A year ago today

[ClaretTony]

Prompted by a tweet I've just seen, here's a link to an article I published one year ago today - the appointment of Scott Parker.

https://www.uptheclarets.com/parker-pen ... he-clarets

What were your thoughts then and what are your thoughts now? Have they changed? If you were a doubter, has he won you over?

[ElectroClaret]

Must admit, I was pretty underwhelmed by the appointment of SP, but was quite prepared to give him every chance to show what he could do.

Pleased to say he's excelled in my view, hopefully he can go even further and keep us up.

UTC

[DCWat]

Unconvinced as a manager and a bloke. Wrong on both counts.

[jdrobbo]

Too appointment.

[ClaretTony]

Must admit, I was pretty underwhelmed by the appointment of SP, but was quite prepared to give him every chance to show what he could do.

Pleased to say he's excelled in my view, hopefully he can go even further and keep us up.

UTC

That word underwhelmed, and I was too a year ago.

October 2012, we'd just won 4-3 at Bristol City under Terry Pashley and I was told that RL were reporting that we had a short list of three for the job. I made a call to someone who said: "Prepare to be underwhelmed." I was, but one of the three was Sean Dyche.

[Elizabeth]

My one thought was that if he could get promotion with Bournemouth and Fulham, he could do it with us.

[winsomeyen]

Thought we had made the wrong appointment, happy to be proved wrong.

[Dark Cloud]

Same as many I was underwhelmed and I thought it a largely "unimaginative" appointment, but tbf I felt even more underwhelmed when SD was first appointed, so it's clearly a good job I'm not on these interview panels!!! Also worth adding I was pleased we'd chosen to avoid Frank and Wayne who I thought were even worse, but I did quite like the sound of RVN at the time. As said, I'm an absolutely crap judge!!

[warksclaret]

I was undecided about Parker-but he had seen two promotions to the PL so did not write him off. I feared a move from his wonderful surrounds in Surrey would be too challenging moving to Burnley, and he may not "get" the Burnley culture, and what the club stands for. Alongside this we saw his squad being dismantled with our best players leaving. I genuinely feared we could be in free fall. THe Luton result (4-1 win) gave me an immediate confidence lift, then again we saw a number of players who featured in that game leave . Really started to feel despondent and that quickly followed by a defeat at unfancied Sunderland who were all over us. Our play was not great but we went undefeated then while at Luton Airport I saw one of our best performances on my laptop beating Leeds.It went from strength to strength, and from all his interviews I realised we now had a manager with nothing like the ego of our previous one, and he was proving a great motivator for the squad. Today we could not be in safer hands. My fear being he will be in demand from bigger clubs, but that's not his fault.

[NL Claret]

Out of the list of candidates mentioned I was ok with Parker and happy to give him the time required. There was plenty on here that didn’t share the same view and were very vocal about until March.

I’m not one to listen to what the Fulham and Bournemouth fans warned us about either.

[ksrclaret]

I was fine with the appointment at the time, willing to see what happened as he seemed like a really good guy. Amazing start and then came the very late surgery to the squad and an autumn I found very tedious to watch. I'd have been more than happy had he gone after the Millwall game, but I hadn't properly appreciated how difficult his job had become and how well he was doing to keep us in the mix.

I started to finally understand what his football was all about at Bramall Lane on Boxing Day and I've been completely won over since.

[louieollie]

As mentioned by myself before i was totally underwhelmed and dissapointed we didn't get RVN..........absolutley wrong on both accounts i am very pleased to say. Pretty clear that as fan's that have done their time on FM over the years we know jack @@@@ about the real world of running a football club!

[agreenwood]

I was ok with the appointment. I’d probably have preferred someone who had a bit more charisma, but he had a decent track record. I started to feel underwhelmed by the autumn, when we looked incapable of creating enough in games to go up. Clearly that all changed and we gradually improved and went on the amazing unbeaten run post-Millwall.

What I wasn’t expecting was to like Parker the man quite so much. He seems like a genuinely nice and humble fella. The kind of person you want good things for, regardless of the fact that he’s managing your club.

[gawthorpe_view]

I felt he was the best of the shortlisted candidates, but not certain how it would pan out especially as rumours of player departures were rife.
But, he rebuilt the team and got automatic promotion.

Consider my cap to be doffed!

[Buxtonclaret]

He'd a good record of getting out of the Championship.
Tbh, I was still feeling so relieved Kompany had gone when SP arrived, l didn't really feel anything but 'Hope'.

[Spijed]

That word underwhelmed, and I was too a year ago.

October 2012, we'd just won 4-3 at Bristol City under Terry Pashley and I was told that RL were reporting that we had a short list of three for the job. I made a call to someone who said: "Prepare to be underwhelmed." I was, but one of the three was Sean Dyche.

And quite a few were unhappy with Dyche when we'd lost to Hull in that first season.

[jedi_master]

I was underwhelmed and prior to Burnley I’d always thought Parker was boring, arrogant and a bit off.

Putting aside his outstanding on field performance - I couldn’t have had the measure of the man himself more wrong. A true gentleman that I’m really proud to have managing my club.

[kentonclaret]

I must admit to being fully convinced that Scott Parker was the correct choice as Burnley manager and he was my clear choice from the host of names being put forward by posters on this message board.
It will be fascinating to see what Scott has learned from his previous tenures as a PL manager but the signings thus far offer encouragement. We definitely need some added firepower up front but I am sure further signings will follow.

[quoonbeatz]

I thought he’d get us up given his previous record. He did.
I thought wouldn’t be too exciting along the way. It wasn’t.
I thought we could and should have won the league with the squad we had. We should.
In short, I was bang on.
He’s done a really good job and I’m looking forward to seeing how he tackles the PL this time round.

[taio]

I thought he’d get us up given his previous record. He did.
I thought wouldn’t be too exciting along the way. It wasn’t.
I thought we could and should have won the league with the squad we had. We should.
In short, I was bang on.
He’s done a really good job and I’m looking forward to seeing how he tackles the PL this time round.

For a bit of balance, your posting history about Parker would question your modest bang on theory

[claretburns]

Underwhelmed at the appointment, underwhelmed during the first half of the season, started to win me over during January/February then fully on board at the end of the season.

I think our team/style was better in the Championship with Kompany but the team/style will be better in Premier League with Parker.

[RVclaret]

And 3 weeks later, there was a rumour doing the rounds Parker had sacked it off, given the player upheaval and tumultuous final 2 weeks of the transfer window. I remember specifically a Rovers supporting mate of mine enjoying the rumour, which is obviously all it was. The anti Parker crew like to brush over what happened during that mini period, and all the work it left him needing to do, as ‘the squad should have still won the league’ suggests.

[Cirrus_Minor]

He seemed like a safe pair of hands type appointment and with all the chaos of the squad wasn't expecting too much. Very happy to be proved wrong and he seems like a good fit.

[BurnleyFC]

Unconvinced as a manager and a bloke. Wrong on both counts.

Same. I’d go as far to say as I didn’t really like him. How wrong I was.

Happy anniversary, gaffer.

[martin_p]

Like others ‘underwhelmed’ is the word, although I was happy we’d chosen someone with experience of getting out of the championship. The biggest shock for me this season is not how I’ve warmed to him as a manager, that he’s s always going to come with results, but how I’ve warmed to him as an individual. I’d never been that keen on him from what I’d seen on tv but it’s obvious he had a real passion, is a brilliant man manager and seems to lack the arrogance of some of our previous managers.

[billyhamilton82]

However positive you were, I doubt anyone would have thought exactly 12 months later, to the day, we would be a Premier League club and signing Kyle Walker.

[quoonbeatz]

For a bit of balance, your posting history about Parker would question your modest bang on theory

Not really. If we’re talking about before he was our manager then my irrational hatred lol of Scott(ie) Parker was well known and based on a couple of parties in the early 2000s and the fact that I believed we had better players than him when he played for England, when I gave a toss about England.

When he became our manager I fully gave him a chance and had a minimum expectation of him getting us promoted. I thought he would do and he did. When there people ridiculously saying he should be fired before Christmas I backed him. I said plenty of times that the football was pretty dull and plenty of times it was. I said all along we were the best team in the league and I believe we were, despite the goal difference keeping us off top spot. I gave him praise where it was due and criticism where it was due. All part of being a balanced, reasonable person. The only thing I’d say he’s changed my opinion of is as him as a person, he seems a sound guy. Good to see he’s changed.

Other than that last bit then, bang on.

[ollieclarets8]

I looked at his record of 2 promotions and always thought we had a chance. Very slow start and doubts crept in and thought the playoffs would be the best we could get. With the crap we went through last summer with the window and players leaving, this season is a 'free hit' - if we go down we'll still have a hell of a side to get back up so just try and enjoy it.

[Anonymous Claret]

I was quite indifferent to his appointment and my preferred choice was Lampard of those who were supposedly in the running.

I was always willing to give him a chance and back him. I think some of the criticism on social media including this board was fair but I think a far higher percentage was unjustified.

He's been a great appointment so far. I hope that he stays with us for a little while longer.

[Cajun]

I thought he was a safe but uninspiring appointment. But his handling of the early squad disruptions, and subsequent "it's a marathon not a sprint" gradual development of his team was hugely impressive. I liked the way he came across in the interviews and videos I saw, and clearly he won the confidence of his players. Very happy to have Scott at the helm as we go into the new season.

[HurstGrangeClaret]

I confess to being a little underwhelmed but was fully willing to give him every chance.
I spoke up for him on numerous occasions during the season when the results weren’t quite there realising he was building a team from very difficult beginnings.
He always spoke realistically and was always honest about how things were going.
He comes across as a very decent bloke and I think, as a club, we are very lucky to have him in charge.
Well done AP and the board for doing their due diligence and appointing him.

[Mike47]

I was quite happy and thought he would be ok, but he has been better than that, much better. Gaining promotion after relegation is something many other relegated clubs have failed to achieve.

[Burnleyareback2]

When Kompany joined I decided id be happy with finishing 10th in the Championship after all the squad changes.

When Parker signed and I could see the turmoil ahead 10th felt like an amazing season.

Holding both my hands up. However I did predict on here in December that we wouldn’t lose another league game all season.

[CyrilEbokiPoh]

Prompted by a tweet I've just seen, here's a link to an article I published one year ago today - the appointment of Scott Parker.

https://www.uptheclarets.com/parker-pen ... he-clarets

What were your thoughts then and what are your thoughts now? Have they changed? If you were a doubter, has he won you over?

Never doubted Parker. His record at this level rivalled dyches. I did doubt the hand he was dealt though especially after Sunderland. I genuinely wouldn’t have been surprised if he walked.

He’s done a phenomenal job.

[CoolClaret]

I was underwhelmed when he was linked but as soon as he was announced, I realised on paper, it was a good appointment (with two previous promotions etc)

I was pretty blown away with the performance at Luton and thought we were going to absolutely romp the league, then the sales came in and we had to rebuild after the season had already started - not ideal.

It became clear to me very quickly what he was trying to achieve, building from the back with a young team and I was impressed with the work he was getting the lads to put in as they were running their socks off.

I said judge him when he has more than a past, it. Jay Rod leading the line, and fortunately, when Flemming came back fully fit, we just went from strength to strength, helped in part with the addition of Marcus Edwards in January.

Currently, I'm thrilled; I like SP as a person and hope we have a manager, just as we did with Dyche, who will be here for the next 5+ years.

UTC!

[Woodleyclaret]

Always a fan UTC

[Claret53]

What a refreshing change to see such a positive thread.
I always thought that SP was an elegant player.
He obviously kept his head when the wheels appeared to be falling off when there was a big exodus of players and set about rebuilding from a base of a solid defence. If it seemed unexciting at times, that was probably the necessary cost of getting it right.
I really enjoyed the football in the second half of the season.
It is so pleasing to see a man who is obviously a decent human being matching that decency with obvious ability - and for that to be rewarded with success.
And he seems to get the town and the club.
What’s not to like?

[Goliath]

I thought he’d get us up given his previous record. He did.
I thought wouldn’t be too exciting along the way. It wasn’t.
I thought we could and should have won the league with the squad we had. We should.
In short, I was bang on.
He’s done a really good job and I’m looking forward to seeing how he tackles the PL this time round.

You're so knowledgeable. Have you ever thought of working in the game?

[blatherwickstattoos]

Talk about a manager growing on you. What a job he’s done. Like many others I was underwhelmed and worried. But what he achieved is nothing short of a miracle. I promise to back him no matter what this season and not come on here half ****** after a poor result.

[quoonbeatz]

You're so knowledgeable. Have you ever thought of working in the game?

Of course!

[mickleoverclaret]

I thought he'd probably get us up but he'd be out of his depth should we reach the Prem. Hopefully that part i'll be proved wrong about!

[NottsClaret]

I was disappointed at the time, and for the first part of the season. The game at Sheff Utd did make me think he knew exactly what he was doing, even if it wasn't going to be thrilling. There's a lot to be said for quiet competence, if that sounds like a veiled criticism, it isn't. Weirdly, way before that, seeing how he was at that friendly in Cadiz did actually soften my view a bit, he seemed a very genuine and professional chap.

Winning promotion is always a wonderful achievement, and with all chaos just before deadline day, even more impressive. It feels impossible to have a word of caution on here - everything has to be black or white. But we actually finished exactly where we should last season, if you use the most consistently available barometer - a club's wage bill. That was also true for him at Bournemouth and Fulham (possibly underachieved slightly).

If we find ourselves where our wage bill dictates next season, ie the bottom three, it will be interesting to see how those with the more extreme views – 'he's perfect / clueless' react. For me, it would probably reflect that he more consistently than most other managers' working today, gives you exactly what you pay for.