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When Burnley appointed Vincent Kompany in the summer, many questions were raised about the former Belgian defender’s arrival at Turf Moor.
Following their relegation from the Premier League after six years in the top flight, the future looked bleak for the Clarets.
Not only was a mass exodus of players expected after the unpopular and ultimately unsuccessful decision to sack Sean Dyche in April, but a cloud of huge debts was also hanging over the club following a leveraged buyout by the group. US investment ALK Capital at the end of 2020.
There was also the fact that Kompany arrived with a mixed record from his three-year stint as Anderlecht boss.
Kompany initially came on as player-manager upon leaving Manchester City in 2019, but quickly stepped down from his role after a rocky start, before taking over as full-time manager the following summer when he retired from playing.
Burnley are flying high at the top of the Championship, 19 points clear of the play-off places
The Clarets have been completely transformed since Vincent Kompany took over last summer.
Kompany has reshaped the team in his mold after a number of experienced players including Nick Pope (left) and Ben Mee (right) left the club in the summer, with sales totaling £67.3m.
They finished fourth and third in his two seasons in charge before he pitched at Turf Moor to join a club expected to undergo a significant overhaul.
Fast forward nine months and the impact the Man City legend has made is nothing short of remarkable.
Burnley sit at the top of the Championship table, reinvigorated under the Belgian, with 76 points from 34 games.
They are 12 clear of second place Sheffield United and a staggering 19 clear of third place Middlesbrough, leading pundits and fans alike to label the Clarets the “greatest Championship team of all time”.
The club has been completely reshaped in Kompany’s image and under the guidance of the 36-year-old Burnley, they are storming the title, on course to rack up 103 points if they maintain their current points per game average.
This would be the third-highest total in the Championship’s history after the Sunderland side who finished on 106 points in 1998-99 and Steve Coppell’s Reading side who scored 106 points in 2005-06.
The fact that the Burnley Kompany is talked about among the pantheon of great second-tier teams is testament to the work they have put in.
It’s the way they’ve transformed too with Burnley, previously known for their direct and efficient football under Dyche, now sweeping the Championship with a brilliant style of play.
They have even been compared to ‘Man City-lite’, with Kompany clearly learning a lot from his time working with Pep Guardiola.
The Clarets are averaging 63.55 per cent possession in games this season, with only Swansea City, a club that has a passing style ingrained in their DNA, the only team averaging more than 64 per cent.
He has also scored 68 goals, an average of two per game, and has only conceded 28.
The upheaval around Turf Moor has been replaced by euphoria and it’s hard to imagine the club would have undergone such a transformation if they were still in the top flight.
A big part of Kompany’s being able to implement this exciting style has been through his signings, with a significant player turnover this season.
They dealt several blows in the summer losing longtime stars like Nick Pope, Ben Mee, James Tarkowski, Dwight McNeil, along with other talents like Maxwel Cornet and Nathan Collins.
In all, 13 senior players left the club at the end of last season, along with some youth products.
However, the club sold £67.3m worth of talent, thus raising funds to bring in players, with 21 recruits coming in total at a cost of £33.6m.
Southampton loan Nathan Tella has been a star, scoring 12 times in 31 Championship games.
Kompany has embraced a possession-based style of play, with several signs of Pep Guardiola’s influence, including the reversal of full-backs Connor Roberts (pictured) and Ian Maatsen.
Fulham won the Championship title last year on 90 points, but Burnley are on their way to 103
Burnley are running away with the Championship this year, 19 points clear of third place
The recruiting has been spot on, with a clear indication that Kompany’s vision receives the full backing of the board.
Nine players arrived from Belgian clubs, with Manuel Benson, Anass Zaroury and former West Ham youngster Josh Cullen three players who have been instrumental in their rise to the top of the table.
Kompany also used his City connections and relationship with Guardiola to sign England Under-21 centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis on loan and goalkeeper Arijanet Muric on a permanent deal.
Both players have not only been magnificent, but have been able to help implement an attractive style of play, with Muric’s ability on the ball arguably the best of any goalkeeper in the championship.
The Clarets have tended to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation like City and other aspects of Guardiola’s team have been evident in the Burnley game.
Not only do they have a fluid forward line, but Ian Maatsen and Connor Roberts have also played reverse wing-backs this season, helping to create overload in midfield, similar to what has been seen with City in recent years through Joao. I cancel. Oleksandr Zinchenko and now Rico Lewis.
Kompany has also used the loan market to fantastic effect. Chelsea left-back Maatsen has been an ever-present for the Clarets, while Borussia Mönchengladbach loanee Jordan Beyer is a rock at the heart of the defence.
But the real star on the loan side has been Southampton youngster Nathan Tella, with the winger his top scorer after scoring 12 times in the league, having featured in the forward line.
Kompany have also been able to find the right mix of players and despite several long-serving stars leaving over the summer, an experienced core remained at Turf Moor.
This included Jack Cork, Josh Brownhill, Jay Rodriguez and Charlie Taylor who helped provide stability for the Clarets.
The mentality that has developed is clearly one of winning a title, with Burnley unbeaten at home and only losing two games all season.
A 1-0 loss to Watford in the third game of the campaign can be seen as an early problem.
However, a 5-2 defeat to promotion rivals Sheffield United in November after a defensive horror show threatened to derail all the progress that had been made.
Since then, however, there have been no such problems for the Clarets, who responded in destructive fashion by winning 10 games in a row, scoring 24 goals and conceding just three in the process.
Burnley have consistently dismantled teams, with eight wins this season with a winning margin of three goals or more.
Coming to a club that had lost 24 of their previous 47 league games and was seemingly stagnant, the job Kompany has done, in transforming not only the club’s results but also the style of play, is something that cannot be underestimated.
The Belgian has surely thrown his hat into the ring as a contender for the prestigious LMA Manager of the Year award, and the Clarets will also face Man City in the FA Cup quarter-final after beating Fleetwood Town 1-0 on Wednesday.
Set for an instant return to the top flight, and with the chance of securing a points record, it’s no wonder Burnley are being hailed as the greatest second-tier side of all time.
Having been beaten 4-0 by the Clarets on Saturday, Huddersfield Town boss Neil Warnock, a Championship veteran, could hardly hide his admiration for his opponents.
He said: ‘They [Burnley] They’re the best side I’ve seen in 25 years for real. When I have seen them this season, they are a Premier League team.
Former Manchester City goalkeeper Arijanet Muric’s footwork has helped Burnley develop their game.
An experienced core of players such as Charlie Taylor (L) and Josh Brownhill (R) have played key roles
Huddersfield manager Neil Warnock said Burnley were the “best team he has seen for 25 years”.
With shrewd recruiting, a playstyle overhaul and the ability to blow opponents away, Burnley look set for the Premier League.
Given the way teams like Fulham, who finished with just 90 points last season in the second tier, reached the Premier League after promotion, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Burnley carry their momentum into next season and enjoy a comfortable ending.
After all the questions about Kompany’s arrival in the summer have all been quashed in the same way that Burnley have dealt with anyone who dared stand in their way back to the top flight.
For now, the good times are back on Turf Moor.