Burnley manager Scott Parker has criticized his team's lack of conviction following their 2-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. The loss extends the Clarets' winless streak to 11 Premier League games. Goals from Georginio Rutter and Yasin Ayari on either side of halftime secured a comfortable victory for the Seagulls.
Parker did not hold back in his assessment of the team's performance, expressing disappointment in their "powderpuff" display. He stated that he "lacked belief" in the team's ability to secure a positive result at any point during the match. "You can lose football matches, but there are ways of losing, and I just felt we looked at times powderpuff," Parker said. He added, "We were never in the game. We didn't deserve anything from the game just from our general approach and our general body language and the way we went about it".
Burnley currently sit 19th in the Premier League table, six points adrift of safety. Parker acknowledged the severity of their situation, admitting that the team is destined for relegation if they fail to improve. He stressed the importance of bringing "a certain something" to their performances, which he felt was absent against Brighton. "Today what concerns me, what angers me, frustrates me, and makes me hugely disappointed was we didn't show that. We just rolled over," Parker lamented.
Despite the poor result, Parker affirmed his commitment to the club and stated that he retains the full support of the ownership. He highlighted the need for a reaction from his players and emphasized that their recent performance was unacceptable. "What we need is what we had previous to today," Parker said. "While the results have not gone our way, we have been building on certain things and there has been a real commitment. We are going to lose matches but the way we lost today is not one which was nice and is not acceptable really. We need a reaction for sure".
Burnley did show glimpses of promise during the match, with Lucas Pires threatening an equalizer in the first half and Loum Tchaouna forcing a save from Brighton goalkeeper Ferdi Kadioglu in the second. However, their overall attacking output was limited, and they struggled to create clear-cut chances. The absence of captain Josh Cullen, who is sidelined with a knee injury, was also keenly felt in midfield.
Parker remains determined to turn Burnley's fortunes around, but acknowledges the need for his team to rediscover their belief and fight. "The fight goes on," Parker asserted. "We'll keep nailing down where we need to improve, and keep doing the good things we're doing to keep going". The Clarets will need to address their shortcomings quickly if they are to have any hope of avoiding relegation this season.
