Scott Parker discusses decisive factor that will split promotion rivals Burnley, Sheffield United and Leeds United
Burnley’s “consistency of behaviours” could well prove to be the decisive factor in their battle for automatic promotion.
That’s according to Scott Parker, whose Clarets side head to Coventry City this afternoon looking to extend their unbeaten run to 27 games.
The fight for the top two between Sheffield United, Leeds United and Burnley is likely to come down to the finest of margins, with just two points separating the three sides with seven games remaining.
When asked what is likely to be the overriding factor that splits the teams, Parker said: “Consistency of our behaviours will be the key.
“We're not jumping on a rollercoaster. Seven games left, seven games in the Championship sometimes brings some mad and crazy things.
“The most stable team, the team with the mindset of taking each game as it comes…you get a jab, you stay consistent in your behaviours and not let that swing in any way.
“Every weekend, like I always say, you want to jump on the rollercoaster, that emotional rollercoaster and it becomes a long weekend that can drag into a Monday and Tuesday and before you know it, you're chasing another game down the road and working out who others may play and who you've got next. It's just mentally draining.
“I've been a professional for a long time. If you get on that rollercoaster, you can also dip in form because all of a sudden there's extra pressures and extra stresses on yourself that you've imposed.
“We don't need to impose any extra stresses. Our stresses need to be consistent to what we've done this year.
“We got to Coventry, we execute, be the best version of ourselves, roll on and that's exactly what we're trying to do.”