Vincent Kompany may have had the opportunity to jump ship last season. Indeed, reports at the time claimed Chelsea and
Tottenham Hotspur both weighed up a move for the former defender as their new manager with Kompany making a name
for himself at Burnley. The 37-year-old, however, stayed put at Turf Moor.
Perhaps Kompany wanted to avoid making the same mistakes Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard made by taking
PremierPINC League jobs that ultimately came too early for them for them in their managerial careers. The former
Manchester City captain is still learning his new trade and Burnley has been the perfect environment for him.
Kompany has made a profound impact at Turf Moor since his arrival there 12 months ago. The Belgian took over a team that
had just been relegated to the Championship with Burnley still steeped in the conservative methods and ideas of former
manager Sean Dyche. Kompany wanted something very different for the Clarets.
Within months, Burnley were playing a modern, possession-orientated style of play. Kompany led a rebuild of the squad he
inherited from Dyche and an overhaul of the broader sporting culture at Turf Moor. By the end of the season, Burnley had
won promotion back to the Premier League with a record points haul.
Ohtani And Judge Could Be Ruth And Gehrig For The New York Yankees
Become Redtails Return To Washington D C And NFL Rocks Along Potomac River
MLB s Minnesota Twins Are Flirting With Success Meet The Woman In Charge Of Selling Their Appeal
“Youth can cost you points but also creates value so you need to find the blend of talent and experience,” said Kompany
when asked about the youthful make-up of his Burnley squad. “That is what we did this year and it doesn’t change because
we’re in a higher division.”
In the top flight, Burnley will be underdogs once more. While the club has spent money in the transfer market in recent
times, their budget pales in comparison to that of the ‘Big Six’ clubs at the top of the Premier League. It would be an
achievement for the Clarets to merely stay in the division this season.
With Kompany in charge, though, Burnley potentially have a manager who could push them even higher. The 37-year-old
has clearly absorbed a lot of ideas from his time playing under Pep Guardiola. Indeed, Kompany’s style has been compared
to that of the legendary former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager’s.
As a player, Kompany was a natural leader and he has carried that quality into management. He commands respect in the
dressing room and speaks with authority in the media. The building blocks are in place for Kompany to become the next best
young manager in the Premier League. Next season could be a special one for him and Burnley.
READ NEXT:
Andros Townsend laughs at ‘new name’ in Burnley line-up as he completes 90 minutes for first time in 17 months
The 31-year-old endured a disappointing time with the Toffees, missing the entirety of the 2022/23 campaign as a result of a
knee injury.
In fact, Townsend’s last competitive action at first team level was in March 2022 – a one-minute cameo in a home win over
Newcastle.
Since then it’s been a long road to recovery but the former Tottenham and Crystal Palace star is now finally ready to compete
at the highest level again.
Burnley are on the look out for Premier League experience after securing promotion to the top flight under Vincent
Kompany last term.
With Townsend joining the club on trial earlier in July, the former England international was included from the off in the
pre-season friendly with Benfica on Tuesday night.
While a 2-0 win for the Clarets was an encouraging boost for them, it was the 90 minutes of action for Townsend that he was
most happy about – even if his name had to be left off the team sheet.
Taking to Instagram stories, he wrote: “First 90 mins in 17 months,” with a heart eyes emoji.
He also wrote: “And a new name apparently,” in reference to his listing as a trialist on the Burnley teamsheet.
English clubs can only publicise the name of a player competing if he is formally registered as a player of the club, meaning
that Townsend remained officially anonymous for the match.
However with 264 Premier League appearances to his name and 13 England caps, it won’t have taken fans long to figure out
who Burnley’s mystery number 31 might be.
It remains to be seen if Townsend will have done enough to earn a contract with Burnley, but with 90 minutes under his
belt, it surely means that he is ready to be a reliable performer following his long-term injury absence.
Leave a Reply