Burnley FC: Scott Parker could face fresh Ruud van Nistelrooy threat after Man Utd decision | OneFootball

After Ruud van Nistelrooy left Manchester United, Scott Parker could be twitchy Burnley may return to get the Dutchman after some poor results

Burnley FC's managerial hunt in the summer led them to Ruud van Nistelrooy and Scott Parker as two candidates, but the Clarets ended up appointing the latter, in what was a move away stylistically from what was perhaps expected from Alan Pace.

The decision was taken out of the Clarets' hands somewhat as Van Nistelrooy elected to join Manchester United as Erik ten Hag's assistant, despite holding talks with Burnley to be the top man.

Ultimately, the allure of Manchester United and a famous Old Trafford homecoming was too much for Van Nistelrooy to turn down, but Ten Hag's sacking has since thrown the Dutchman's career into turmoil, as he's departed the club amid new boss Ruben Amorim wanting to bring his own staff in.

Naturally, that leaves him unemployed and on the market for someone, and Burnley could look to revisit that situation if they feel they're losing direction under Parker.

Burnley owner Pace is well-known for giving managers time, as he did with Kompany last season despite a long line for terrible results, so as of now, it seems unlikely he'll pull the trigger, but it will certainly be at the back of his mind amid some pretty significant fan unrest - despite being fourth in the Championship table.

Scott Parker is proving to be the master of his own downfall at Burnley FC

After a 4-1 win against Luton and 5-0 win against Cardiff to kick off their Championship campaign, Parker seemed like the perfect choice to take over from Vincent Kompany, but things have gone downhill since.

Across Burnley's last 13 Championship games, they've only managed to equal those scoring numbers from their first two games, which is a grave concern to a fan base who expect their side should be doing better than they are.

A disgruntled Turf Moor faithful haven't seen their side score from open play at home since Josh Brownhill netted a stoppage-time winner against Portsmouth in mid-September, and that simply isn't good enough, particularly given they've played bottom-of-the-table QPR at home in that time too.

The Clarets needed a penalty to limp past Swansea and Plymouth for their last two home victories, and while a solution to their scoring issue seems so obvious to most, Parker continues to persevere with what he believes in.

That's admirable in some ways, but in others it feels like he's the master of his own downfall, as his insistence on playing without a recognised striker week in, week out is certainly hurting Burnley's promotion prospects.

Lyle Foster's continued absence is not helping matters of course, but he wasn't exactly pulling up any trees before suffering an injury, so the lack of striker signing in the summer - aside from Andreas Hountondji from Caen, who hasn't impressed so far - now seems a puzzling one.

Sections of the Burnley fanbase are now starting to get on top of Parker for his style of play, and whilst a solid and resolute defence is bailing them out in some matches, it may not theoretically carry on that way, so sooner rather than later, the ex-Fulham boss' job may be on the line.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy's stint as Man United interim boss may have piqued Alan Pace's interest

While the squads of Manchester United and Burnley are obviously incomparable, comparisons can be drawn from the club's respective standings within their leagues, with the Red Devils and the Clarets both among the clubs with the best players in the Premier League and Championship respectively.

Van Nistelrooy oversaw four games in charge of United, and his side scored a whopping 11 goals in that time, which as alluded to earlier, is more than Burnley have managed in their last 13 games.

Obviously, there's more to football than just scoring goals, but the three wins he managed in caretaker charge is as many as Burnley managed in their last nine games, so Clarets fans would be forgiven for thinking the grass may be greener on the other side.

Parker too would be forgiven to feeling a little anxious now Van Nistelrooy is back on the market, but his saving grace could come in the fact his impressive stint could attract top-flight suitors, and he may no longer fancy dropping into the Championship.

As well, Van Nistelrooy ultimately turned down Burnley in the first place for his own reasons, and should Pace have a thought of wanting to get back in touch with the Dutchman at some point, there will likely be reservations over how quickly Vincent Kompany jumped ship following relegation back to the second tier.

Regardless, it's a big dilemma for Pace to have, as he more than anyone, will be desperate to get back into the Premier League, and he'd be forgiven for thinking Burnley would have a better chance with Van Nistelrooy than they would with Parker.