Football League World
·29 de novembro de 2024
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·29 de novembro de 2024
Scott Parker wouldn't discuss Burnley's transfer plans ahead of the January window.
Burnley boss Scott Parker insists he is not looking ahead to the January window, with his only focus on the busy month ahead for his team.
The Clarets have enjoyed a good start to life under the new boss, with Parker’s side sitting third in the Championship table going into the weekend fixtures.
Whilst it hasn’t always been great to watch, Burnley had a major turnover of players in the summer, so all connected to the club will be delighted with the position they’re in.
However, even if the overall mood has to be a positive one, it’s also clear to many fans that Burnley need to strengthen in the New Year if they are to maintain the pace for a top two finish.
Scoring goals has been a real problem for the side, with no team in the top six registering fewer than Burnley’s 21 from 17 games.
And, that becomes a bigger concern when you take into account that the Clarets scored nine of those in their first two games.
Therefore, many are expecting attacking reinforcements when the window opens, but Parker wouldn’t discuss the transfer plans when speaking to the Burnley Express.
“It’s not something I want to engage in at this present moment in time. I have absolutely no eye on January.
“My main focus is on this team, where we are and how well we’re doing and keep developing this group of players. Lots of areas where we need to keep working and being relentless. January is a long way away. We may do something, we may not do anything.”
You can understand why Parker doesn’t want to be drawn on January just yet, as the club have eight games to play from Saturday’s game at Stoke up to the return fixture against the Potters on New Year's Day.
Obviously, in that period the manager can only use the players at his disposal right now, so it makes sense that he isn’t going to be talking about new signings who could potentially replace those who he is now relying on.
Right now, the squad is doing what has been asked of them, and Parker will need all of these players over the next month, as we know how defining this run of fixtures can be in the promotion battle.
Ultimately, Parker will know that Burnley need to improve in certain areas, and he has made use of the January window with Fulham and Bournemouth in the past, which helped their promotion push.
So, even if he isn’t admitting it in public, there’s no way the manager and the recruitment team aren’t drawing up a list of targets - which will be the same at every club in the country.
As mentioned, the weaknesses seem pretty clear for Burnley, and a lot can change very quickly in football, so it will be interesting to see how they navigate this run as they seek to bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt.