How Kyle Walker really feels about Burnley's manager situation as Alan Pace sent clear message | OneFootball

Burnley's search for a new manager has entered its third month

It's been over two months now since Scott Parker left Burnley by mutual consent, and 40 days since the end of last season. However, the Clarets still haven't found a successor for him in the dugout.

The Burnley squad are back in for pre-season training, and, surprisingly, interim head coach Mike Jackson is still overseeing things.

He took charge of the final four games of the Premier League campaign after their relegation was confirmed in late April, but wouldn't have expected to be still involved in this capacity as preparations began for their Championship return.

It looked incredibly likely that former Burnley assistant manager Craig Bellamy would be tempted away from his post as Wales national team boss to return to Turf Moor, until the 46-year-old made a U-turn on the decision. That was eight days ago.

The Clarets quickly pivoted to Rob Edwards, who was sacked by Wolves last month, but he turned down their approach to immediately return to management.

Now, it's back to square one for the higher-ups at Turf Moor, with the new season kicking off in five weeks with the EFL Cup first-round matchup against Notts County.

Kyle Walker admits elongated manager search at Burnley is "not ideal"

Action Images

Veteran right-back Kyle Walker is in the midst of his 20th pre-season of his senior career, but there's a likelihood that this situation — beginning pre-season without a permanent manager — is unlike anything he's experienced before.

The six-time Premier League champion with Manchester City signed a two-year contract at Turf Moor last summer. With Burnley suffering relegation in his first season, he's set to play in the Championship for the first time since the 2010/11 campaign, when he was on loan at QPR from Tottenham Hotspur.

At 36, he's still expected to be one of the better defenders in the second tier next season, but he admitted on talkSPORT that the current managerial status at Turf Moor doesn't help with preparation too much.

"No, we haven't got a new manager as yet," he said. "Hopefully for the club and the players something can get sorted ASAP, because going into the season without a manager is not ideal. Hopefully they're just waiting for the right person to come.

"We started pre-season last Monday just gone. Mike Jackson is still in charge, and we're just cracking on, getting the minutes in our legs and getting the fitness back in our legs, then we fly to America on Tuesday.

"Day one, they do a load of testing on your hamstrings and your quads, your calves and this, that and the other. I'd do the testing and get cramp! We did the yo-yo test as well, which is just a continuous run until you quit. But I finished middle of the pack at 36, so I'll take that.

"We had to do a bit of a football session after, so I was full of beans then. This is pre-season number 20 for me, and it's not great, but I think the older you get, the more you learn to manage yourself. The more lenient the coaches are with you, so if you don't complete something, they say, 'it's okay, he's 36.'

The Clarets have matchups with Cincinnati, Columbus and Salt Lake over in the USA between July 11 and July 16, with the World Cup final set to take place three days after that final game.

Walker will be hoping to see England progress to that final on July 19 while Burnley are out in the States, and he and the rest of his team will be hoping that a new manager will be in situ at Turf Moor for when they return, or better yet, before they fly out.

Burnley need to ramp up their chase for a new manager

Action Image

As a recently relegated side, Burnley will have an advantage when it comes to the quality of their squad compared to the majority of their Championship peers.

However, that advantage is slowly diminishing as the days go by, as the other 23 second-tier sides begin pre-season with managers in place, allowing them to lay down strategies and plan for the year ahead on the field.

Not having a manager in place can create uncertainty around who will be staying or going in the squad this summer, too. As and when a new boss comes in, they'll have less time in the transfer market to make changes compared to the other Championship rivals.

It's a really peculiar situation that Burnley find themselves in ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, and those at Turf Moor will be hoping that it doesn't have too much of an impact on their pursuit of a third promotion in as many seasons in the second tier.