Bayern Munich and Burnley are in talks over Vincent Kompany taking over as the new head coach in the most shocking move ever.
Recently dethroned Bayern have been searching for a Thomas Tuchel replacement since Bayer Leverkusen extended their lead to double figures. However, the search still continues even after three months.
Having made only little progress, Vincent Kompany is on the verge of stabilizing the ship and taking it back to its glory days in Europe and Germany.
But, is he the right man for the job?
Vincent Kompany to Bayern: Bold choice or gamble?
A 24-point relegation in your portfolio is not a great pitch for clubs looking for a new manager. Just a year back, Kompany was at his peak after guiding Burnley to a dominant championship-winning campaign with 101 points. Sadly, that form could not transcend the top-flight, leading to a poor season.
It’s shocking to see a club like Bayern take a huge risk for Kompany, who lacks experience managing at the highest level. As there are no options in front of the Germans, their decisions are rapid in a search for a new manager since Thomas Tuchel announced it in February.
Bayern even spoke to Tuchel to re-consider his choice after talks with Xabi Alonso, Julian Nagelsmann, Ralf Rangnick, Hansi Flick, Unai Emery, Erik ten Hag, Oliver Glasner, and Roberto De Zerbi did not go as planned.
However, a single season cannot define a 38-year-old manager who is slowly trying to find his feet among the coming managers in Europe.
Having learnt a lot from last season only will tell if the mistakes are corrected. Considered to have an elite mentality, hopefully, he knows what it takes to play and win at the top level.
Burnley’s Plummet, Who is really to blame?
Even though the players have their fair share, the manager has a large part in it as well.
Kompany wanted to introduce his philosophy of free-flowing, exciting attacking to the Premier League. A naive choice though as the Belgian’s inexperience was exposed quickly as his side was half-baked in the early stages by better teams.
His principle was unshakable but his tactical adaption was missing from a single pivot 4-3-3 to a double pivot 4-2-3–1. This went well defensively but clean sheets were out of the picture. It took 10 matches for the system to evolve and bring in the results.
Playing a key role in recruitment, Kompany has had the final say for the incomings. A successful first summer ended with 16 new players arriving for around £26million. After promotion, Burnley signed 15 players for over £90million, but only a handful contributed.
Tactical Breakdown: How He Fits into Bayern Munich’s Game Plan
Kompany has signed a five-year deal with Burnley but refused to give any answers about his future after the defeat to Nottingham Forest.
Arriving at Turf Moore the Belgian described his core values expanding his philosophy that creates a goalscoring opportunity from a goal kick or a throw-in and anywhere on the pitch. Those principles remained consistent.
Championship football was brilliant for the Clarets under Kompany as they dominated the ball, and pressed harder than any other team, suffocating the opponents. Players were given roles with individual instructions to carry out removing the predictability factor of the game.
The on-pitch study between the third-best team in the Bundesliga to the second-worst in the Premier League shows has contrasting styles shows but the same possession-orientated approach for both sides. The difference in player quality is obvious in the defensive and attacking numbers.
Is he equipped with all that Bayern needs?
Kompany is a Polyglot and German is also in the list, thanks to his early playing days at Hamburger SV where he spent two injury-hit seasons there before moving to Manchester City.
As the language box is ticked, Kompany also carries a high-profile brand who is connected with the game. If a manager not named Vincent Kompany was at Burnley he would certainly have been sacked for finishing below Luton Town.
One interesting point is, Kompany’s power dynamics will reduce at the Bavarian club compared to Burnley. At Bayern, the big figures are decided by the board which does not seem to change in the near future.
Will Burnley make it tough?
As of now, Burnley do not want to lose Kompany, who is building the club’s image and controlling the central operation, hoping his second shot in the Premier League would be different.
However, it’s difficult to intervene in his choice regarding the Bayern job as it is a significant career leap and an opportunity hard to let go.
As Kompany is well equipped with the tools to manage at the highest level. There will come a point when bigger clubs will swoop him.
With no indication of a release clause included in the deal, Burnley will be well compensated if they lose their key man, but as of now the manager still has four years remaining at Turf Moore.
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