monopolising my thoughts this week.

Perhaps, I will be able to see that more clearly once relegation is confirmed after the Manchester City game on Wednesday.

Given that City could do with winning by a large goal tally - and Burnley haven't been historically shy in gifting them 5-0 victories when they have needed it - perhaps that will be the wake-up call everyone at the club needs.

Find more from Natalie Bromley at No Nay Never podcast, external

Tom Gayle
MOTD commentator at the City Ground

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I think it's fair to say Burnley have known their fate for a while now. The ruthless nature of elite sport means thoughts have moved towards conversations regarding which players have shown they can deliver for someone else at this level.

For me, Martin Dubravka has performed admirably throughout the season. I would be surprised if several clubs across the top five leagues in Europe weren't monitoring the progress of Maxime Esteve. After two seasons away from the Premier League, Jaidon Anthony's improvement has been clear to see. However, the standout candidate is surely Zian Flemming.

With his nine top-flight goals, the 27-year-old remains on course to become only the fifth Burnley player to reach double figures in a Premier League season. The previous case studies of Chris Wood and Danny Ings have shown this type of goal return will lead to inevitable transfer speculation.

Whilst I'll leave it to others to debate how poor this current Burnley Premier League side is when compared to those who've come before, Flemming's case is further strengthened by digging into his individual data. Playing in a team which has the lowest xG (the quality of scoring chance created) in the division, eyebrows surely will be raised at the fact his nine Premier League goals have come from just 19 shots on target.

Only Viktor Gyokeres (12), Hugo Ekitike (11) and Eli Junior Kroupi (10) have scored more during what is for all a debut Premier League season. Furthermore, his tally of nine would make him either the top scorer, or joint top scorer, at eight other clubs, a list which includes Manchester United,Everton and Newcastle United.

Earlier this month, Flemming spoke to Dutch media about his hopes of being part of the Netherlands' World Cup finals squad, despite having never received a senior international call-up.

He said: "The Premier League is undoubtedly the best and toughest in the world. No Dutch (Premier League) player has scored more goals than me this season, so I do wonder why I'm not in the squad yet. I'm going to make sure the national coach can't ignore me any longer."

His main competition for the out-and-out striker role comes from Donyell Malen, who made the switch from Aston Villa to Roma in January, Sunderland's Brian Brobbey and former Burnley striker Wout Weghorst, who left the Premier League in 2023 and has spent the last two seasons leading the line for Ajax.

When it comes to selection, in particular for a major international tournament, there are a variety of factors which are considered. Yet when it comes to numbers, Malen surely is a lock-in given his 10 goals in 13 Serie A appearances since his move, whereas Brobbey's scored six in the Premier League, and Weghorst has seven in the Eredivisie.

I, like Flemming, would love to hear Netherlands' boss Ronald Koeman's thoughts as to why he's not been picked so far.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Burnley boss Scott Parker admitted he deserved the abuse he received from Clarets fans after their collapse at Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

The 4-1 defeat left Burnley on the brink of relegation, which will come if West Ham win against Crystal Palace on Monday and the Clarets then fail to beat Manchester City at Turf Moor on Wednesday.

They are 12 points from safety with five games left after losing a 1-0 half-time lead to ship four second-half goals against Forest, including Morgan Gibbs-White's hat-trick.

Parker said: "I've got no defence and rightly so. The travelling support for 30 minutes saw a team just fall away.

"It's our job as players and as a manager to give the best version of ourselves. For 30 minutes we deserved to get booed and I deserved to get the abuse. That's what football is, I deserved that walking over there [to the fans at full time].

"It's not nice, it's hurtful and it's sad but that's the reality.

"If you open up in this division for a team like us you get hurt. I thought in the first half we did everything we needed to do.

"I'm a fan as well, I understand the passion and emotion, it's been a disappointing season.

"At times we haven't given them much to cheer about and at times I would have liked more in terms of the general getting behind us but I don't expect that really."