With 11 games left in the Championship season, Burnley are flying high and look destined for Premier League football next season, but things have not always looked so comfortable for manager Vincent Kompany.
The former Belgian international has implemented a free-flowing style of football onto a Burnley side in which the majority of players only joined this season.
Speaking to VAVEL yesterday, The Clarets boss opened up on the difficulties he has faced at the start of his managerial career.
After departing Manchester City in the summer of 2019, Komapny joined boyhood club Anderlecht as player-manager before taking the managerial job full time in 2020.
-
Walking into a mess
When taking on the Anderlecht job, Kompany was also taking his first steps into the world of football management.
The summer of 2019 saw Kompany appointed as a player-manager, overseeing a transition that saw a large volume of players leave the club.
"We had 60 players in the building", said Kompany. "The system we wanted to play was completely different to the previous manager, so we had to see all 60 play in pre-season.
"Because I arrived very late, we did not have any pre-season friendlies sorted. We had a game in Lisbon on a Saturday and a game in Amsterdam on a Monday.
"Some of the team would go back to Brussels and train there. I was player-coach at the time which was interesting."
Among all the madness, Anderlecht finished 8th in the Belgian Pro League in the 2019/20 season after the Belgian FA suspended the league in April.
-
Coaching in Covid
The Manchester City legend hung up his boots in the summer of 2020, taking on the managerial role on a full time basis. Assistant Franky Vercauteren left the club.
The Belgian league returned after a four month break, but Kompany admitted that preparations for the new season were as difficult as he had faced.
"Covid which was interesting", continued Kompany. "We had collective individual sessions where we had to train in squares and work a shape within those squares, but because we wanted to defend zonally I guess it actually suited us.
"Being on the job is massive. I think the decision is always whether you expose yourself to being directly in charge, or whether you do it like Shaun Maloney is doing where you are supporting someone first.
"There is nothing better than getting your skin in the game. That is the best way to improve, you have to do your courses but you learn the most when you feel the pain of managing."
-
Rebuilding Burnley
Komapny departed Belgium last summer, heading to a recently relegated Burnley who were seemingly in turmoil.
At the time of joining Kompany was unable to field a full squad of senior players due to contract disputes that had rumbled on during the later stages of the Sean Dyche era.
Young talents Dwight McNeil and Nathan Collins both departed for Premier League sides, although the boss believes he made the right decision in letting them go.
"I could have had McNeil and Collins who would have been among the best players in the Championship. If we kept them and they got injured, we would not have been able to have any replacement whatsoever.
"For the price of Collins, we got the entire back line in, and to be fair if you chuck the change in, we got the entire squad in. We got an entire squad for the price of one.
"It was something I was reluctant to do here in the beginning but that thinking happened as we went through pre-season.
"I am really glad we did it now because of the discussion we are having about squad depth and how it could have been completely eroded it we did not make that decision then."
-
Adapting to the Championship
With breathing room at the top, Burnley fans can dare to dream about an instant return to the Premier League.
With a talented squad full of young players, The Clarets look to be a dangerous opponent for many teams in what can be a challenging league to escape from.
"There are a lot of things that we planned incredibly well, but looking back there are things that I should have emphasised even more. I did not realise how important it was to have a big squad in this league. The injuries we have are not even hamstrings or anything, just impact.
"The game we lost at Sheffield United, all credit to them but if you look at the volume of games we had leading up to that, going from a Thursday night, 100 minutes legendary game against Rotherham to early kick off on Saturday at Sheffield United away.
"Then you have the replays that come in, like Ipswich. This league is brutal and the consistency of the lads is something that I hope we continue until the end of the season because it is difficult in this league."
Kompany and Burnley will continue their quest for promotion this Saturday as they welcome Wigan Athletic to Turf Moor.