On Tuesday morning, AFC Bournemouth announced that head coach Scott Parker had left the football club.
The statement from the Cherries itself was brief, confirming that Parker had departed and that Gary O’Neil will take interim charge of the team for tonight’s (Wednesday 31st August 2022) match against Wolverhampton Wanderers and will be assisted by Shaun Cooper and Tommy Elphick.
AFC Bournemouth owner Maxim Demin, a person who doesn’t usually make public comments, personally explained the decision behind Parker’s dramatic departure.
Demin told afcb.co.uk…
“I would like to place on record my gratitude to Scott and his team for their efforts during their time with us. Our promotion back to the Premier League last season under his tenure will always be remembered as one of the most successful seasons in our history.
“However, in order for us to keep progressing as a team and a Club as a whole, it is unconditional that we are aligned in our strategy to run the club sustainably. We must also show belief in and respect for one another. That is the approach that has brought this club so much success in recent history, and one that we will not veer from now. Our search for a new head coach will begin immediately.”
The statement, of course, was lost amongst supporters from other clubs and media personalities, who just saw a sensational headline that a Premier League manager had been sacked in August.
The managerial merry-go-round in the top flight of English football is pretty notorious, but an apparent sacking after just four games, four games that included Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool, that is very unusual.
But instead of using any common sense to think, why that might be, many just jumped in to defend Parker on the apparent harsh decision, clearly not reading into the comments released by Maxim Demin.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp seemingly criticised the owners of AFC Bournemouth.
Jurgen Klopp on Bournemouth sacking Scott Parker 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/OiSZOdIy7q
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) August 30, 2022
Former AFC Bournemouth loanee Rio Ferdinand took to Twitter to call it “madness”.
Gets them promoted….
Beat Villa & lose to City, Arsenal & Liverpool 🤯Madness! https://t.co/qiJNTdQYqM
— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) August 30, 2022
Former England striker and BBC Match of the Day presenter claimed the decision “made no sense”.
This makes no sense. Wins promotion. Takes 3 points off Villa, then loses to Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool. This can only be a falling out re transfer policy, surely. https://t.co/6uQiWv26oR
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) August 30, 2022
Sky Sports reporter Katie Shanahan had been at Anfield on Saturday and had spoken to Parker following the 9-0 defeat to Liverpool, she claimed she was “gutted for Scott Parker” and added that he “should have been given longer, especially after such a tough run of fixtures.
Gutted for Scott Parker. Spoke to him after the 9-0. He was clearly dejected and humiliated, but also honest, saying they “need bodies” in order to compete. Should have been given longer, esp, after such a tough run of fixtures #AFCB
— Katie Shanahan (@KatieShanahan3) August 30, 2022
The comments continued all across the internet, all from people who hadn’t quite grasped that Scott Parker’s departure had absolutely nothing to do with results. No one around AFC Bournemouth expected anything other than three defeats to Manchester City, Arsenal or Liverpool. No one may have expected a 9-0 defeat granted, but these freak defeats in the Premier League happen occasionally…or almost frequently if you’re Southampton.
Parker’s results were undeniable, in the Championship he steered the Cherries to automatic promotion in his first season at the club. A notoriously difficult league to be successful in. Parker has now achieved that twice, once with Fulham via play-offs and once with AFC Bournemouth.
His tenure at both clubs ended in somewhat similar ways, but no one can take the results and achievements away from him.
The opening day victory in the Premier League against Aston Villa, also showed how tactically he is capable of being brilliant with Steven Gerrard having no answer to Parker’s plan.
The players were also motivated under Parker “in certain moments”, when he said the right things, something that could be clearly seen in the post-promotion videos after the win over Nottingham Forest or his half-time team-talk that went viral.
In his 55 games as AFC Bournemouth head coach, the Cherries won 28 and lost 13, again with three of them coming since promotion against Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.
Parker’s departure had nothing to do with the results and everything to do with comments he has made in the media since July and his general demeanour in and around the club.
Parker was very open, some might claim honest, that he wanted the Cherries to invest more in the squad following promotion to the Premier League and whilst it’s true that private conversations are private and everyone away from the club will not know what was specifically said behind closed doors directly to Parker. The general feeling around the club, the supporters and the media closest to the football club all held the same belief that AFC Bournemouth would not be going on a Nottingham Forest style spending spree this summer.
The Cherries are a very different club to any that the Premier League has seen before.
Dean Court is the smallest all-seater stadium the division has ever seen, a stadium the football club still do not own, it’s leased following a sale & leaseback that occurred during the club’s lower league days. They train in a training ground that may well have all the modern facilities but fundamentally is still in a public park with some fencing installed to prevent the local dog walkers from watching first-team training on a daily basis.
The club needs to be kept on a sustainable footing, whilst also having one eye on the future to cement a Premier League legacy.
The words were also reportedly taking its toll on the existing playing squad.
The Daily Mail have reported that Parker’s position had become untenable due to “the way Parker was publicly airing the club’s dirty laundry almost on a weekly basis”.
The report went on to add “there was also raised eyebrows at how he was treating the players he viewed as peripheral to his plans“.
Whilst the Athletic reported…
“it is understood several players took exception to Parker’s post-match comments, finding his recent efforts to be a strange way of motivating them. The players could not understand his attitude. It was deemed to be in contrast to his approach last season, where he was seen as caring and close to players, previously described as being exceptional tactically.
“There was a feeling among some players that he no longer had confidence in them and a fear at the club that Parker’s comments were beginning to have a negative effect on the dressing room. It is understood Parker has cut an insular figure in recent times, reluctant to talk to his players off the pitch, and has been described as being in a bad mood.
With a reported breakdown in relations with the playing squad and a complete fallout with the hierarchy of the club, Parker’s tenure had to end.
This was very articulately explained on Sky Sports News, by Mark McAdam, a former employee at AFC Bournemouth and now Sky Sports reporter.
Was it a surprise that Bournemouth sacked Scott Parker? 🔍
An in-depth analysis 📊👇pic.twitter.com/cSt05zxzaD
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 30, 2022
Radio Solent duo Kris Temple and Adam Blackmore, who have also worked with the Cherries for over a decade also held very similar viewpoints.
🗣️ ''It hasn't come as a complete surprise to me to be honest''
Our #afcb commentator @kristemple reacts to the news of Scott Parker's sacking
👉 Listen here: https://t.co/LAJmupaA8q pic.twitter.com/pR4OE3W3OX
— BBC Radio Solent Sport (@solentsport) August 30, 2022
I’m surprised but not shocked by this ……some will think it’s because of the 9-0 but the strong comments from Max Demin tell the story that ultimately you can’t come out to the cameras and criticise the people that pay you too much too many times without paying the price #afcb https://t.co/GW4U3QJYNZ
— Adam Blackmore (@AdamBlackmore) August 30, 2022
The tone was continued by talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.
It is easy to say it is harsh to sack any newly-promoted manager after losing to Arsenal, City and Liverpool but this is not a results-based decision. Line in the #AFCB statement from owner Max Demin citing 'respect' is key. https://t.co/fGXlloPach
— Alex Crook ⚽️🎙 (@alex_crook) August 30, 2022
Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan might not have been aware of all the recent intricacies off the pitch at Dean Court, but spoke with knowledge of being a former owner and made his assessment based on Parker’s public comments.
❌ “I’d have sacked Scott Parker.”
🤐 “You don’t want to hear a constant carping from your manager.”
😡 “You have a sense of entitlement from managers that they run the business.”
Simon Jordan goes in on Scott Parker and says it was right for #AFCB to sack him! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/HUpRBjMlsx
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) August 30, 2022
AFC Bournemouth supporter’s reaction on the AFCB Vital Forum (click the link to join the discussion)…
thegazzyb…
Good decision !
I said previously that if Max was happy for us to be a yoyo club ( which I think would be great for the club’s finances ), then Scott Parker isn’t the man for the job because his ego wouldn’t allow him to stick around and get relegated. We need a manager who is happy to manage us in either of the top two divisions and who accepts that we are never going to be aiming to win the Premier League whenever we are there.
Someone who accepts that and doesn’t constantly slag off the board or talk down the quality of his squad is what we need.
No messing about by Max. I think he did well to waste no more time and take this brave decision.
With a manager who can motivate and talk up his players, we still have a chance of PL survival this season. We need a real “man manager” in now.
Fingers crossed we find the right candidate.
Exciting times and a decent springboard for a fresh start.
NWCherries98…
Oddly proud of the club, as harsh as that might sound. I’ve never seen a manager completely trash his own players like that in such an unprofessional way. Obviously, if the board are as clueless as has been made out then this might be a car crash waiting to happen, and maybe Parker had reasons to be upset. But I did a huge 180 on him as a person and I’m quite proud that the club have stuck up for the players and the principles of the club so viciously.
Kudos…
I’d have quite happily supported his tenure even with the 9-0 and relegation at the end of the season for another couple of seasons but his comments are completely inappropriate and totally out of line with a strategy that has been crystal clear since before his appointment.
Sleepy Cherry…
The right decision I think. The way Parker has conducted himself with the media has been unacceptable. If we go down, we go down, but we need more positivity and a manager who will take responsibility and protect his players. They got us into the PL, but he then said they weren’t good enough. Very poor behaviour.
AFCBade…
I have sympathy for him as he is not wrong in his comments and getting us up was a brilliant achievement. Not the shoo-in that some think it was.
However, you can’t have a manager run down his own team after every match and criticise board strategy. Something had to change.
I am excited by Shaun Cooper, Tommy Elphick and Gary O’Neil to be honest.
Danny11…
I am shocked it’s happened so soon, but it has felt inevitable. Whatever people think of SP or the board, the fact is, SP’s comments have been basically telling the players he doesn’t think they are good enough. It was his job to give them belief and he hasn’t been doing that.
