Vincent Kompany: Why Burnley fans are standing by their manager despite relegation looming - BBC Sport
Close menu

Vincent Kompany: Why Burnley fans are standing by their manager despite relegation looming

Last updated on .From the section Burnleycomments250

guest columnist Tony Livesey

Burnley fans are hugely loyal by nature.

I've watched The Clarets play for over 50 years so I speak from experience when I say that any call for a manager's head from the stands would be classed as a collector's item.

One of the first songs I ever sung in the early 1970's was 'Bob Lord out!' but crucially he was a chairman - when we turn at Turf Moor we tend to go for the owners, not the man in the dugout.

So I would say (fairly) categorically that despite Burnley being second from bottom of the Premier League, Vincent Kompany has nothing to worry about at the moment as far as supporters are concerned.

Mind you, this season has been pretty diabolical.

Possession is repeatedly lost, our defence is easily breached and, most frustratingly of all, basic errors are constantly repeated.

Nine defeats on the road (my 19-hour round trip to Brentford included) and 11 at home tells a stark story.

Premier League table as of 5 March
TeamPlayedPointsGDForm (last 5 games)
14. Crystal Palace2728-15LLDWL
15. Brentford2726-11WLLLD
16. Everton2725-8DLDDL
17. Nottingham Forest2724-15DLWLL
18. Luton Town2620-17DLLLL
19. Burnley2713-35DLLLL
20. Sheffield United2713-50LWLLL

Having said that, I've only heard the occasional boo.

The loudest noise from Burnley fans this season seems to be the sound of heads being scratched.

Just what has gone so wrong compared to the team that tore the Championship apart and won the title at our bitter rivals Blackburn Rovers last season?

Vincent has said repeatedly that he has a four-year plan for the club.

We went up in year one. Was that too early?

Has a winning team been broken up needlessly?

Out of the starting XI in our latest defeat by Bournemouth at the weekend, there were only three starters from last season.

Manuel Benson and Anas Zaroury were two wingers who were unplayable in the Championship. This season Benson has a season ticket for our bench and Zaroury is on loan at Hull City.

Is Kompany's new Brighton-esque model of buying cheap and selling high, too ambitious?

Certainly not one of our 19 new signings (note to BBC Verify - we've all actually lost count) and who have collectively cost £100m+ has enhanced his reputation.

Worst PL records after 27 games
Team & YearPoints at 27 gamesWonDrawsLossesGDFinal position
Derby 200891620-4420
Sunderland 2006102421-3120
Huddersfield 2019112520-3620
Sheffield Utd 2024133420-50-
Burnley 2024133420-35-
Sheffield Utd 2021144221-2720

Premier League relegation battle: Who is going to survive?

So why the patience when many other Premier League fan-bases would have panicked?

Well, Kompany has a lot of credit in the bank.

Last season was the most exciting one I've ever witnessed. We don't forget 101 points easily in our neck of the woods.

Also, he has thrown himself 100% into the dogfight that constitutes being from Burnley in a league where the likes of Manchester City could buy the whole town (population 94,000) and turn it into a theme park just to remind their fans what it used to be like to struggle.

And in very short order he has comprehensively turned a robust Burnley playing style (I'm not knocking Sean Dyche - he took us to Europe!) into a thing of beauty. Last season we were shouting 'ole!' at so many matches we might well have been watching bullfights.

However, watching our two centre-halves strolling out from the back, beating three players and pinging a perfect pass to the man on the touchline is far more likely against Rotherham than Premier League attacks.

Try that against Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs (and believe me we have) - and you'll be punished.

Which brings me to my final reason why fans are sticking by our manager.

We're assuming he's learning.

He sussed the Championship in next to no time.

This will truly be a completely wasted Premier League season if Vincent doesn't come out of the other end of relegation wiser, more pragmatic and ready to give it another go in Claret and Blue.

I can't speak for the board, who didn't hang about when it came to sacking Sean Dyche.

And I can't obviously speak for all fans - but the consensus, for now, seems to be that we're still very much Kompany men and women.

Comments

Join the conversation

These comments are now closed.

250 comments

  • Comment posted by solidsponge, at 18:04 5 Mar

    Ultimately fans are unrealistic. Brentford booing when 1-0 down against Chelsea. West Ham doing incredible well, yet don't like the style of football so many want Moyes out. Everyone thinks their team is better than it is.

    • Reply posted by Champ20ns, at 18:09 5 Mar

      Champ20ns replied:
      To be fair, West Ham fans have always had delusions of Grandeur.

      As Big Sam once said, the "West Ham way" is an illusion.

  • Comment posted by Billy Goat Gruff, at 18:04 5 Mar

    The gap between PL and Championship is growing. The bottom three in the PL are the promoted teams. The top 4 of the Championship includes the three relegated teams.
    Sacking Kompany will not change this. The Burnley fans, to their credit, are intelligent enough to realise this.

    • Reply posted by Hank Scorpio, at 18:07 5 Mar

      Hank Scorpio replied:
      I heard Mark Chapman say that the bottom 6 have won just 4 out of the past 41 games they have played. The quality at the bottom is not there this season.

  • Comment posted by Champ20ns, at 18:12 5 Mar

    Sheffield United tried sacking the manager, even going back to their messiah Chris Wilder.

    Sometimes you have to conclude the players aren't good enough.

    • Reply posted by claret, at 23:49 5 Mar

      claret replied:
      Exactly right. We must keep going with Kompany and give him time to sort it out.

  • Comment posted by david, at 18:16 5 Mar

    The approach to player recruitment was mad. It was obvious to most, including Burnley fans, that the defence needed to be strengthened. Why didn't they get Harwood-Bellis back on loan from City after his contribution last season? He's now on loan at Southampton. Of all people, Kompany should know that creating a solid defence is the first thing you have to do to survive in the PL.

    • Reply posted by The Dogs Bow Locks, at 22:14 5 Mar

      The Dogs Bow Locks replied:
      Totally agree David. Company didn't get hardly any decent defenders. I know it's about using the dosh wisely so why not get some old heads. Even Utd got Jonny Evans. He could have egir loans surely. Poor recruitment after such a cracking season. I am a City fan who loved VK but he is making himself look stupid up in the hills.

  • Comment posted by watsondoug, at 17:53 5 Mar

    Great article Tony, I reckon you summed it all up about right. We're all a little perplexed to what has gone worng this year, after such a brilliant campaign last season - but patience is the key on this one and we're all hoping VK's masterplan will come in the end.

    • Reply posted by Tobias Sekund-Home, at 18:45 5 Mar

      Tobias Sekund-Home replied:
      Over £100m spent last summer only to be one of the worst teams in premier league history. That’s the Kompany Way.

  • Comment posted by James, at 18:48 5 Mar

    As a City fan VK is one of my heroes but I think his desire to play "good" football is unrealistic with the players at his disposal. Thirty years ago signing a few seasoned pro's gave you a good chance of promoted teams staying up. Maybe VK should have signed the likes of Milner rather than Trafford. Hope he turns it around.

    • Reply posted by D1710699950774, at 18:51 5 Mar

      D1710699950774 replied:
      Don’t rate Milner in goal though

  • Comment posted by ck, at 18:19 5 Mar

    I fear he is looking increasingly stubborn (bordering on arrogance) with an inability / unwillingness to learn from mistakes and a lack of trust in the players that got us promoted.
    Shambolic tactics and poor substitutions aren’t helping.
    Trafford has not been a success so far.
    I agree no sense in sacking him now but he doesn’t have long when the inevitable relegation (quite rightly) happens.

    • Reply posted by Ryan31, at 19:35 5 Mar

      Ryan31 replied:
      You have to remember Kompany is an inexperienced manager who will learn for the yo-yo few years that may unfold. The other side of the coin is Forest who spent recklessly big, and I got the feeling the manager was juggling a squad he didn't have much say on.

      Kompany may feel he needs a sporting director (don't think they have one) or a Brighton-esq set up next time around.

  • Comment posted by Do it properly, at 18:21 5 Mar

    I think Mr Livesey has rose coloured spectacles regarding Mr Kompany! Burnley fan for 65 years. I don't think our manager is learning at all and I don't think our players are either. It's all gone horribly wrong. No Burnley supporter thought it would be easy but good grief we never imagined it would be this bad. Too many missed chances and too many defensive howlers week in week out.

    • Reply posted by claret, at 23:58 5 Mar

      claret replied:
      It's far too early to tell if he's learnt. We bought a lot of very young players and he's right not to throw them out now. He made the mistake of not buying bigger players physically and more experienced in the EPL. It's less than a year since he was 'Super Vincent Kompany' so we must give him time.

  • Comment posted by Nin, at 18:03 5 Mar

    It's admirable that they're sticking by him, he'll likely get them right back up next season. However, he doesn't look up to managing in the Premier League. It's fine playing expansive, attacking football when you've got the best squad in the Championship but trying to do it at the top is suicide, and he's stubbornly failed to adapt.

    • Reply posted by solidsponge, at 18:06 5 Mar

      solidsponge replied:
      That's where everyone is unrealistic. The owner is estimated 19th richest. So you want them to "adapt" to what? They don't have the money, the players and what would be the best they could achieve? Some team WILL be in the bottom 3. If we took every opinion then no team would be.

  • Comment posted by Philip Taylor, at 18:10 5 Mar

    Good article Tony. We are going down so what's the point of changing things now? However, if we make a poor start to Championship then fans will start to tune against Kompany IMHO.

  • Comment posted by judith, at 17:58 5 Mar

    I don't think we are very much Kompany men and women. The fans I speak to and the fans on social media are very split on this. If anything I believe there are more who would like a change, others want to give him a bit of time in the championship. I believe our current side may struggle in the championship. We can only hope he has learned some lessons.

    • Reply posted by Mike Torrinos Cellphone Battery, at 18:06 5 Mar

      Mike Torrinos Cellphone Battery replied:
      Personally I think given time he could build and nurture a team that could survive in the PL. It's behind the scenes Burnley need to improve, look at the recruitment models of Brentford and Brighton

  • Comment posted by vanguard, at 18:16 5 Mar

    It may be a bit of a lost cause now this season, but the 3 relegated sides last season are showing that you don't have to slip further, so coming back a little older and wiser may well be enough to avoid the yo-yo cycle some are on. Although my team is Bristol Rovers, we have Burnley in our blood ; mother supported them because of the N.Irish connection with Jimmy McIlroy! So very best of luck.

  • Comment posted by Skylander, at 18:12 5 Mar

    Like Daniel Farke at Norwich great one season and not so great the next. But entertaining from a fans perspective and will go down as a club legend.
    Part of me thinks if a manager has earned promotion he deserves at least another two season cycle.
    Can’t think of too many clubs that have sacked their way to long term PL survival.

    • Reply posted by Mick, at 18:15 5 Mar

      Mick replied:
      By all means give him a two season bicycle - but he’s hopeless as a manager.

  • Comment posted by solidsponge, at 18:02 5 Mar

    Alternatively do a Sheff Utd, it changed nothing. Or do a Crystal Palace, changed nothing (always around 12th) Or do a West Ham, have a good manager doing well and don't like the football so want him sacked.

    • Reply posted by mark, at 06:32 6 Mar

      mark replied:
      Kompany will learn,rebuild then hopefully promotion back to the PL.
      The Burnley supporters realise that too I think.

  • Comment posted by Lord Hill, at 18:15 5 Mar

    Great article - well written and interesting. That idea - that a good team was needlessly broken up to be replaced with "Premier League Quality" is something that the likes of Leicester should ponder on this summer.

    • Reply posted by chalks, at 20:01 5 Mar

      chalks replied:
      Norwich didn't change much first Championship Title winning side. Got relegated. Spent more than they've ever spent 60 odd million after 2nd Title winning side. Got relegated. Don't think there is a clear way of getting in and staying in that league. Gap gets bigger and bigger

  • Comment posted by flashbag1, at 18:02 5 Mar

    From a neutral observer pov they just seem to lack any confidence that they will score and then make mistakes which are punished. Don't think they've always played poorly even when getting beaten but don't take their chances and are then punished the other end.

    • Reply posted by Next_Question, at 21:07 5 Mar

      Next_Question replied:
      Agree with this. They've had plenty of clashes with mid table teams and haven't looked out of place, but they're getting the details wrong so often in the last third of the game.

      I think it's part inexperience and part confidence. You can't switch off against sides that will spot pretty much every mistake.

  • Comment posted by Wee Brian, at 18:13 5 Mar

    Best wishes Burnley from Scotland.

  • Comment posted by Ashley Rigden, at 18:35 5 Mar

    Tony, the word is "sang". As in, "I sang". Sorry, but it grates on me. Nice piece otherwise and I love the acceptance of a manager trying to do his best and learn about the league he's playing in.

    • Reply posted by Truth be known, at 18:48 5 Mar

      Truth be known replied:
      Grates on me too....same with ring, rang, rung......just makes you sound dim tbf!

  • Comment posted by Hank Scorpio, at 18:05 5 Mar

    I expected more from Burnley this season. I thought they would struggle against the better sides but play decent football and have some strong wins and keep themselves in with a shout of staying up all season.

    • Reply posted by solidsponge, at 18:07 5 Mar

      solidsponge replied:
      Why? Their owner is a the bottom of riches, they can't compete with FFP. Do you think Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal are anywhere near as poor? So unrealistic. They are MORE likely to go down than likely.

  • Comment posted by SBWILL, at 18:24 5 Mar

    As a neutral I love to see clubs who stick by their managers/coaches in difficult times rewarded

    • Reply posted by kennycanuck, at 18:34 5 Mar

      kennycanuck replied:
      Not too many of those teams/managers around though.

Elsewhere on the BBC

Also in Sport