Does Kompany need to change gameplan to get Burnley back on track?
"I don’t believe fans see a team consistently and go ‘at least we’re losing the right way, I’m really enjoying this’," the Burnley manager said. "It’s a strange myth. Playing the right way is only good when you’re winning."
Those quotes came not from Vincent Kompany, the incumbent in the Turf Moor dugout, but from his predecessor Sean Dyche, in 2017. It is an interesting statement to ponder given the predicament in which Burnley currently find themselves.
The Clarets took the Championship by storm last season. They broke the 100-point barrier to win the title in style, securing an instant return to the Premier League under Kompany.
Burnley were expected to be the most competitive of the three promoted clubs this campaign. They were only the seventh-favourites for the drop before a ball had been kicked. But Burnley have had a tough start to the season and find themselves below the dreaded dotted line ahead of this weekend’s crunch clash with Crystal Palace.
The Lancashire outfit played some sensational football in the Championship in 2022/23. Inheriting a squad that had been built in Dyche’s image, Kompany set about transforming it to play the way he wanted.
Burnley scored the most goals in the division with 87. They ranked first for possession (64.6%), second for pass completion (84.7%), third for shots per game (13.6) and joint-first for shots from inside the six-yard box (1.5 per match).
Kompany’s team also excelled defensively. No team conceded as few goals (35) or shots per game (8.6). In virtually every department, Burnley were the best team in the division.
It is no surprise that the Clarets have been unable to repeat those statistics in the Premier League. Burnley have stuck with the style of play that brought them so much success last season, but a return of four points from a possible 30 shows it is not currently working. But despite their poor results, Kompany will not abandon his principles.
"I got told, especially going into the Championship last year, that you couldn’t do it the way we did it. Now I’m getting told the same," he said in August.
"We have to do what we believe in and this will be us. It’s not even about proving people wrong, it’s about believing this is the way we’re going to be successful."
The Belgian no doubt holds the same view now. Is he right to?
Firstly, the idea that Burnley should start playing direct football overlooks the fact that they do not have the right group of players to do so. Kompany has to work with what he has, just as Dyche did before him. Suddenly pumping the ball from back to front would ignore the reality of the tools at the manager’s disposal.
At the same time, it is clear that the current approach is not working. Burnley have only won one match in the Premier League and that was against Luton, a fellow promoted outfit. Last weekend they went down 2-1 to Bournemouth, a potential relegation rival.
First and foremost, Burnley need to improve without the ball. Compared to 64.6% last term, they are averaging 49.4% possession this season. That means they are spending considerably more time without the ball and they are struggling to be solid in those moments.
Burnley have been far too easy to play through. Only Sheffield United (29) have conceded more goals than their 25. Burnley are giving up 16.2 shots per game, the fourth-worst record in the league. They have looked particularly vulnerable in transition.
On Wednesday Kompany went up against his predecessor as Burnley faced Dyche’s Everton in the Carabao Cup. The Belgian desperately needed a result, even though Saturday’s game against Crystal Palace is more important, and he could only watch on as his side fell to a 3-0 loss at Goodison Park. If Burnley fall short again this weekend, the calls for a change of approach will only grow louder.
