'Fine margins' - Burnley boss Scott Parker on his side's struggles ahead of Newcastle United game
Burnley boss Scott Parker has discussed his side’s struggles in the Premier League as they prepare to face Newcastle United on the weekend.
Burnley suffered their fifth straight league defeat against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night and their poor run of form shows no sign of stopping with a difficult away trip to St James’ Park coming up for Scott Parker’s side on Saturday.
Eddie Howe’s side will be looking for a big performance from his team after they once again let a lead slip against Tottenham Hotspur as Cristian Romero snatched a point late on. Clarets fans will be dreading the trip to the North East as the home side’s only dropped points at St James’ this season were at the hands of top six sides Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham and have recently swept aside Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Reflecting on yet another defeat in the Premier League, former Newcastle United midfielder Parker said: “Yeah, it’s a tough one in terms of the result. “But I mean, my general feeling is for large parts of this game, in terms of how we went about it, I thought we did everything that was necessary.
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“But it’s fine margins that probably decided the game in terms of them executing, whereas Jacob’s shot didn't fall our way. “I asked the team tonight in this situation, in a young squad, I can see the load at times and the weight that hangs on one's shoulders. A group of players that are maybe experiencing things for the first time, that thing is adversity, that thing is not having success. “I asked them to be brave and courageous tonight and they were every single bit of that. “Now I understand I'm weak in my position at this present moment in time because we've not won a game and we've not got what we needed.
“But fundamentally, what they produced tonight was they showed their quality, they were brave and we pushed and pushed and pushed and we just fell a little bit short.”
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On his players' confidence ahead of Newcastle United trip
After this poor run of form, it would be easy to think this Burnley side is low on confidence and fearing the worst at the end of the season, but the former Bournemouth and Fulham manager believes his players are showing “real bravery” at this moment in time.
“To be honest with you, I don't think the players looked unconfident. I think, if anything, the players looked very confident in terms of the situation we're in. “There’s no denying that the stadium was quiet and a little bit edgy, certainly. But I didn't think the players looked like that. “I thought it was a very good performance for us in terms of our bravery and I understand that in this moment it could be very, very different.
“There's a famous quote and a famous poem called Man in the Arena, and those boys tonight did every bit of that. “Again, I caveat that with I understand the world we live in and we've not won, so I get that me sitting here saying that, people will have an opinion on it and probably brush that off.
“I also sit here with huge experience and knowing what's needed. This group showed a real bravery and a real courage when I feel a lot of people, or maybe human nature, you might hide away. That wasn't the case tonight.”