Burnley boss Vincent Kompany targets play-off push come the World Cup

The scheduling of this year’s tournament in Qatar couldn’t be any better planned, as far as Kompany is concerned.

Tuesday’s game with Hull City was the start of a period of four midweek games in the space of five weeks for the Clarets, including Tuesday’s Carabao Cup second round tie at former boss Steve Cotterill’s Shrewsbury Town.

Even at this stage of the campaign, it is a spell which could shape the season, with little time for Kompany to drill his newly-assembled side in between games.

Come the break for Qatar 2022, after the derby at home to Blackburn Rovers on November 12th, the Clarets will have played 21 of 46 league games, and Kompany said of this period: “I look at our team, and I think over time it is a team that is capable of putting a run together, and if it happens early doors, then we will be happy.

"This team needs end results and development time – there are so many details that I see in our game that, if we improve those, then results will come because of that.

"This period of time is almost equally important to win the games, as to spend a lot of time improving the players, but one has to come first.

"Then you get consistently results, and you can start talking about winning five or six in a row.”

The Championship goes on hiatus from November 12th until December 10th, and a trip to QPR, and that time will be like a second pre-season as Kompany beds in his new signings, which currently stand at 11.

And he hopes to be in the mix for a top six slot: “It couldn't come at a better time, definitely.

"I think our goal has to be in and around the play-off places going into the World Cup, and then that will give us an extra bit of time on the pitch with this team as well.

"If we are in and around those places during the World Cup, then I think we will be able to go from strength to strength.”