Here’s To You, Vincent Kompany

Former Manchester City captain and club legend Vincent Kompany will be bringing his Burnley side back to the Etihad next season as he guided Burnley back to the Premier League in his first season at the club.

Kompany took the reigns of the Lancashire side last summer and has transformed the side. 25 wins and just two defeats throughout the entire season so far has seen the Clarets promoted with seven matches remaining.

After leaving City, Kompany took a player/manager role at Anderlecht, but left the Belgian side by mutual consent last season. His appointment at Burnley came amidst the club’s relegation from the Premier League that saw many key players leave the club, and many felt it would take time for Kompany to adopt his own managerial style at the club.

How wrong could they be?

After making a winning start at Huddersfield, Kompany’s side then failed to win in four matches, drawing three and losing 1-0 at Watford, but then went on an incredible 16-match unbeaten run, which came to an abrupt end as they lost 5-2 at Sheffield United.

From there, Kompany guided his side to another unbeaten run, this time 18 matches before Friday’s crunch game at Middlesbrough, the only side who could possibly catch them. A 2-1 win at the Riverside Stadium secured Burnley’s return and another trip to the Etihad for our former captain.

Could Kompany Be A Future City Manager?

It came as a shock to City fans in 2019 when Kompany announced he was leaving the club to take the manager’s role at Anderlecht. City had just become the first English side to be crowned treble champions, taking the Premier League, League Cup and FA Cup in the same season. The day after that 6-0 Wembley demolition of Watford, Kompany broke City fans hearts by announcing his departure from the club.

It was whispered at the time that the legend could one day return to the City fold as manager, however his time in Belgium may have cast some doubt on a possible return. Anderlecht finished 8th in the league and Kompany had removed himself from managerial duties in August to concentrate on playing.

The following season, Kompany took the reigns from Franky Vercauteren and guided the club to 4th place and the semi-final of the Belgian Cup. Kompany went one better the following season with Anderlecht finishing 3rd and losing the Belgian Cup final.

But, after taking over at Burnley, Kompany has taken the club to the quarter-final of both domestic competitions, losing each to City and the Stretford outfit. But it’s the way Burnley have dominated the Championship that has caught the eye and raised questions as to whether he could take over once Pep Guardiola leaves the club.

His ten years at City could make him the ideal candidate to take over, however it remains to be seen what will happen in the Premier League. promoted clubs have a habit of dismissing managers if things aren’t going great in their first season. Burnley, however, seem to take a different view.

Sean Dyche took Burnley up in 2015, but the club suffered immediate relegation. Instead of sacking the manager, Burnley stuck with him and won promotion back to the PL at the first attempt, even taking them into Europe in 2018.

It will be interesting next season to see how Kompany’s management style will play out in the Premier League but, if he can guide Burnley to a respectable finish in next season’s table, he must surely be a contender to fill the huge shoes that Guardiola will leave behind once he departs the club.

For now though, we send our congratulations to Vinnie and the Burnley side for a job well done. The Championship is not an easy division to get out of, especially with just two defeats all season, so their achievement speaks volumes about the team and boss.

We’re all looking forward to welcoming you again next season.