Relegated Fulham manager Scott Parker gets a ‘free ride’ from the media compared to other in-trouble managers in part due to his suave dress sense, it has been suggested.
The Cottagers suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to Burnley on Monday night to confirm the London club’s second relegation in three years under the boss.
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Parker’s Fulham side has won just five games all season, and scored only 25 goals in their 35 games so far.
And yet the 40-year-old is being tipped as a strong contender for the manager’s job at former club Tottenham, who are still on the hunt for a permanent successor to Jose Mourinho.
Parker declined to comment on his future in charge of Fulham on Monday night after the club’s drop back down to the Championship was confirmed.
But, according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, it shouldn’t be a matter of ‘will Fulham be able to keep’ Parker, it should be ‘do they want to keep’ the popular coach.
While other managers like Newcastle’s Steve Bruce get hammered routinely by fans and the press, Crook says Parker has got off lightly this season despite Fulham’s failings.
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Speaking on Tuesday’s talkSPORT Breakfast, he said: “Steve Bruce has had an awful lot of negative press, but then we look at Scott Parker, I like Scott, he’s great with the media, he’s done an okay job at Fulham.
“But the narrative seems to be ‘will they be able to keep Scott Parker’, but the question should be ‘do they want to keep Scott Parker?’
“He has overseen two relegations in three seasons now, and the narrative was that Fulham have been improving over the course of the season, and they might have been improving in terms of their performances, but they haven’t really improved in terms of results and they’ve been relegated quite comfortably with three games still to play.
“It’s fine lines and it’s all about perception.
“Maybe it’s because Scott Parker is more pleasing on the eye, maybe because he’s got better dress sense than Steve Bruce and it’s giving him a free pass at times.”
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Parker has also been accused of mismanaging his talented Fulham side, which is perhaps a warning to Spurs amid reports he could take the leap to take over at White Hart Lane.
Leeds United supporters, James, called into the Sports Bar on Monday night and argued Fulham have a better squad than Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites, but that Parker has failed to get the best out of his players.
Leeds, promoted alongside Fulham last season, are sitting tenth in the table – 23 points ahead of Parkers side.
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Speaking on Sports Bar host Andy Goldstein and Jason Cundy, he said: “Jason, you’ve said a few times throughout the season that Bielsa and Leeds get too much praise, but four or five times I’ve heard you say ‘Scott Parker doesn’t get praise’…
“He’s won five games all season! They’ve only scored 22 goals!
“I think he’s got a much better squad at Fulham than at Leeds, a far better squad, and I just don’t think he’s done much with it.”
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