'I don't understand it': Burnley boss Scott Parker questions why transfer window remains open for so long

After a hectic few months of ins and outs, the Clarets now have a squad that looks vastly different to the one that took to the field for the season opener at Luton Town on August 12.

Of the group that travelled to Kenilworth Road for Burnley’s resounding 4-1 win, Luke McNally, Dara O’Shea, Vitinho, Scott Twine, Wilson Odobert, Anass Zaroury and Wout Weghorst are no longer with the club.

For a week or two towards the back end of the window, the departures created a real lack of depth in Parker’s squad, meaning Burnley’s head coach had no option but to name two goalkeepers and three youngsters on the bench for the recent trip to Sunderland, which ended in a 1-0 defeat.

While Parker is understandably relieved the window is now shut and he can proceed with more certainty, he has expressed his confusion over why the deadline has to be so late.

“I don’t really understand the dynamics of the transfer window and how you leave it open three or four games into a season,” he said.

“Pre-season takes place and you have six to eight weeks with a group of players and again, I’m not just referencing myself, I’m referencing every manager out there, you put in work, you do a lot of detailed work in terms of the team you want to be and within two or three weeks that can drastically change and that’s probably what’s happened here a little bit.

“You’re working with players and working on things and then those players leave the club, so I don’t think it’s ideal. I don’t understand it either.

“We have the best part of the summer window which is long enough as it is, but it is what it is and they’re the rules, so we work to those rules and we understand that sometimes it can go against you in certain ways and in other times it can go in your favour.”

Burnley made 15 signings in total during the summer, with a further 21 players departing.