Parker left Fulham for Bournemouth 14 months ago, leading them to promotion to the Premier League behind his former club last season. Bournemouth were hammered 9-0 by Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, with Parker not hiding his disappointment after the result. Bournemouth co-owner Maxim Demin said in a statement: “I would like to express my gratitude to Scott and his team for their efforts during their time with us. Our promotion back to the Premier League last season under his tenure will always be remembered as one of the most successful seasons in our history. “However, in order for us to continue to progress as a team and as a club as a whole, it is imperative that we are aligned with our strategy for the sustainable operation of the club. We must also show loyalty and respect to each other. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player FREE WATCH: Highlights from Liverpool v Bournemouth Premier League clash “This is the approach that has brought so much success to this club in recent history, and we will not deviate from it now. Our search for a new manager will begin immediately.” Gary O’Neil takes temporary charge of the team and will be assisted by Shaun Cooper and Tommy Elphick. The Cherries are 16th in the Premier League table and host Wolves on Wednesday night. Parker is the first Premier League sacking since Paul Sturrock was sacked by Southampton in August 2004. So far this summer, Bournemouth have signed Marcus Tavernier from Middlesbrough and Marcus Senesi from Feyenoord along with free transfers Ryan Fredericks, Joe Rothwell and Neto.
Parker’s final interview as Bournemouth boss: ‘Powerful at this level’
Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player Parker was disappointed for his Bournemouth players after the Liverpool game and said how they bounce back from the 9-0 defeat will define them as a team. Parker was shocked by the 9-0 result, calling his side “not good enough” to compete at Premier League level. “This is the hardest day as a player and certainly as a coach,” Parker said. “This is the most difficult and painful day I have experienced, for sure. “It goes without saying that it’s a real humbling experience and one that was quite shocking, really, in terms of the outcome. “And I’m probably not that surprised, to be honest with you, in the sense of the levels we’re playing at here and the quality is a lot higher than what we have at the moment. “While of course I’m not making any excuses because there are some goals in that game that were ours, in terms of supporting goals they were very poor and we can do something about that. “But at the moment I feel sorry for the fans, I feel sorry for the players, to be honest with you, because at the moment we’re a bit under-equipped at this level where we’ve come from.”
Explained: Why Parker was fired
Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam takes a closer look at Scott Parker’s departure from Bournemouth and asks if it was any surprise. Sky Sports News reporter Mark McAdam: “It wasn’t really a surprise. I have to admit in the last few weeks, I’ve been surprised by the coach’s comments after games and the things he’s said about transfer activity. “It just doesn’t align with who the club is. The main motto for Bournemouth over the last 10 years has been ‘together, anything is possible’. This is a football club that has gone from the bottom of League Two to the Premier League and stayed there for five years. “They did it by being together. At the moment, it seems the club wasn’t very together and there was no parallel thinking between what the manager would want to do in the summer transfer window and what the club would want me to do. “That’s reflected in the statement released by the football club. One thing that was mentioned was the word ‘aligned’ – and I don’t think there was any aligned thinking in what Scott Parker wanted to do, and the other thing that’s very important with Bournemouth is sustainability. “The owner has invested huge amounts of money over the last nine years. He has always supported the manager in the transfer window and they have always tried to recruit young, promising, exciting players. “The other thing that is important is that he doesn’t want to overspend. He doesn’t want to spend what the club can’t afford. You have to remember that Bournemouth’s stadium only holds 11,700 so they can’t compete in same way in the transfer market that other Premier League clubs can. “When they went down last time, they sold £80m worth of players, invested in the team and came back again. If you talk to Swansea, Huddersfield or Stoke fans, they would certainly accept two years in the Championship. he assured that he would bounce back because the club was running properly. Image: Bournemouth were beaten 4-0 by Manchester City “Those clubs didn’t make it, but Bournemouth did because they recruited really well and did things the right way. Parker did a fantastic job to get them out of the division and we know how hard it is to get out of the Championship. “He came in with that note, and he delivered. The results at the start of this campaign are irrelevant to this situation and everything shows the club’s statement. I don’t think it has anything to do with the 9-0 defeat to Liverpool or the results . “The alignment between the manager and the club, the sustainability of the club and being profitable and doing things the right way are important. There was a big gap between what Scott wanted and what the club wanted. He didn’t I think the results are the issue. “They beat Aston Villa, they didn’t expect to get anything then against Manchester City, but they played well in the second half. Arsenal was a tough game. Liverpool could have won the quadruple last season so the results are irrelevant. much more in the game.”
What’s next for Bournemouth?
Bournemouth entertain Wolves (7.30pm) in the Premier League on Wednesday and then have an eight-game run of games against none of the traditional ‘big six’.
September 3: Nottingham Forest (a) September 10: Brighton (n) September 17: Newcastle (a) October 1: Brentford (n) October 8: Leicester October 15: Fulham (a) October 24: West Ham (a)
