Pressure is telling on Scott Parker at Burnley while Dominik Szoboszlai is reaching new heights for Liverpool
The lack of pressure on Scott Parker this season, despite a collection of desperate performances and an impending relegation, has been mystifying. Plenty at Turf Moor feel a strong sense of loyalty to Parker, especially the chairman, Alan Pace, but support in the stands is dwindling. The lack of backing in the winter transfer window left the squad short of quality and with limited routes out of their current predicament. The Burnley head coach’s Premier League record is miserable and the style of play is devoid of entertainment. At the weekend he had the chance to follow a first league victory in 17 matches at Crystal Palace with FA Cup progress against third-tier Mansfield, but instead Burnley were deservedly eliminated. The second-half efforts of the Clarets bordered on embarrassment in a half-full ground and it feels like things cannot continue like this much longer. Will Unwin
Match report: Burnley 1-2 Mansfield
Beyond a refereeing performance that embraced farce, Villa Park raised deeper questions on the use of video assistants. How tuned in to the protocol have players become? When Tammy Abraham escaped to score Aston Villa’s opener from an offside position, the lack of response from Newcastle’s defenders suggested they were waiting for a VAR saviour. Semi-automated offsides offer close to zero margin for error for players and bail out blind-sided assistant referees. The arcane concept of playing to the whistle is now lost in the brave new world of delayed flags. What was supposed to be a safety net has altered the psyche of how the game is played in elite leagues. No VAR at Villa Park was less a nostalgic trip down officiating’s memory lane than a reveal of how much has changed. A shame that Chris Kavanagh’s performance deflected from a well-executed Newcastle comeback, with Sandro Tonali impressively assuming responsibility in the absence of Bruno Guimarães. John Brewin
