Not even Scott Parker appeared to know whether he would still be in the Club Brugge dugout during this weekend’s Jupiler League clash with Standard Liege. Things were not exactly going to plan for the former Fulham and Bournemouth boss before the midweek trip to Benfica but – if they weren’t already – a 5-1 obliteration in the Portuguese capital set alarm bells ringing and red flags waving.
“I’m not sure (if I will stay in charge),” a beleaguered Parker sighed, via talkSPORT.
“This is a humiliating defeat. A disappointing result. We knew in advance that the challenge would be tough, but this is still a bitter pill to swallow. We came up short against Benfica.”
If that five-goal hammering was merely an aberration amongst a sea of positive results, Parker could be forgiven. The fact is, however, that it came just a few days after a 3-0 reverse at Oostende. Since taking charge at the Jan Breydel Stadium, Parker has won just two out of 12 games. A win rate of just 16 per cent.
Lest we forget, meanwhile, that Club Brugge were the Champions of Belgium as recently as last season. Their decline has been as rapid as he’s been remarkable.
Scott Parker hanging by a thread at Club Brugge
“Yes, I would fire Parker,” former Belgium international Gilles de Bilde told VTM.
“I don’t know what impression he makes on the players, but he doesn’t inspire me. As a board, you now have to be big and say; ‘We made a mistake and fired Parker’.”
“He turns out to be a complete flop,” writes Het Laaste Nieuws. “Get rid of him. It can’t go on like this. Parker messed it up. So long, farewell, Mister Parker.”
That pressure told, in the end. Club Brugge confirmed, on Wednesday afternoon, that Parker was packing his bags. That three-month reign making him one of the shortest-serving and least succesful coaches in the club’s entire history.
The former Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and West Ham United midfielder – Give Me Sport say – was briefly a candidate to replace Giovanni van Bronckhorst at Ibrox, before Rangers turned to the familiar face that is Mick Beale.
But while it wasn’t easy to get a handle on Parker’s managerial talents during spells at Fulham and Bournemouth – yes, he guided both clubs to promotion but that was par for the course given the quality of their squad – this Club Brugge stint was always likely to shine a light on whether the 42-year-old had the tactical chops to hold his own at a much higher level.
Now, much like Colin Farrell’s Ray, Parker is discovering that life In Bruges is not all swans and fairytales.
