Burnley next manager: Vincent Kompany has already given verdict on management style amid update

Vincent Kompany became one of the admired and respected figures in the Premier League during a trophy-laden spell with Manchester City and now he is close to making the move to Burnley.

Life at the club could hardly have been different when the Belgian international joined City from German side Hamburg in a £7.65million move in August 2008.

However, the riches that were gained by Sheikh Mansour’s takeover less than a month after Kompany’s arrival would lead the club to success and allow the powerful defender to write his name into the City’s history books.

By the time he announced his departure in August 2020, Kompany had led the club to four Premier League titles, three FA Cups, four League Cups and two Community Shields.

Kompany returned to take over at boyhood club Anderlecht and took the reins initially as a player-manager ahead of the 2019/20 season before moving solely into life in the dugout 12 months later.

He departed Anderlecht last month after winning 43 of his 95 games in charge but failed to land a major honour during his three seasons in charge.

But what of Kompany the manager and what leadership and style will he implement if and when he is named as Sean Dyche’s successor at Turf Moor?

In a revealing interview, Kompany refuted suggestions he would try to replicate what his former manager Pep Guardiola has put in place at the Etihad Stadium - but did admit it would be difficult not to be influenced by the Spaniard’s style.

“No one is talking about reproducing anything,” he told Eleven Sports in December 2020. “Pep went to Barcelona to draw from [Johan] Cruyff and the Anderlecht I knew and the academy from which all the players came from draw on Ajax in terms of DNA, but it's not good for the club to bring this debate back to that and ultimately it doesn't reflect what we're trying to do.“It's the Anderlecht identity that interests us and that's it. It will be different from other clubs and we have to accept it.

“It's always like that in football. When Pep wins everyone will want to play like him“It's like religion, one wants to prove it's right about everything and the other wants to prove it's wrong about everything. There is no absolute truth.

“I know a way of playing and principles that correspond to what Anderlecht has been historically. It should not be forgotten.“What will I gain if I ask my players to fall back, play long balls and create a defensive block? Even if I win the title, my journey is useless.”