TROUBLED BOSSES IN GOOD KOMPANY

VINCENT KOMPANY claims Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is having similar problems to him as he tries to build a winning side.

Kompany has struggled to crack the Premier League with Burnley after walking the Championship last season and he has spent £92m on 14 players, signing another five on loan.

Pochettino has a fight on his hands to make Europe, despite the Blues spending £1bn in two years on players, and Kompany says they have similar issues at different levels. The Belgian (left), who takes Burnley to Stamford Bridge today, said: “Pochettino’s got better players, top players, but the mistakes they make are quite similar to our mistakes.

“He’s got high-quality, highly-talented players but they’re learning on the job, as our young players are.

“But Arsenal were not in a too dissimilar position a couple of years ago and look where they are now.

“It’s about the blend, the patience. It’s not easy but for us it’s a way over time to maybe solidify ourselves in the division because those players in year one they struggle, but year two, year three, they’re progressing.”

Burnley’s board are being patient with Kompany as they believe he is improving their side, which is the Premier League’s youngest with an average age of 24 years and 257 days.

Kompany cited the development of Luca Koleosho and Wilson Odobert, both 19, as proof his squad is getting better.

The Clarets are five points below the survival line and he said: “Look at Koleosho. There wasn’t a moment when I thought he was going to start as many games this season as he has.

“We didn’t go out into the market thinking that Wilson Odobert would be one of our main players. No chance.

“We’re fully aware of the challenges young players at this level have to go through.

“Our strategy was not necessarily to go young at the start of this season.

“We’re not naive on that but they have imposed themselves, they have earned it.”