"Weakens the Burnley side" - Scott Parker urged to make Josh Brownhill call | OneFootball

FLW's fan pundit believes Scott Parker needs to make a change and drop Josh Brownhill.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Scott Parker is aiming to fire Burnley back to the Premier League at the first time of asking after a dismal campaign last season ended in relegation to the Championship, and he has a strong squad to choose from in the second tier.

It's a league Burnley are accustomed to playing at. However, the goal this season is to return to the top table of English football at the first time of asking yet again. Some calculated risks did not pay off in the Premier League, with a huge churn of players, but that same approach worked in the second tier and could do so again.

The Clarets have been able to climb the football pyramid and have been lucky enough to enjoy several seasons in the top-flight alongside a famous European campaign in 2018/19, but the 2024/25 is expected to be more of a slog this time around, even with a quality squad to choose from.

Josh Brownhill continues to split opinion

Despite the strength of Parker's hand, FLW’s Burnley fan pundit Ben Livingstone was asked which player is the most divisive at the club. Not all players are equally popular, and Josh Brownhill continues to divide Burnley fans and neutral punters alike.

He said: "The one player I would say that splits opinion, in my eyes, would be Josh Brownhill.

"I don't know whether he splits Burnley fans in half, or if it is just general football fans in half.

"I always hear these things from people who say Josh Brownhill is amazing, he's fantastic, he's one of Burnley's best players.

"I don't know, some Burnley fans say it, but not so much. That's especially as the season has started.

"A lot of them know he's one of the first names on the teamsheet and club captain as well, which obviously makes a difference on judgment.

"But there's been a constant with managers that they can't seem to drop him. That's why some fans think he's untouchable.

"For me, I sit on the side of the fence where I would rather have Josh Laurent or Hannibal Mejbri ahead of him. I think he weakens the Burnley side, in my personal opinion.

"He does have a lot of good qualities about his game, but his corners always hit the first man and his passing is not fantastic.

"He always seems to slow play down a lot of the time, which is great when you're on top. You want to have someone in that midfield who is going to keep the ball for you and knock it five yards each time.

"But when you're playing under pressure, and it's 0-0, and we've barely created anything... I don't think it's just a problem with Parker or Brownhill, but probably more Parker.

"Because he can't drop this midfield of [Josh] Cullen and Brownhill. Neither of them are getting dropped, and I think Cullen has been awful this season as well, but I think a lot of people have spoken about that.

"That could again be a Parker thing, I don't know. But, for me, I sit on the side of the fence where I just don't think he's an influential player for Burnley.

"I would rather have Laurent and Mejbri start over them, and that's my personal view on that."

Brownhill’s future at Burnley has been in the balance for much of the last year, with the 28-year-old holding off signing a new deal with the club to extend his four-year stay at Turf Moor. Turkish outlet Sabah also reported last month that Trapzonspor are ready to make a move for Brownhill, having had an agreement in the summer.

West Ham, Wolves, Brentford, Rennes, and Fiorentina were also interested in securing his signature at various points last season, whilst Everton and Leicester City were linked with the 28-year-old as recently as January. It highlights that he is an impressive player and perhaps a player of value.

However, the club's problems this season in possession can also be attributed to individuals beyond just the manager, and Brownhill is one of many that the fans are underwhelmed with presently. Something has to change on that front, even if the midfielder needs to be dropped for a period.