Glen Little on Scott Parker's 'strange' Burnley departure and who should come next

The Clarets are now on the lookout for a new boss after opting to part ways with Parker, following confirmation of the club’s relegation from the Premier League.

While Parker enjoyed huge success in the Championship, winning promotion in his first season with 100 points to his name, it’s been a challenging campaign back in the top flight.

With four games still remaining, Burnley already know their fate, having picked up just 20 points from their 34 games to date.

Despite their bleak record, Little has expressed his surprise at the club’s willingness to let Parker go.

Speaking to the Burnley Express, here’s what the former winger had to say about his departure and what comes next:

What was your initial reaction to the news?

“There’s obviously been a lot of speculation since relegation was confirmed about Parker’s future and the board having talks.

“When no one comes out and says: ‘no look, he’s staying’ then it makes you think they’re not exactly backing him, are they?

“You hear they might get to the end of the season and then they’ll decide and be a mutual parting of ways, but the writing was already on the wall when the club didn’t come out and say: ‘no, he’s not going anywhere, he’s our man for next season’ to put an end to all the rumours.

“I find it a bit strange though, I have to admit. You know, you’re in the Championship and two seasons ago, when they went down, there would have been lots and lots of applicants and they chose Scott Parker, because they thought he was the best person to get us up.

“Two years down the line, what’s changed? Not only has he done it with Fulham and Bournemouth, but you’ve actually seen him do it first hand at your own club, with 100 points and only lost two games.

“But I think, to be honest, it’s more a case the supporters have got their way, because it’s become a bit nasty.

“When the supporters start getting on the manager’s back and maybe there’s a few empty seats knocking about, I think they've sort of reacted to the fanbase.

“I feel early on when there was talk about sacking him, maybe 80% were still behind him? But as the months went by and he won one in 25, that’s probably changed and it’s now gone the other way. It’s probably 80 to 20 now or probably a bit more than that.

“Once the supporters start talking, it's like they've got their way and then that's it.

“But it just seems a bit strange that you're going to now employ someone who hasn't got anywhere near the record that Scott Parker's got in the Championship.

“But when it gets nasty like it has, I think that’s why they’ve made the decision. I get the feeling they didn’t want to sack him, but they had to part ways because of the noise to try and keep the supporters on side.”

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How do you reflect on Parker’s two years?

“Well, it's deja vu with Vincent Kompany, wasn't it?

“Admittedly, I think the Kompany promotion, the football was a bit more dominant, wasn't it? It was a bit more sort of champagne. It was more of the exciting, expansive type of football.

“But then Kompany's team came straight back down and it might actually turn out they end up sort of close to the same points, as well.

“It feels like it's played out differently. I felt with the Kompany season, it didn't get this bad, even though we sort of knew we were probably down in January. Even the start was bad. That was different than this season.

“This season, we actually won a few games early on, didn’t we? Which is something we didn't do under Kompany. But it’s been a really bad six months, hasn’t it?

“You win one in 25, but has it been as bad as what the record suggests? Probably not, but then whenever you've had a decent game or you've played well, you haven't had the breaks, I think that's fair to say. The VAR hasn't gone our way.

“Could you have had maybe another seven, eight points and then you'd still have a chance? Yes. But unfortunately, it's not been the case. We’ve not had a lot of luck.

“Once you're on this bad run in the Premier League, it beats you up, doesn't it? It's tough, it's demanding and I feel sorry for Scott. I feel sorry for the players and the supporters. They keep watching it every week, desperate for a win. But it's been disappointing.

“It's been frustrating as well because on the games, we feel we have played well. We've been in games that have been tight games. It always seems to go against us and then this is what it's come down to.

“I just feel that why now, really? It first started probably back in December time, wasn't it? The talk of: ‘do you make a change?’, but they've let it go all the way until now and now you make the change.

“That's why I just get the feeling that it wasn't what they wanted to do and I feel they've just reacted to the noise around the situation and the bad run.”

What do you make of the names in the mix?

“I've seen all the lists, the top six or seven in the betting and none of them have got Scott Parker’s record in the Championship.

“You're now getting rid of Parker and getting someone who's got nowhere near the experience he has in the Championship and nowhere near the success.

“But we'll see, I suppose. Vincent Kompany, he never had any championship experience either did he? And that went well.

“But is it all on Parker? I don't know. Is it the players just weren't good enough? Maybe a bit of both.

“Just like the Kompany team, they couldn't cut it in the Premier League. I didn't feel there was really a bond with the Kompany team. That might be being a bit harsh to Vincent Kompany, but I felt it was always about him. It was like he was number one and the club came second. It was like the Vincent Kompany show.

“Whereas I thought with Parker, his team was more in the Sean Dyche mould, the underdog team. It was built on hard work, they would battle for the badge and maybe the supporters would get behind this team more. But that hasn't happened.

“Now, whether it's just because the supporters are fed up with one win in 25, I do feel that the players have done their best. And in general, they have given it a good go.

“I think there's only a few performances you can pick out, particularly after Christmas, where you think: ‘that was pretty poor’. But I think in the main, they have battled and they've shown character at times. You can't knock them, can you?

“There have been times throughout the season where they have shown character and they've given it their best, but it just hasn't been enough and unfortunately, Parker has paid the price.”

What sort of manager do you think they need?

“Well, they've gone from the typical old school manager in Sean Dyche, the effective one, which we know all about.

“The football, it wasn't the modern-day game, was it? It was 4-4-2, direct balls in the box and it was based on a great goalkeeper, a solid backline and you went from there. They’d always find a way to get enough goals, strong on set plays and, like I say, they were effective.

“But then you’ve totally flipped with Vincent Kompany, before going with an experienced manager in the Championship with Scott Parker, another good player who had a good career.

“So do you stick with the same? Like a Steven Gerrard? Do you wait to see what happens with Michael Carrick at Manchester United? See if he does get the job? I think if he doesn't get the job, Michael Carrick might have a few people interested in him.

“Liam Rosenior, if you’re looking for someone who has got the Championship experience as well, because that's the worry with Gerrard, isn't it? He's not managed in the Championship before. But with Rosenior, it was just a bit of a disaster at Chelsea. But before that, he's managed to hold it okay, I suppose.

“He's another ex-player, isn't he? Not in the likes of Gerrard, Carrick and Parker, but he's got that experience as manager.

“There'll be plenty of people as always. People will fancy us to go straight back up, so there'll be plenty of people wanting the job.

“Do you go for a foreign manager? Maybe. I saw again, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ruud van Nistelrooy, they're foreign managers but have been in England as players and managers, haven't they?

“So there are plenty of options, but none, like I said, with the success of Scott Parker you've just had.”

Your next Burnley FC read: Opinion: Scott Parker's Burnley departure felt inevitable, but it's still sad to see him go