Scott Parker admits he 'deserved' booing from Burnley fans after Nottingham Forest collapse
Scott Parker admits he “deserved” to be booed by Burnley’s angry fans at full-time after yesterday’s collapse against Nottingham Forest.
The Clarets boss was met by an angry response when he went over to show his appreciation to the away end at the City Ground.
It comes after his side, who could be relegated on Wednesday night, squandered a 1-0 first-half lead to lose 4-1 against a side also battling to stay up.
While Parker admits the booing was “sad” and “hurtful”, the under-fire Clarets admits he’s got no defence.
“Look, I understand totally their frustration,” he said. “I totally get it.
“I've got no defence and, rightly so, I'm exactly the same [being angry].
The Burnley Express has launched a new WhatsApp channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone. Simply click this link to join our Burnley Express WhatsApp channel.
"In terms of that, it’s a travelling support that for 30 minutes has seen a team just fall away. And you know, maybe they weren’t too impressed with the first half as well – because at certain moments, certainly before the goal, there was some booing and then we scored.
"But this is the team we're going to have to be in certain moments. You open the game up in this division for a team like us, you can get hurt.
"I thought the first half we did everything that we needed to be. But going back to the support, listen, I'm a fan as well and I've been a fan and I understand the passion and the emotion.
"It's been a disappointing season, for sure. At times, we've not given them much to cheer about and at times, of course, I'd have liked more in terms of the general getting behind us.
"But at the same time, I don't expect that, really. That's our job and that's us as players and as a manager, to try and give the best version of ourselves and represent us at certain moments.
“Today, definitely for 30 minutes, we deserve to get booed and I deserve to get the abuse and that's the way football is. So I deserve that walking over there, I deserve that.
"It's not nice, of course, and it's hurtful and it's sad. But that's the reality.”
Your next Burnley FC read: Scott Parker blasts Burnley 'frailties' following miserable Nottingham Forest collapse