Scott Parker admits aspect of Sheffield Wednesday set-up surprised him – got better of Burnley
Scott Parker admits aspect of Sheffield Wednesday set-up surprised him – got better of Burnley
Burnley boss Scott Parker admitted he was taken by surprise by an aspect of Sheffield Wednesday’s set-up in the first half of their Turf Moor win on Friday evening.
The Owls set about the home side with an intricate pressing style and had the better of the first hour or so, squandering a host of chances to put themselves ahead before Marcus Edwards’ late first half opener pulled the game in Burnley’s favour.
The automatic promotion chasers played with more freedom in the second half and scored from each of their shots on target in what was a lesson in taking opportunities as they ran out 4-0 winners. Wednesday attracted plaudits from across the board for their front-foot effort and how they took the game to the Clarets – though they came away with a scoreboard hammering.
Parker, watching on from the stands in his serving of a touchline ban, admitted his side initially struggled in the face of Wednesday’s opening push.
“I thought first-half we lacked a little something really, probably an intent about us and we struggled a little bit, partly me in terms of how I prepped the team was very different to how Sheffield Wednesday came here,” he said.
“Half-time probably comes at a really good stage for us because it gives us an opportunity to try and help the team and tactically make some adjustments that can give us that. The goal comes at a great time for us, no doubt, Marcus’s goal at half-time. I think it’s fair to say that Sheffield Wednesday were right in the game at half-time.”
When asked what the Owls did differently to what he was expecting and had set up for, Parker added: “Just the pressing really, the way they pressed, how we thought they’d press.
“They pressed a little bit differently and we just struggled really in the first phase. We struggled with just the general feeling of us executing through that first phase. It was really very passive and we could play in front of them, but we weren’t really a threat. There were some tactical elements that we needed to adjust. That instantly helped us and I thought we worked really well second-half really.”
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