Danny Murphy admits Burnley deserve “great credit” for the way they nullified Liverpool’s attacking threats during Sunday’s tight encounter.
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But they were made to sweat for their victory thanks to a disciplined rearguard action from the Clarets, who limited the Reds to very few clear-cut chances.
Some observers have criticised Burnley for showing little attacking adventure, but Murphy – a former Liverpool midfielder – offered a contrary view.
“Burnley deserve great credit,” he told Match of the Day 2 presenter Kelly Cates.
“They defended really well with a really good game plan and fought right to the end. They can take some pride from that performance.
“The number of crosses on there, 44, is really high for a Liverpool team. The reason that happened is because of Burnley's tactical plan, which was to condense the middle of the field and force Liverpool out wide, probably because they thought they didn't have a great aerial threat when the crosses were coming in.
Hjalmar Ekdal and Kyle Walker thank the Burnley fans at full time. Photo: Kelvin Lister-Stuttardplaceholder image
Hjalmar Ekdal and Kyle Walker thank the Burnley fans at full time. Photo: Kelvin Lister-Stuttard
“In the first half, it kind of played out that way. It took Liverpool a long time to work out that they had to start trying to get in the box in more numbers and more intensity. It didn't really happen until the second half.
“The more the game went on and the more Burnley got tired, the spaces got a bit bigger. Then they get the penalty from another cross. It was the bit of luck they needed and they probably edged it, just about. But Burnley really made it tough for Liverpool.”
The criticism of Burnley’s approach is especially ironic given two years ago it was their defensive and tactical naivety that drew criticism under previous boss Vincent Kompany.
The Clarets were far too easy to play against under the current Bayern Munich chief during the 2023/24 season, giving up chances far too easily.
Parker, based off the defensive foundations laid in the Championship last season, is clearly making Burnley a lot more tougher to beat this time round.
Murphy added: “Oh, they’re completely different than what Vincent Kompany's Burnley was trying to do.
“I still think at times Burnley are going to have to be a bit braver and they'll pick their games to do that. Second half at Man Utd, they had a really good spell and they played some good stuff, so he'll [Parker] take the positives.
“They've had a hell of a start, by the way. They've played Tottenham away, they've had Liverpool at home, Man United away. That's a hell of a start for him.
“They lost by late penalties in the last two games and they were avoidable. They'll be sitting there tonight, probably, some of them watching this thinking: ‘we had a great opportunity to get a scalp’.
“But there's a lot of hope for the new teams who've come up. I think they're all making a fight of it. It's going to be interesting.”
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