Cardiff City backed to avoid new Burnley FC exit threat - 'he owes us a little bit' | OneFootball

Cardiff City boss Brian Barry-Murphy has been eyed by Burnley following Scott Parker's Turf Moor exit.

Burnley have set their sights on Cardiff City boss Brian Barry-Murphy after parting company with Scott Parker.

Parker has left the Clarets via mutual consent following their relegation from the Premier League back to the Championship, leaving Michael Jackson in charge as interim until the end of the season.

Burnley will be keen on landing an immediate top-flight return next season, and are vying to appoint a talented manager who is up to that ambitious task.

Barry-Murphy has proven his credentials by steering Cardiff to automatic promotion from League One back to the Championship at the first time of asking, while he also led the Welsh capital club to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

Burnley told why Brian Barry-Murphy may be difficult to prise away from Cardiff City

One of the most impressive aspects of Barry-Murphy's promotion-winning exploits is the amount of trust he has placed in academy graduates such as Ronan Kpakio and Dylan Lawlor, who have shone in the third tier this term.

The 47-year-old is now tasked with enabling the likes of Kpakio and Lawlor to show their class in the Championship, while also completing successful transfer business this summer.

Meanwhile, as reported by BBC Sport, Burnley have eyed Barry-Murphy as a potential Parker replacement, and they are also interested in Wales boss Craig Bellamy.

Football League World asked our Cardiff fan pundit, Matt Hall, for his thoughts on the Clarets' interest in the Bluebirds boss and if the update worried him.

Hall told FLW: "We're used to seeing Barry-Murphy linked to jobs elsewhere. I think we should, as a club, take it as a compliment. For years now, as long as I can remember, there isn't really a manager that has gone, left us and done better elsewhere.

"We had Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Failed here and then, obviously, eventually succeeded elsewhere, but that's a slightly different case. Now, what we've got with Barry-Murphy is someone who other clubs will look at and go 'Tell you what, wish we had him'.

"I think you can only take that as a compliment. As far as him leaving for Burnley, it says more about the character of Barry-Murphy himself that I saw those reports and thought, 'He's not leaving.'

"I stand by that. I think project means a lot to Barry-Murphy. I think, as a person himself, he seems quite a loyal person. Obviously, that loyalty has never really been tested.

"But if you look at the buy-in, and not just him, his family as well. Very big social media presence, his partner. Him and his kids, they've both moved down to the area, they're always in their Cardiff shirts, they really do seem to have bought in. They get on well with the fans.

"You can tell when it's not for show, and it isn't for show. I think with him there's a sense that we've given him his big opportunity. As much as he's given us the best of him.

"Before the summer, he was the sort of guy that was linked to all of the big jobs in the EFL, but never really made it. We're the ones that gave him that opportunity to flourish.

"I think there's a bit of respect there that obviously he wouldn't be in the position to be linked to these jobs if we hadn't given him that break.

"There is that acceptance that he owes us a little bit. I think beyond all of that, what he's got going on here is perfect. We've got a core of 10, 11, maybe even 12 academy players coming through, mixed in with some experienced players and some younger players that have been bought in from abroad.

"It's pretty much as much a Barry-Murphy squad as you could want. With that, he probably has got ambitions of taking this squad further, whereas if he was to go to a Burnley, for example, what dressing room would he be walking into?

"Academy products-wise, I can't think of any. It's not the same situation, that's not what he looks to do, really. It doesn't get the best out of him.

"Brilliant manager, but his utilisation of young players is what you bring him in for. That's not really Burnley's memo at the moment, they just want to get up any way possible.

"But if he was to go there, I think they would storm the league at a canter. He would go on to great things, but I don't want to see it. I want him to do that with us."

Brian Barry-Murphy would be best served by staying with Cardiff City

As summarised by Hall, Cardiff have given Barry-Murphy all the tools he needs to succeed in the EFL while also being able to stick to his own footballing ethos.

At Burnley, who are simply desperate to get back to the Premier League as swiftly as possible, the 47-year-old wouldn't have the same luxury.

Furthermore, the Championship will test Barry-Murphy's management in a tougher manner than League One has, and he will be better off attacking that challenge in an environment that he knows well, and at a club where his stock is incredibly high.

The Cardiff boss will also want to continue the journey he has embarked on with the Bluebirds, and he would be proud to make them a solid second-tier outfit following their promotion.