Vincent Kompany's Progressive Style Of Football Has Given New Life To Burnley

The Clarets are top of the Championship table after 20 matches
10:00, 13 Nov 2022

Whisper it quietly but Burnley have been incredibly entertaining to watch this season. Manager Vincent Kompany has adapted to the ferocious nature of the Championship seamlessly and he is so far exceeding all expectations at Turf Moor with his progressive style of play.

The former Manchester City captain has only been in the role for five months but it already feels like a lifetime ago that fans were witnessing the football implemented by Sean Dyche which, despite being successful for several years, was not exactly attractive.

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There was a lot of excitement when the Belgian coach took his first command in English football after a few years managing in his homeland with Anderlecht. Sky Sports couldn’t wait to get his team in front of the cameras and their match against Huddersfield at the John Smith’s Stadium christened the 2022-23 season.

Immediately, you saw a significant change in the way Burnley were operating on the pitch. They were playing through the thirds rather than being direct and it was such a breath of fresh air for their fans as well as the neutral viewer.

They won the game 1-0 thanks to a lovely goal finished off by left-back Ian Maatsen, who has been an exceptional acquisition. It may have been the first match of a 46-game season but you just knew the Clarets were going to be in and around the top of the table come the end of term.

They have since gone on to amass a further nine victories in the 20 fixtures they have played, losing just twice in the process - and given the ruthless nature of the Championship that is a good marker of just how good Kompany’s side have been.

The 36-year-old scooped up the October Manager of the Month on Friday after picking up 18 points in an unbeaten stretch of eight games. Burnley are nicely seated in second at present and they are the highest scorers in the league with 37.

Boyhood fan and hometown hero Jay Rodriguez is joint-top goalscorer in the division with nine, showing he is still a top marksman at this level. Exciting Southampton loanee Nathan Tella has grabbed six himself and has established himself as one of the brightest talents in the Championship. Midfielder Josh Brownhill has also notched himself five goals which shows that Kompany’s coaching can conjure up goals throughout his squad.

Jay Rodriguez and Josh Brownhill
Jay Rodriguez and Josh Brownhill

Then there are the recruits who followed Kompany to Turf Moor in the summer. He may have been signing up for a new challenge but he made sure that he integrated some familiarity into his new project by luring some stars from Belgium to England’s second tier.

Republic of Ireland midfielder Josh Cullen, who played for Kompany at Anderlecht, was one of the first through the door. Cullen acts as the technician in the middle of the park and due to his pre-existing professional relationship with Kompany, he is one of the coach’s most trusted generals on the field. He has formed a strong midfield partnership with Brownhill or the ‘Two Joshs’ if you will.

Then there are the thrilling wingers in Manuel Benson, Anass Zaroury and attacking midfielder Samuel Bastien. Each of them, through their intricate and dazzling play, have the Turf Moor faithful up on their feet on a regular basis. Versatile full-back Vitinho was the other Pro League import, and the Brazilian (the first to ever play for Burnley) has the adoration of the fans who sing about him whenever he receives the ball.

Some of the passages of play we have seen from them have been mesmerising. It truly is night and day from what we saw last year and the many before that. The supporters are loving this breathtaking transformation Kompany is overseeing in East Lancashire and now they are gearing up for, in their eyes, the game of the season.

Burnley welcome bitter rivals Blackburn on Sunday in a game that has a lot riding on it with Rovers breathing down their necks in third, just two points behind the Clarets. Given the form of both teams and the top spot on the line for over the World Cup period, it is unlikely to disappoint.

Kompany has instilled a feel-good feeling at Burnley and the fans are seeing some of the best football in years. The Clarets look destined to finish in the top two this year to secure a quickfire return to the Premier League. Whereas Kompany is seeing his stock rise as a coach and will already be catching the eye of those in English football’s promised land.

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