Burnley who were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season have announced Manchester City legend Vincent Kompany as the new manager of the club.
Speaking to Burnley’s official website Kompany said:
"Burnley Football Club is a truly historic English side and it is an honour to be appointed first-team manager, I’m excited by the challenge ahead.I’m looking forward to getting to work with the players and creating a positive, winning team for our fans when we return to Turf Moor.I’ve been impressed by the Board’s vision for the club which aligns with my own and I look forward to playing my part as we enter an important season."
Burnley has been without a permanent manager since the club sacked Sean Dyche in April. Dyche had been with the club for 10 years and was replaced by Mike Jackson as interim manager.
The Clarets finished 18th last season and Kompany has a big challenge ahead of him as he prepares for a campaign in the Championship.
Kompany Is Well Acquainted With English Football
Kompany knows English football well, having spent 11 years at Manchester City. At the Etihad he served as captain, winning the Premier League four times and the FA Cup twice; the Cityzens also built a statue of him outside their stadium.
After leaving City he returned to his first club Anderlecht where he was initially player-manager before becoming manager full-time. He had two 3rd place finishes in his last two seasons in Belgium.
Returning to the North West of England will be nice for Kompany as it is where his family is settled. However, he has a tough job on his hands given Burnley’s financial problems and with the club already announcing the departures of Captain Ben Mee, Aaron Lennon, Dale Stephens, and Erik Pieters while James Tarkowski is expected to join Everton.
However, one boost is that Ashley Barnes has recently signed a one-year deal joining Jay Rodrigues, who has also committed to the club on a two-year deal.
Day one. pic.twitter.com/P4bOryBNH1
— Vincent Kompany (@VincentKompany) June 14, 2022
The Task Ahead Is Not an Easy One For Kompany
Getting out of the Championship is one of the toughest jobs in football, given the competitiveness of the league and the lucrative prize that awaits the team’s promotion.
Watford and Norwich will also be looking to bounce straight back up. The team’s who missed out in the playoffs last season in Huddersfield, Sheffield United and Luton Town will also be looking to go one better.
There are many other teams in the Championship who have recently been in the Premier League who could also amount a challenge to Kompany’s Burnley including Middlesbrough, Blackburn Rovers, West Brom, QPR, Stoke City and Swansea.
It will be intriguing to see how Kompany gets on in England’s second tier. His only experience of English football has been as a player in the Premier League while his only experience as a manager with Anderlecht also came in Belgium’s top division.
Top players do not always make top managers but it is down to Kompany to prove that myth wrong as the new manager of Burnley.