Burnley's record-breaking defensive record is dividing fans: The stats and opinions
2025-02-06
Category: sports

Are you not entertained?Burnley are on track to become one of the best defensive teams in the recent history of English football - but not every fan is happy.Their style of play - with defensive records tumbling all around them - has brought about the age-old debate of entertainment versus results.BBC Sport looks at the numbers behind Burnley's success - and how it's been received.
Burnley's incredible numbers
Burnley boast the best defence in Europe but - right now anyway - are also the least entertaining side in English league history when it comes to the number of goals in their games.Here's a look at just some of their incredible stats, for better or worse.Burnley have conceded the fewest goals of any English league side this season (9) - 10 fewer than the next strongest defence (Leeds - 19), and five fewer than any team in the top two tiers in Spain, Italy, France and Germany.If the Clarets keep up their current goals conceded per game (0.29) ratio, it would be the best in the history of the English Football League.Burnley have kept 22 clean sheets in 31 games - including their current run of nine in a row.Goalkeeper James Trafford now holds Burnley's club record for the most clean sheets in a single season (21).Burnley have not conceded more than once in any league game this season.There have been fewer goals per game in matches involving Burnley (1.48) than any other side in EFL history. The next lowest was Gillingham in the 1995-96 season (1.50).Only Liverpool (1) have lost fewer games in England's top four divisions than Burnley (2).
'Frustrating and incredible' - what fans think
Aran: It's both frustrating and absolutely incredible. Going to every game believing you are not going to concede a single goal is amazing. Breaking records is definitely something the team should be proud of. There is a beauty and art to an incredible defence, but if we want to get promoted we simply must score more goals.Spence: The last promotion season was my favourite ever as a Burnley fan, but now I've never been so happy to give up my season ticket. It's absolutely dreary. Last season was awful too, but this one has been a test. Proud of the defence, but what's the point if it's this boring and frustrating?Lee: Seen numerous fans moaning about "Parker Ball" and saying it's a boring watch. The mission is promotion, who really cares how we get there?James: Is it entertaining? At times yes, but for the most part it's made me want to watch paint dry. It's an incredibly risk-averse style of play that means we're very rarely at risk of being caught on the counter. But ultimately if it is pragmatic enough and gets us promoted, great... but will it fly in the Prem? Probably not.Danny: I'm loving it. It's like watching Football Italia in the early 90s - very solid at the back, players reading the game well, very disciplined. Some fans are grumbling but lots of them thought Kompany could do no wrong - even when he was chucking games away in the Premier League with his dodgy team selections and naive tactics.Robbie: Worst style of football I've seen under any Burnley manager. People criticise Dyche's style but that was needed for survival. Under him we actually played good football in the Championship. To play so negatively and so many 0-0s is so poor with the money and players we have. Leads to no atmosphere at Turf Moor. If we can't score against Stoke, how on earth would we score against any Prem team? If we go up, it will be our worst spell in the Prem. There is a middle ground between Kompany and Parker.
Parker v Kompany: The differing styles
Much has been made of the opposite styles of play deployed by Parker this season and former boss Vincent Kompany when Burnley were promoted in 2022-23.Burnley were also on course that season to become the best ever Championship defence at one stage - but went on to concede 35, therefore missing out on matching Watford and Preston's joint record of 30 by five goals.But that's probably where the similarities between Parker and Kompany's Burnley end.It could be argued that Kompany's team conceded a limited number of goals because of their sheer dominance in attack and playing games largely in opposition territory.In that season, Burnley scored 87 goals at a rate of 1.89 per game, compared to 1.19 in this campaign so far. If the Clarets continue at the same pace, they will end this season with about 55 goals - some 32 fewer than under Kompany.Parker's Burnley have also already nearly surpassed the number of draws from their last promotion-winning campaign (14) with 13 this term - 10 of which have been 0-0.Kompany led his Clarets side to an impressive 101 points, picking up 2.19 points per game, while Parker's team have earned 1.96 points per game this season. That would see Burnley end on about 90 points in May 2025 if they keep up the same pace.
This season perhaps begs the question of whether pragmatism is Parker's philosophy or merely a style he's leant on to try to get Burnley back into the top flight this season? Previous evidence would suggest it's actually the latter. When he won promotion via the play-offs with Fulham in 2019-20, Parker's side scored 64 goals at a rate of 1.39 per game and conceded 48 (1.04 per game), meaning they were far more open.Parker also took Bournemouth up from the Championship automatically, finishing second in 2021-22 with an even more free-flowing approach.The Cherries scored 74 goals (1.60 per game) that season and allowed 39 goals (0.84), showing Parker was able to strike a balance.
The records Burnley could break
Whether or not Burnley go up remains to be seen, but they might still smash a few records regardless of where they finish.Here's a look at some of those they may have in their sights:Fewest goals conceded in the Championship (30 - currently held by Watford in 2020-21 and Preston in 2005-06). Burnley are on nine.Fewest goals conceded in any league season in England (15 - currently held by Chelsea when they won the Premier League in 2004-05). Most clean sheets in an EFL season (27 - currently held by Wigan Athletic in League One in 2017-18). Burnley are on 22.Most clean sheets in a row in EFL history (10 - currently held by Torquay United in League Two in 2010). Burnley are on nine.Most clean sheets in a row in English football history (14 - currently held by Manchester United and goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar in 2008-09, who played almost 22 hours without conceding a goal).
Analysis: 'Boring' chants show fragile situation
Does the end justify the means?Lying second in the Championship and looking well set for promotion, you would feel supporters would be overjoyed at being in that position.But that is not quite the case with Burnley, as fans are growing increasingly weary at the perceived turgid style of play deployed by manager Scott Parker.Parker has admitted he is trying to find a better balance but there is no denying that the defensive displays by the Clarets this season have been remarkable.Aside from a 5-0 thrashing of Plymouth a couple of weeks ago, Burnley have not been free-flowing in the final third.On Saturday, there were chants of "boring, boring Burnley" from Portsmouth supporters at Fratton Park - and the travelling Burnley fans joined in, indicating how fragile the situation is.Vincent Kompany's Burnley went up to the Premier League with a thrilling and entertaining style of football, a team regarded by many as the best the Championship has ever seen - if Parker's men manage to head up too, they will have done it in the opposite manner.Promotion is the be-all and end-all here, failure to achieve that will mean enduring those dreary 0-0s will have been for nothing.