Burnley manager Vincent Kompany after the final whistle of the Premier League match at Turf Moor, Burnley.
Have fans and the media become so obsessed with teams that play defense that they have become blind when it comes to truly judging a team? Does it affect our judgment of a manager simply because he insists his team play “proper” football, even if it results in losing matches?
Fans will almost excuse their team’s negative results as long as they believe their team is trying to come from behind.
However, this attitude changes among fans and owners when they realize that their team is not getting results with the way they are playing and something needs to change.
This change is usually a management change, because today’s managers are so stubborn in their beliefs that they are unwilling to change their philosophy on how their team should play football, even if they do, it means losing their job.
A manager who, I believe, is one of those whose reputation precedes them is Vincent Kompany.
The Burnley manager’s esteem is very high for someone who has achieved relatively little in the game compared to other Premier League managers.
Kompany did extremely well in getting Burnley promoted to the Premier League in his first season with the club, so much so that he was linked with several jobs over the summer before landing a new five-year contract at Burnley.
However, management in the Championship is very different from management in the Premier League.
Just ask Neil Warnock, considered one of the best managers to ever work in the second tier of English football, but who failed to achieve the same feat as a Premier League manager.
Burnley’s return to the Premier League saw the club lose their first three matches, conceding eleven goals and scoring just three.
Yet Kompany’s abilities as a Premier League manager have not been questioned, perhaps because his team plays attractive football.
Yes, Burnley had a tough start with games against Manchester City, Aston Villa and Spurs, but defeats against these teams were not uncommon.
Burnley fans should be worried about the number of goals being called.
One of the main reasons for this is that Kompany requires his team to have players who play high and wide so they can press high and try to play from the back.
Even if they could do well in the Championship, this is unfortunately not possible in the Premier League.
They play against far superior players and are punished for every mistake they make. Of course, Burnley players are capable of playing from the back.
Every player who plays in the Premier League has the ability to pass, control and defend a ball.
Kompany therefore does not ask his players to do something they are not capable of.
The problem is that in the Premier League, opposing players press faster and are precise enough to immediately spot a pass and find an assist when they turn the ball over.
In the league, however, players in possession do not come under such aggressive pressure and opposing players do not have the speed to punish a mistake.
It irks me that Kompany has been given a ‘free pass’ so far this season despite Burnley spending over €100m this summer as they tried to come from behind.
While someone like Sean Dyche has faced major criticism despite spending just €37 million during the summer transfer window.
Dyche is seen as a manager who wants to win at all costs.
He probably doesn’t care how his team wins once he does. Maybe not, but I would much rather have a manager whose priority is winning games than a manager whose main focus is his team’s style of football.
I assume Everton and Burnley’s aim at the start of the season was to avoid relegation. If I had to choose Dyche or Kompany to succeed, it would be the former.
I am in favor of teams trying to play an attractive style of football, but what I don’t agree with is that coaches are given more space to do this than others.
Coaches should be judged on their results, not on the style of football their team plays.
