Premier League club called out for ‘cheating’ after journalist reveals crazy conspiracy theory
Burnley has been called out by a journalist for “cheating the system” after being relegated from the Premier League once again. The Clarets were sent back down to the Championship on Wednesday, April 22, following a 1-0 home loss to Manchester City. After this, Scott Parker left the club by mutual agreement, and Michael Jackson took over as interim manager.
Jackson’s first game in charge ended in a 3-1 defeat to Burnley, marking Burnley’s 23rd loss of the Premier League season. Last season, Burnley did really well in the Championship, earning 100 points and keeping a record 30 clean sheets in 46 games, only letting in 16 goals.
But this season didn’t go well in the Premier League. TalkSPORT’s Alex Crook criticized Burnley, saying they showed “no intention of staying in the Premier League” and that they “stunk the place out.” He said, “Burnley are heading back to where they belong—the Championship. For two seasons in a row, they’ve been really poor.”
Crook pointed out that many expected Burnley to compete after their strong defensive record last season, but instead, they only won four games out of 34 and lost 23. He added that they conceded even more goals than Wolves, who have been struggling too. Crook also criticized their transfer decisions, like selling their goalkeeper James Trafford before the Premier League season even started, saying, “If you’re serious about staying up, you don’t sell your best player before you’ve played a game.”
Burnley often moves between the Premier League and Championship, which earns them parachute payments—money meant to help with the financial hit from dropping leagues. Crook said Burnley is “cheating the system” by not trying hard enough to stay up but still benefiting from these payments. He compared their situation to Norwich City’s from a few years ago and suggested a new rule: if a team gets relegated twice in three years, they shouldn’t be allowed to get promoted for the next five years.
Crook joked, “I’ve never been to Turf Moor, and I’m not sure I’ll be invited after this hot take.” With only four wins and 20 points this season, Burnley has three games left before dropping back to the Championship to try and rebuild.