Burnley boss Scott Parker on the harsh reality of the Premier League after cruel Liverpool and Man Utd defeats
Despite their encouraging start to the season, the stats don’t lie: Burnley have lost three of their first four games.
Scott Parker’s men delivered another hugely encouraging performance against Liverpool on Sunday, one that merited a point.
But the Clarets, for the second game running, came away empty-handed after conceding a stoppage-time penalty – with Mo Salah the man to take full advantage.
It was a similar story at Old Trafford two weeks ago, when Bruno Fernandes slotted home from 12 yards to break Burnley hearts.
The Clarets have proven they can be more than competitive at this level, having also pushed Tottenham all the way on the opening day before beating Sunderland in their one and only win to date.
But Parker is well aware the brutal nature of the Premier League can be unforgiving.
“It is harsh, but that's this league,” he said.
"Listen, you can lose football games in this league. Certainly with the team we are, sometimes you can lose football matches.
"But you want to see improvement, you want to see us be competitive and I see every bit of that today [against Liverpool on Sunday] and I've seen every bit of that over the last couple of performances.
"We’ve gone to Old Trafford away, in the dying minutes, conceded a penalty, Liverpool today...but yes, we're competitive and that pleases me.”
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