‘Underrated Scotty full of grit ‘n’ graft’

WHEN Scott Parker was relieved of his duties by Club Brugge after just 12 matches, his managerial reputation was so badly bruised you could reasonably have wondered how he might ever bounce back.

- BY RYAN TAYLOR

But fast forward two-and-a-half years and Parker has rightfully earned his third crack at the Premier League, with Burnley.

Despite narrowly missing out on the Championship title on goal difference, the Clarets collected 100 points last term, shipping just 16 goals in 46 games.

Parker's backline was watertight - a platform to build on - but have conceded six times in their first three Prem games.

Stopping Liverpool may seem a thankless task but Burnley caused both Tottenham and Manchester United problems.

While it looked like a one-sided beatdown on paper against Spurs, Burnley had twice as many shots (10) as Tottenham (five) at the halftime interval.