'Never in question': Scott Parker bats away doubts over Burnley's perceived lack of effort
Scott Parker insists he’s not once questioned the effort or desire of his Burnley players this season despite relegation looming large.
It comes after an inexcusable capitulation at the City Ground on Sunday, where the Clarets went from 1-0 up to 3-1 down in the blink of an eye.
An Igor Jesus strike at the death secured a 4-1 victory for Nottingham Forest, to all but condemn Parker’s side to the Championship.
While many were left frustrated with the manner of Burnley’s weak defending for the Forest goals, Parker refused to be too critical of his players.
When asked if he got the basic levels of effort and attitude, the Clarets boss told reporters: “That's never, ever, ever in question. The players give absolutely everything. They're foot to the floor.
“We can’t fault a lack of effort. We can fault, in certain moments, a lack of quality, for sure we can, in terms of all of us. But you never fault a lack of effort.
“They're playing in a massive league, they've got huge, huge quality and they’ve just fallen short.”
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If it’s not a lack of effort, what is behind Burnley’s Premier League struggles this season?
"Well, I think it's a mixture of things, really,” Parker added.
“I've not stood here once and been really critical of the players. I've noticed, in terms of me as a manager, in terms of all of us, that we've all fallen short and that's just a cold hard reality.
“Of course, sometimes it is a lack of quality. At times, there has been a lack of focus. The level and the eliteness of what you play at, it's a demanding, demanding league and that level of focus and that inconsistencies that we've shown is what you've seen. There's been inconsistencies.
"Like I said, first half, coming to a tough place, there was something good about us and then, within a click of a finger, the inconsistencies, you see the frailties of us and that was probably it for me.”
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