Burnley's Championship Crusade: Parker's Promotion Puzzle
Can Scott Parker and Burnley's star-studded squad secure an immediate return to the Premier League?
For years, Burnley was a club stuck in the lower divisions, before finally clawing their way back to the Premier League in 2009. Their stint at the top lasted only a single season, followed by several years in the Championship. Then came the Sean Dyche era at Turf Moor, which saw two promotions and a total of seven seasons in the Premier League. After being relegated two years ago, the club decided to shake things up by bringing in Vincent Kompany as their new manager.
With Kompany at the helm, Burnley's style of play transformed into a beautiful, attacking brand of football. The club also started recruiting players from corners of the globe that Burnley had never ventured into before. Kompany assembled an exciting and strong squad that convincingly secured promotion to the Premier League in his first season at Turf Moor. However, life in the Premier League proved difficult for Burnley, despite splashing the cash on new players.
The club still had immense faith in Kompany's leadership and was prepared to let him lead them back to the Championship this season. To everyone's surprise, the German giants FC Bayern Munich swooped in to poach Kompany as their new head coach after the season ended. This left Burnley scrambling for a new manager, and they eventually settled on Scott Parker. It wasn't a universally popular choice among Burnley supporters, but at least they have a manager who has a proven track record of getting promoted from this league.
Now, Burnley enters the new season with a ridiculously strong squad and a promotion expert as their head coach. There are plenty of reasons for Burnley fans to be excited about the new season, but expectations are also sky-high. Anything less than promotion simply won't cut the mustard for The Clarets.
Manager
Vincent Kompany led Burnley to Premier League promotion last year, but after relegation this spring, he was snatched up by none other than FC Bayern Munich. It was an opportunity he couldn't refuse, leaving Burnley on the hunt for a new head coach this summer. After a long period of rumors and new names popping up every day, The Clarets finally landed Scott Parker as their new boss. Parker is well-known for his illustrious playing career, which included stints at Chelsea, Charlton Athletic, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United. He also earned 18 caps for the England national team before hanging up his boots in 2017.
Since then, he has transitioned into management, where he has enjoyed considerable success. He has led Fulham, AFC Bournemouth, and Club Brugge before taking the Burnley job this summer. Parker guided both Fulham and Bournemouth to the Premier League, but his stints in the top flight with both clubs ended in disappointment. At Club Brugge, Parker was shown the door after just a few months, and he has been unemployed for the past year. Parker has experimented with different formations and playing styles during his time as a head coach, but he has primarily favored 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 variations in the Championship. What I remember most about Parker's Championship teams is their focus on controlling matches and dictating the tempo with a slower pace.
The Squad
Last summer, James Trafford was brought to Turf Moor for around £15m. It's a hefty sum for a goalkeeper, but it speaks volumes about the talent of Burnley's last line of defense. Trafford was signed from Manchester City, where he never got a chance. It was primarily during his loan spell at Bolton Wanderers that he made his mark in English football. Trafford impressed in League One with The Trotters and was outstanding during the U21 European Championship last summer. He didn't concede a single goal in the tournament and even earned a call-up to the senior national team last season. Trafford is understandably on the radar of several Premier League clubs, but he will undoubtedly be a fantastic keeper for Burnley if he stays. This summer, The Clarets have brought in Vaclav Hladky to ensure they have good cover in the goalkeeping department. Hladky played a crucial role for Ipswich in their promotion last season but didn't follow the Blues to the Premier League. Young talent Charlie Casper could be sent out on loan, while Etienne Green was signed a few days before the season started. Green joins from St Etienne in French football. It will be interesting to see what role he is intended for.
In Burnley's central defense, there are so many quality players that I wonder what Scott Parker is planning to do. Jordan Beyer, Ameen Al-Dakhil, Dara O'Shea, CJ Egan-Riley, Hjalmar Ekdal, Maxime Esteve, and Luke McNally are all options at center back. McNally seems to be on his way out, while Egan-Riley is more of a prospect for the future. Last season, O'Shea was the player who got the most playing time at center back, and he has been excellent in the Championship before with West Bromwich Albion. Esteve joined in the winter and was later signed permanently this summer. In his first half-season for Burnley, he showed that he is a player with potential, and it wouldn't surprise anyone if he ends up being snapped up by a Premier League club this summer. Beyer, Al-Dakhil, and Ekdal are all capable players in the Championship, and I'm glad I'm not the one who has to tell several of these players that they won't even make the bench when the season starts.
At right back, Lorenz Assignon is gone, meaning Connor Roberts, Vitinho, and new signing Shurandy Sambo are the team's options in that position this season. Roberts was on loan at Leeds United last spring and is a very strong player at the Championship level. On the left side, Charlie Taylor is gone, but The Clarets have brought in Lucas Pires this summer. He comes from Brazilian football and was a regular starter in La Liga on loan for Cadiz last season. Additionally, Vitinho can also play on the left, as he did for Burnley in both the Premier League and the Championship. Hannes Delcroix and Owen Dodgson are also options at left back, but the latter hasn't had much opportunity in Burnley's first team yet.
In central midfield, Sander Berge will be crucial for Burnley if he stays at the club. Clubs from bigger leagues are expected to pursue Berge's services, but it won't be cheap for any potential buyer to secure the Norwegian. Berge showed for Sheffield United that he can dominate in the Championship. In addition to Berge, Burnley has Josh Brownhill, Josh Cullen, and Han Noah Massengo as options in midfield. Both Brownhill and Cullen played key roles for The Clarets when they were promoted to the Premier League, while Massengo was considered a promising talent during his time at Bristol City.
In more attacking roles in central midfield, Zeki Amdouni stands out. The Swiss player performed well in Swiss football before joining Burnley, and in the Premier League, he showed glimpses of being a very strong attacking asset. I can easily imagine Amdouni becoming one of the Championship's best players this season if he stays. This summer, he played for Switzerland in the European Championship in Germany. Scott Twine and Aaron Ramsey are two others who can be used in a more attacking role in midfield, but Twine seems to be out of favor, while Ramsey is out with a long-term injury.
On the wings, Burnley has an abundance of quality and competition for places. Manuel Benson and Anass Zaroury tormented Championship full-backs the last time Burnley was down, and they are still at the club after failing to replicate that success in the Premier League. The 19-year-old prodigy Wilson Odobert was signed from Troyes last summer, and he has won the hearts of Burnley fans with his speed and dribbling skills. Odobert could become a star attraction in the Championship this season, while experienced players Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Nathan Redmond are also in the squad. Belgian international Mike Tresor has been signed permanently this summer after being on loan last spring, while 19-year-old Luka Koleosho is a player who might elevate his game now that Burnley is at a lower level than last season. Enock Agyei and Darae Costello can also be mentioned, but I doubt they will feature much in the starting lineup.
Up front for Burnley, Lyle Foster is back in the Championship. He was signed midway through the promotion season but didn't quite hit his stride in the spring. Foster has made progress in the Premier League, but he also had a period last season where he was out due to depression. Hopefully, Foster will perform well both on and off the pitch this coming season. He will face tough competition for playing time from Burnley hero Jay Rodriguez, Michael Obafemi, Wout Weghorst, and new signing Andreas Hountondji. The tall striker Hountondji was signed from French club Caen this summer. Weghorst is known to most for his performances for the Netherlands, but it doesn't seem like he has big plans to play Championship football.
What Do I Think?
There are a few red flags with this year's Burnley squad. Scott Parker has achieved promotion with two clubs before, but despite these accomplishments, I've never been truly convinced by his work as a head coach. The fact that both promotions ended in lackluster results in the Premier League hasn't surprised me. Therefore, I was a bit taken aback when Parker was chosen as Vincent Kompany's replacement.
Additionally, the sheer size of the squad is a concern. Of course, it's important to have a large and strong squad with good cover in all positions when you're facing 46 league matches in the Championship, plus cup games. The problem arises when the squad becomes too big, and the players who end up on the bench gets frustrated. This can easily lead to disharmony within the squad, especially if the results aren't going well.
Despite my skepticism about both the head coach and the large squad, I have no doubt that Burnley will be right up there at the top of the table. Anything less than promotion would be a major disappointment for The Clarets, considering how much money they have invested in the current squad and the fact that they have continued to bring in players during the summer transfer window.
The reason I believe Burnley will succeed is simple: they have the strongest squad in the league, hands down. They have players who are head and shoulders above the Championship level in every position, and even their reserves would be regular starters on most other teams in this division. When Scott Parker achieved promotion with Fulham and AFC Bournemouth, it felt like he did so primarily because the squads at his disposal were better than the rest of the league's. It looks like the same scenario is playing out again.
If Parker were to somehow falter in the fall, it wouldn't take long for Burnley to bring in a new person to lead the team. Therefore, I feel confident that Burnley will be at the top of the table by the end of the season, regardless of whether they get off to a slow start. Whether it will be automatic promotion or through the playoffs is hard to say. It's completely up in the air. Ultimately, I've ended up placing The Clarets in third place in this year's table prediction, but it could just as easily be an automatic promotion spot.
Prediction: 3rd