Football Daily | Burnley moonwalk back down without Scott Parker

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When Scott Parker led Burnley out of the Championship and into the Premier League last season, he did so with a side showcasing the kind of defensive resilience more readily associated with a medieval fortress, although with more expensive haircuts and less reliance on cauldrons of boiling oil.

His team lost just two of their 46 matches, were unbeaten at home, kept a quite remarkable 30 clean sheets and notched up a combined total of 20 1-0 wins and scoreless draws.

So while attending one of their games was about as exciting as reading an air-fryer instruction manual, they were devastatingly resolute.

To nobody’s great surprise, they were immediately installed as the white-hot favourites to go straight back down before a ball had even been kicked.

I read with interest that David Brent School of Management’s Glenn Hoddle was fishing for the Tottenham job (https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/apr/29/psg-bayern-champions-league-classic-football-daily-newsletter">yesterday’s Quote of the Day).

Is that a sign of how far Spurs have fallen, or was he trying to pay for sins in a prior life?” – Neale Redington.

Can I point out Football Daily’s arrogance in dismissing the entertainment value of a proper match (sans £ billions), in which the mighty Vale handed out a schoolin’ to the resurgent Stockport County on a sunny evening in Edgeley (https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/apr/29/psg-bayern-champions-league-classic-football-daily-newsletter">yesterday’s Football Daily)?

I haven’t watched the pompfest in foreign climes you referenced, but it couldn’t have been a patch on what Pep Guardiola was fortunate enough to choose” – John Timmins.

Your reader Ken Muir’s observation that Hearts teams are sweeping all before them this season (https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/apr/29/psg-bayern-champions-league-classic-football-daily-newsletter">yesterday’s Football Daily letters), brings to mind an old chestnut.

An Englishman goes into a pub in Edinburgh and asks a local: ‘What colour do Hearts play in?’ ‘It’s maroon …’ comes the answer. ‘Thank you!

I’ll have a gin and tonic please!’ And I’ll get my coat …” – Allastair McGillivray.