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The former Burnley winger feels that the Clarets have nothing to worry about next season back in the Championship

Burnley have been an unstoppable force in the Championship in their last two second-tier campaigns, and may have little stopping them from making it a hat-trick of promotions in as many seasons in 2026/27.

The Clarets were once again relegated from the Premier League at the first time of asking with little resistance last season, finishing 19th on a mere 22 points.

The higher-ups at Turf Moor stuck with Scott Parker for as long as they possibly could in the hope that their loyalty could result in survival, but after their relegation with a month to go, the two parties agreed to part ways.

Burnley are still on the hunt for a new manager, despite clubs beginning pre-season in a matter of weeks, with the Clarets focusing on ensuring the right man comes in to continue what has been sheer Championship dominance at the East Lancashire club in recent memory.

Indeed, Burnley have lost just five second-tier games over the last two seasons at the level, breaking the 100-point barrier on both occasions under Parker and Vincent Kompany before him. They have a clear reputation in the Championship, and many are backing them to pick up where they left off this summer.

Glen Little issues Burnley promotion claim — Wrexham and Birmingham have to go "some way" to catch them

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Former Burnley fan-favourite wideman Glen Little doesn't think that the quality of the Championship is as high as it has been in recent years, and therefore believes that a once-dominant second-tier outfit in the Clarets will continue that next season.

The 50-year-old spent seven years at Turf Moor during his playing career, but also spent a couple of years at Wrexham, and last season was the co-commentator for the Red Dragons' in-house channel.

Therefore, he knows what the current Championship landscape is and, speaking to the Burnley Express, he feels that even the biggest spenders in the division have a long way to go to match the Clarets next season.

"I obviously know Wrexham and people still there," he said. "They have had a lot going on in the last three or four seasons, all credit to them, what a run they've had. They were unlucky last season, just missed out.

"They proved me wrong. I thought that if they finished 12th, that would be good. But they nearly made the play-offs. Although having seen them and the likes of Birmingham, I think they will have to go some way to match us.

"If we keep the squad and these teams coming down from the Premier League, you only have to look at the play-offs, I thought they were shocking. If we were playing Coventry and Ipswich, I'd fancy us to win.

"I don't think the Championship is that good. If we do it right, get a proper manager in, if we're not right up there again challenging, I'll be really disappointed."

Two seasons ago, the 100 points that Burnley accumulated weren't enough to see them lift the Championship title, and they only secured their promotion with two games to go by beating third-placed Sheffield United.

A 100-point tally last term would have seen the club finish 17 points ahead of third, 16 above second and five clear of eventual winners Coventry City.

With the dominance shown at Turf Moor in the second tier recently, there's an expectation that the same could ring true in 2026/27. But even if standards drop, there'll still be some people anticipating Burnley to be right at the top come May.

Wrexham and Birmingham City will be looking to put the pressure on the likes of Burnley next season

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While Burnley, right now, have the head start over the more ambitious second-tier sides such as Wrexham and Birmingham, they'll need to be wary of those types of teams upping their games to try and contest automatic promotion with some of the pre-season favourites.

The two former League One sides will definitely be prioritising quality signings over quantity this summer, as last year, they were looking to bolster their squads ahead of a Championship return.

The likes of Derby County and Norwich City, two sides on the periphery of the play-offs last year, will also be looking to make a splash in the transfer market. The Rams already have, with an imminent £6 million Bobby Clark signing to be announced.

So, it won't be as much of a cakewalk for the likes of Burnley as some may expect. Although if the Clarets can also have a good summer and keep those aforementioned sides at arm's length, they may be just fine.

All eyes are on who will be tasked with filling the title-winning shoes that Parker, and even Kompany before him, wore. At present, it seems that former Clarets assistant and current Wales boss Craig Bellamy could be the successor.

If that proves to be the case, and he hits the ground running with the majority of the squad who played in the Premier League last year, Burnley could well be on their way to a third promotion in as many years.