Lancashire

Natalie Bromley
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Season score out of 10 and overriding emotion?

0/10. I just feel so very numb at the moment, and very disconnected from football. We seem to have lost our identity completely - even our shirts have turned into a shade of purple now, rather than Claret. I am struggling to see what we are trying to be. Our recruitment has been haphazard, our managerial decisions baffling, and each Premier League campaign has got steadily worse since ALK took over the club, both in terms of points and league positions. "Forever forward" is ALK's new motto for the club: perhaps that is the case in terms of commercial offering, but on the pitch we are going backwards.

Best moment and why

I take absolutely no pleasure in saying this, but Scott Parker leaving his role as head coach. It was becoming an impossible position for him to be in, and the club should have put him and us out of our misery much earlier than this. When that announcement was made, there seemed to be a collective sigh of relief. But what a waste of a season.

Player of season and why

A very close tie between Zian Flemming and Jaidon Anthony - the former for his goals, and the latter for being probably the only player in the squad to show real effort consistently. He seems like one of the few who wants to be here and cares.

Unsung hero and why

Ross Wallace, for stepping up to be caretaker manager of the women's team, and overseeing a title and promotion to WSL2. The only good news of this season.

Biggest disappointment

Pretty much everything about the entire season has been a disappointment, no more so than our pitiful displays in both cup competitions. But one that stung a little was the early injury to Josh Cullen. We missed his leadership skills and talent in the team and, while it may not have caused a disappointment to the overall results, his voice as club captain would have helped bridge that growing disconnection between club and fans.

What needs to change this summer?

The whole club needs to change because we are so very lost at the moment. We need to start again from scratch.

Major hope for next season?

We get our managerial appointment right.

Find more from Natalie Bromley at No Nay Never podcast, external

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Former Burnley centre-back David Unsworth on BBC Radio Lancashire: "Unfortunately, it is Championship football as we have known for some time now.

"A massive rebuild is needed, not just in terms of trying to bounce back up next season, but by trying to build a team and squad that doesn't need major surgery if they do get promoted.

"We need to decide on who is going to be the manager – how many weeks has it been and nothing has been done? Massive decisions on who is coming, staying or leaving.

"I was thinking if I was a Burnley fan coming to the ground, what would I want? I read the owner's [Alan Pace] programme notes, and he touched on the manager.

"I want something more. I want a clear plan. I want him to come out and demand success. It was all about hard work and desire. That is a given for any player, in any team. You shouldn't even have to ask that.

"I want to see a clear vision, I want to see a strategy out in place, I want to see great recruitment. I want to see this team bounce back up and stay there.

"I just want more – these fans have been brilliant all season. They have stuck by the team despite all the losses.

"I think they deserve a lot more than what they're getting.

"They have got to get somebody in and there are no guarantees, it doesn't matter who it is.

"Someone who the fans can get right behind, someone with real stature that can come into this great football club and have an immediate reaction and also attract top players not only to get them up, but to keep them up when they get back into the Premier League."

Image source, Getty Images

Now the curtain has come down on the 2025-26 Premier League campaign, here is my end-of-season review - with a look back to what I predicted in August.

Prediction: 20th

Another joyless season in the Premier League for Burnley, doomed to relegation under the now sacked Scott Parker, long before the drop was officially confirmed.

Burnley's top brass were more ambitious in the markets, signing experienced players such as Kyle Walker, but one look at Armando Broja's injury record should have told them to keep their £20m in their pocket.

What I said in August: "It is a bold transfer strategy, but will it be enough to keep Burnley up? I have my doubts."

Check out the rest of my review here

We asked for your views on Burnley's draw against Wolves on the final day of the Premier League season.

Here are some of your comments:

Alan: This feels different to previous relegations. The lack of fight and direction from management - more than anything else - makes it seem like we are heading for another 50 years in the Football League wilderness.

Mark: At last it's over! Bring on the Championship - the better league.

Steve: Poor season, but so unlucky at times with VAR and several decisions. What was the point of Armando Broja and Lyle Foster? And Florentino Luis for that matter. Kyle Walker should have stepped up more as well.

Robert: Typical. Poor manager and the players lacked effort and talent. It's a shame when they worked so hard to get back into the Premier League.

John: A fighting display in the second half is, hopefully, a sign of things to come. Loum Tchaouna and Lesley Ugochukwu have been rejuvenated since Scott Parker. We are resigned to losing some of our stars but we must retain the core squad. With some coming and goings we can be competitive in the Championship. We must learn from Sunderland about building the foundations of a team that can be competitive in the Premier League, as well, if we make it back.

Steve: Give Mike Jackson at least a full season and get Ashley Barnes on the coaching staff to give them some bite. The Championship is a tough league and completely different to the Premier League. On the upside, no VAR. Football can be fun again.

Pundits Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from all 10 fixtures on the final day of the Premier League season.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Tottenham 1-0 Everton

• West Ham United 3-0 Leeds United

• Crystal Palace 1-2 Arsenal

• Brighton 0-3 Manchester United

Burnley interim head coach Mike Jackson speaking to Sky Sports: "We didn't start the game well at all. We haven't been used to having a lot of the ball, so when you do have it, you can be a little bit sloppy. But we had a few words at half-time - we fixed a couple of things and created a lot of chances, and solved a lot of the problems we were causing ourselves."

On whether the club can keep striker Zian Flemming in the Championship: "For him to get another goal in the Premier League is outstanding for him personally. You want to keep all your best players, but the reality of what's happened this season means it can be difficult. The club will do its best - it's a balancing act looking at the finances, but you want to try to keep your best players."

On appointing a new manager after Scott Parker's departure: "Since Scott left, it's been a bit quiet on that front. The club have to do its due diligence on where to go. We've been in this situation before and it's not good to be in it again. We have to learn from it and know what we need in the Championship next season. Setbacks define you, but it's what we do next that matters."

On whether there will be clarity in the next couple of weeks: "Hopefully, yeah. I don't know the talks that have gone on, but the sooner they can get the appointment they're after, then you can start to plan a little bit more."

Did you know?

• Flemming has scored 11 goals in the Premier League this season for Burnley, with only Chris Wood (14 in 2019-20 and 12 in 2020-21) and Ashley Barnes (12 in 2018-19) managing more for the club in a campaign in the competition.

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Burnley would not have thought things could get worse after it was confirmed as early as April that they will head straight back to the Championship.

But Wolves threatened to pile on the misery on the final day, taking the lead early through Adam Armstrong to condemn the hosts to the bottom of the 'as it stands' table.

It took Zian Flemming to step up once again as the 27-year-old striker has done so often this season with his 11th goal of the season.

The Clarets finished the season with the worst home record in the top flight this season, only picking up 13 points from 19 matches. They have also now gone 15 games without a win in front of their fans.

While Flemming would hope his impressive goals tally would boost his hopes of making the Netherlands squad for the World Cup this summer, the Clarets will now turn their full attention to appointing a successor for Scott Parker, who left the club last month following their relegation from the Premier League.

Wales manager Craig Bellamy, his former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard and Cardiff City head coach Brian Barry-Murphy have been heavily linked with the vacant position.

But whoever takes charge faces a significant challenge if they are to guide Burnley back to the Premier League.