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Scott Parker: Championship Genius or Managerial Myth?
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Scott Parker: Championship Genius or Managerial Myth?

Scott Parker: Championship Genius or Managerial Myth?

Scott Parker. A fantastic former player whose career spanned over 20 years at clubs such as West Ham, Tottenham, Chelsea, Fulham, and more. As a midfielder, Parker is somewhat of a legend and a player that many would have looked up to. In recent years, the Englishman has taken up this role, hanging up his boots, taking his seat in the dugout, and leading on a tactical board.

Since becoming a manager, Parker has managed four different football clubs, but during his new role, the 44-year-old has been somewhat of a decisive figure. In English Football, the former Premier League midfielder has three Championship promotions on his CV, with Fulham, Bournemouth, and Burnley.

However, despite his promotional success, Parker continues to have doubters – the manager has yet to achieve in the English top flight, also failing in Europe at Club Brugge. But is Scott Parker a Championship genius or a massive managerial myth?

Fulham

Retiring in June 2017, Parker would retire at Fulham before the English boss shortly returned to Tottenham Hotspur after retiring, coaching their under-18 squad. But as Fulham were in a Premier League relegation battle, Claudio Raneri was dismissed in 2019, with Parker taking up the responsibility of being his replacement. Parker took charge of the team with the club sat 19th in the table, the Englishman losing his first fixture as a manager 2-1 against Chelsea before Fulham were relegated to the Championship, with five matches remaining.

Parker would gain the job permanently, signing a two-year club, and as Fulham fell to the second tier, most of the key cogs of Fulham’s squad were able to stay intact – Aleksandar Mitrovic signing a new contract at the club within the same summer. The Fulham boss’ first full year at the club did not go completely to plan as the Whites finished outside of the play-off spots and in 4th place. Fulham went on to beat Cardiff City in the play-off semi-finals before beating Brentford at Wembley in the final, thanks to an inventive free-kick from Joe Bryan to secure Premier League football.

Fulham and Parker’s return to the big-time did not go to plan, however. The London club failing to win a game until November, with their young manager steering Fulham’s ship straight back down to the Championship. While as a player, Parker had a long and fantastic career, as the season ended, the club announced in June that the manager had left the club by mutual consent and his stint in London was over.

Bournemouth

Next up for Parker would be a move to the south coast, the former England international joining AFC Bournemouth on the same day that he had left Fulham. The Cherries were in their second successive campaign in the Championship, and Parker began his reign brilliantly at the Vitality Stadium, winning the Manager of the Month award for September and October. Parker had found a new formula for Bournemouth on the south coast – promoting and starting youngsters Jaidon Anthony and Jordan Zemura on the left-hand side while also creating a dynamic attacking partnership between Dominic Solanke and Philip Billing.

Bournemouth had opted for Parker for one sole reason – to guide them back to the Premier League, and that is exactly what he did, with Bournemouth finishing in 2nd place behind his old club Fulham. By this time in 2022, the footballing world had a clear vision of a team managed by Scott Parker – hard, robust, and defence-orientated. Parker was the man to begin to realise the potential of Dominic Solanke, turning him into a clinical goal-scorer, but his time at Bournemouth, despite his attacking firepower, remained cautious and built upon solidity.

However, sometimes the journey is better than the destination, and for the Cherries and Parker, the fallout was massive. The decline in the relationship began in the summer window as the club’s owner at the time, Maxim Denim wanted to sell the club and due to this would not heavily invest in the squad – Bournemouth notably adding Marcus Tavernier, Marcos Senesi and Neto to their ranks.

Nevertheless. It was an ideal start for the south coast side, beating Aston Villa on the opening day, but after that, Bournemouth decimated – losing 4-0 to Manchester City, 3-0 to Arsenal, and a 9-0 loss to Liverpool that was the joint worst defeat in Premier League history. Relegation looked set for the Cherries, with the season not even surpassing the month of August, but that forced Denim to make a decisive decision and sack Parker as Bournemouth boss. Despite their 9-0 loss, performance was not the reason for the manager’s sacking due to Parker stating that some of his players were ‘unequipped’ for the level and criticising the board's investment. Three days after the trip to Anfield, Parker was sacked and Gary O’Neil succeeded the boss, initially taking over as interim manager and keeping the Cherries in the Premier League.

Burnley

Parker would take a brief detour to Belgium and Club Brugge, but the manager’s European stay did not last long as he was sacked in March of his first year in charge. In the modern day, the former Tottenham man finds himself at Burnley, where he has found initial success during his first season at Turf Moor.

Playing a defensive style of football, Parker has achieved promotion for the Clarets in his first year. While they might not have been the most exciting team in the league, Parker’s Burnley boast the league’s best defensive record by a long margin, with just 15 games conceded in 45 games. At face value, Parker has been an instant success for Burnley, but his time at the helm had several stumbling blocks as mass players departed in the summer, and Burnley faced fierce competition from Leeds and Sheffield United. The Northern club had their downs, with many questioning the ability of Parker, but overall, he has achieved the required goal at the start of the season and has been a positive appointment for Burnley.

His spell at Turf Moor provides a third chance in English football, and now, with promotion a third chance in the Premier League. There are plenty of changes that Parker will need to make and several signings that Burnley need to bring in. However, this upcoming spell in the Premier League for the English boss could be career-defining in management, and it will be a telling conclusion as to whether he is good enough for the top level. But one thing that you cannot question is his ability and genius in the Championship – Parker is a perfect stubborn manager who can get top-level teams promoted.

Benji Kosartiyer
Journalist
Josh Wyatt-Jones

Content Writer

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