Manager Scott Parker says Burnley‘s season “might be seen as a failure” with relegation looming.
Parker’s side have won just one of their last 20 league fixtures, leaving them 19th in the Premier League and nine points from safety with nine games of the season left.
Despite their lack of points, Parker believes his young group of players is developing and wants to “look at the bigger picture”.
“We’ve not won enough games this year and we’ve fallen short,” he said. “But there are other things that you try and hold on to massively, and that’s developing human beings, young players, developing them to make them better for this experience.
“In real short-sightedness you can see that maybe this year has been a failure, it has been a failure to this point, and that’s true.”
However, the 45-year-old added that: “the bigger picture for me, longer term, is what do you hold on to with some core, core values?
“My job, my duty – as well as to win games to protect myself in this world we live in – is I also have a responsibility to these young men.”
In October, the Clarets were five points clear of the relegation zone, above Fulham, Nottingham Forest and West Ham United. Two weeks later, leading West Ham 1-0 in the 45th minute Burnley were set to move six points clear of the bottom three going into the international break, yet they lost 3-2 at London Stadium.
Parker led Burnley back to the Premier League at the first attempt last season following their relegation under Vincent Kompany.
