Will Vincent Kompany Be The Best Young Manager In The Premier League?

Vincent Kompany may have had the opportunity to jump ship last season. Indeed, reports at the time claimed Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur both weighed up a move for the former defender as their new manager with Kompany making a name for himself at Burnley. The 37-year-old, however, stayed put at Turf Moor.

Perhaps Kompany wanted to avoid making the same mistakes Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard made by taking Premier
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League jobs that ultimately came too early for them for them in their managerial careers. The former Manchester City captain is still learning his new trade and Burnley has been the perfect environment for him.

Kompany has made a profound impact at Turf Moor since his arrival there 12 months ago. The Belgian took over a team that had just been relegated to the Championship with Burnley still steeped in the conservative methods and ideas of former manager Sean Dyche. Kompany wanted something very different for the Clarets.

Within months, Burnley were playing a modern, possession-orientated style of play. Kompany led a rebuild of the squad he inherited from Dyche and an overhaul of the broader sporting culture at Turf Moor. By the end of the season, Burnley had won promotion back to the Premier League with a record points haul.

“Youth can cost you points but also creates value so you need to find the blend of talent and experience,” said Kompany when asked about the youthful make-up of his Burnley squad. “That is what we did this year and it doesn’t change because we’re in a higher division.”

In the top flight, Burnley will be underdogs once more. While the club has spent money in the transfer market in recent times, their budget pales in comparison to that of the ‘Big Six’ clubs at the top of the Premier League. It would be an achievement for the Clarets to merely stay in the division this season.

With Kompany in charge, though, Burnley potentially have a manager who could push them even higher. The 37-year-old has clearly absorbed a lot of ideas from his time playing under Pep Guardiola. Indeed, Kompany’s style has been compared to that of the legendary former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager’s.

As a player, Kompany was a natural leader and he has carried that quality into management. He commands respect in the dressing room and speaks with authority in the media. The building blocks are in place for Kompany to become the next best young manager in the Premier League. Next season could be a special one for him and Burnley.