Burnley Boss Scott Parker Critiques Team's Performance After Defeat to Brighton
Burnley manager Scott Parker expressed disappointment in his team's performance after they suffered their ninth defeat in 11 Premier League matches, losing to Brighton.
The Clarets struggled to make an impact on the south coast, with goals from Georginio Rutter and Yasin Ayari securing a comfortable victory for the hosts.
This defeat leaves Parker's side in 19th place, six points adrift of safety, having managed to secure only two points from their last 33 available.
Since their last victory on October 26, Parker has been critical of his team's recent performances. "I thought we were really poor. We didn’t deserve anything from the game," he told BBC Match of the Day.
He noted, "There have been other games where I have stood here and said ‘we’ve been competitive and the result has not gone our way.’ Today was a significant shift from our performance against Newcastle, which was markedly different. We lacked belief, and that is concerning."
During the match at the Amex Stadium, Burnley managed only three shots on target, and their lack of attacking threat was exacerbated by defensive errors. The absence of captain Josh Cullen, who is sidelined for the season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained during a 0-0 draw against Everton on December 27, was notably felt in a lackluster midfield display.
Parker added, "What we need is to return to what we had before today. Although the results haven’t gone our way, we have been building on certain aspects and showing real commitment. We expect to lose matches, but the manner in which we lost today is unacceptable. We need a strong reaction moving forward."
He also acknowledged the slim margin for improvement, stating, "The silver lining is that we are only six points from safety, but if we continue to perform like we did today, those points will mean little in our fight to stay up."
Swedish international Hjalmar Ekdal echoed Parker's concerns in an interview with Sky Sports, stating, "I think today was worse than in previous games. This performance does not reflect what we stand for as a team. We were weak, lacking belief. It’s hard to pinpoint one issue, but it comes down to our mindset and character on the pitch. We need to fight harder and show more commitment in our play."