Kompany men are off to a flier
Burnley turn on style under new boss
A MEETING to indicate whose summer was more turbulent and huddersfield Town comfortably took that dubious accolade.
With a hangover from losing the Championship play- off final and their chief executive Dean hoyle, still smarting at Carlos Corberan’s resignation three weeks before the season started, huddersfield were lost for the majority of last night.
Under Vincent Kompany, Burnley appeared far more progressive, as crisp as their manager’s shirt. surprisingly so, given the upheaval and lack of time absorbing the Belgian’s ideas.
The key takeaway from Kompany’s first evening in charge was that the Clarets retained the high-intensity of a vintage sean Dyche team while adding a control in possession rarely seen over the past decade. Josh Cullen, the fulcrum of Kompany’s midfield taken from previous employer anderlecht, did not waste a single of his 47 passes before the break.
This was only one game, and uncertainty still envelops that part of east lancashire, yet it will offer real hope after a strange week.
a special guest made his way back up to Turf Moor’s local pub, The Royal Dyche, earlier in the week. Their ex- manager, still revered around the town, spent Wednesday afternoon chatting with supporters and — you suspect — knowingly shrugging his shoulders at how Burnley have unravelled over the last 18 months of american ownership.
Dyche never frequented the pub when manager and the timing of this trip felt curious, 48 hours before Kompany’s bow as his permanent successor. But Burnley is a curious place at the moment, with nobody sure what to expect.
Players have been sold for what appears to be under market value — particularly the £20million exits of Nathan Collins and Dwight McNeil — while putting significant trust in youngsters. Five new signings started last night with four more on the bench, including Brazilian full back Vitinho.
On the surface, anything more than a transitional season feels like a major achievement for Kompany, who handed a debut to Dara Costelloe a day after the teenager was accidentally omitted from the club’s list of squad numbers.
But despite the new boss cutting a slightly downcast figure before the opening night, with a depleted team and much left to do in the market, Burnley operated in his image and led within 18 minutes.
Ian Maatsen, a loanee from Chelsea, was the beneficiary of a move that saw the Clarets continue ploughing forwards and — via an ashley Barnes dummy — the left back curled into lee Nicholls’ far corner.
Barnes might have scored himself earlier, while Connor Roberts was thwarted following an impish one-two with Cullen.
Impish is not a word usually associated with Burnley but this is what Kompany wants. Burnley’s supporters sarcastically chanted ‘anti-football’ as their side popped the ball about, while huddersfield boss Danny schofield was left hoping that counter- attacks would fashion chances.
Burnley’s new goalkeeper, aro Muric, did not field a single shot with Danny Ward flashing a half-volley over the bar. scott Twine struck a post for the visitors late on.