When a motorbike leaving the training ground interrupted Vincent Kompany’s press conference earlier this week, the new Burnley manager joked, “It’s Maxwel.”
Such has been the rollercoaster of Burnley’s pre-season, it would not have been a surprise if it had been Maxwel Cornet burning rubber on his way back to the Premier League.
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Since their six-year stay in the top flight ended in May, a whirlwind of change has blown through Turf Moor.
The swift departure of winger Dwight McNeil to top-flight Everton for about £20million ($24.2m) on the same day a new Brazilian right-back snuck in through the back door underlined the crazy nature of Burnley’s summer. From a false start to pre-season due to cancelled travel plans to the nine new faces and 11 departures — so far! — it has been a busy one.
There has been a fresh buzz around the training ground, though. Long-time Manchester City captain and ex-Anderlecht boss Kompany has been impressive as club hero Sean Dyche’s successor, wasting no time implementing his new ideas and his new players have responded.
There remain questions and speculation over transfers and concerns about finances, but the acid test of Burnley’s summer of change will begin tonight (Friday), when they visit Huddersfield Town, last season’s third-place side and play-off finalists, in their Championship opener.
Burnley’s first big move after relegation was the long-anticipated appointment of a new manager.
It became a matter of when not if Kompany would take the reins, but any potential announcement dragged on with speculation growing about why it was taking so long.
Club sources put the delay down to respecting his departure from Anderlecht rather than any work permit issues. Having lived in England for over a decade while helping City win four Premier League titles and with wife Carla being a Manchester girl, that particular piece of red tape was never going to be a problem.
With plenty of work to be done and the new season starting earlier than usual due to the winter World Cup in November and December, players not involved in the June international window were given around four weeks off, then returned before the initially-planned date to begin preparing for a 2022-23 promotion challenge.
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The starting point was how to reshape and rebuild a squad that had lost so many players.
This process began in the weeks leading up to Kompany’s appointment, with the Belgian kept up to date on everything.
Six players left when their contracts expired at the end of June and while the departures of James Tarkowski, Phil Bardsley, Dale Stephens, Aaron Lennon and Erik Pieters were not surprising, the shock was captain Ben Mee’s decision to go too, despite discussions over extending his decade at the club taking place during last season and multiple new-contract offers being tabled.
In the end, interest from the Premier League proved too tempting and he joined Brentford, also as a free agent.
Day one of pre-season got off to a false start with Kompany and a number of his backroom staff having their flight from Belgium to Manchester cancelled.
Assistant manager Craig Bellamy, the former Liverpool and Wales striker, took training instead while alternative travel arrangements were made; Kompany and, uh, company arriving later that day and meeting those staff who were still at the training ground.
Kompany addressed his new squad for the first time in the canteen the following day, outlining his vision and the core values he wants to build a culture around. Togetherness and hard work have been the two primary principles.
The first-team group looked threadbare with so many exits and the under-23s squad have joined them for pre-season, not only to make up numbers but also so Kompany could assess some of the young prospects. Ne-Jai Tucker and Owen Dodgson, both 19, have both made good impressions.
Despite all the upheaval, some familiar faces remain post-relegation.
Jay Rodriguez committed his future to his hometown club in the closing weeks of last season with a new deal to summer 2024 and Burnley exercised fellow striker Ashley Barnes’ one-year option. Jack Cork signed a new contract, too. Kompany wanted to retain some experience in the dressing room, hoping they would lead the culture already in place.
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He is not thought to want to lose a lot more of it.
This is why Matt Lowton has been given no indication he should seek a move yet, despite Burnley chasing, and yesterday signing, a new right-back in Vitinho, a 23-year-old Brazilian who Kompany knows having managed Anderlecht against his Cercle Bruges side in the Belgian top flight for the past two seasons.
The Athletic understands Lowton, who only has one year left on his deal, is happy to fight for his place but may consider a transfer if a suitable offer arrives.
What pleased Burnley’s board most during their search for Dyche’s replacement was Kompany’s alignment with the club’s long-term vision. His four-year contract, with the option of a fifth, demonstrates his commitment to overseeing a new era.
Internally, senior figures did not view dropping out of the Premier League as the end of the world, provided doing so was managed sensibly. It has provided an opportunity to reset a squad that was in desperate need of evolution at a lower cost than if they had stayed up.
Inspiration has been taken from the 2014-15 relegation under Dyche. They retooled the squad and earned immediate promotion back to the top flight, with the bulk of that side playing their part in the six consecutive years among the elite that followed.
Kompany knew what he was signing up for. The reality is the club had to operate on a tight budget and there will be restrictions.
A significant portion of the loan the club’s American owner ALK took out to help fund its takeover at the start of 2021 needed to be repaid in the event of relegation. Even though The Athletic understands Burnley had begun the process of making those repayments, they had two options; use the parachute payments, or refinance the loan, which they have explored.
Kompany described Burnley as “not a parachute team” in a recent press conference. The competitive benefits other clubs relegated from the Premier League have enjoyed via those payments in the past do not apply to Burnley so much, because they have had to use that money for other purposes.
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Burnley could not afford to expose themselves to expensive deals in an attempt to secure immediate promotion. The costs involved are understood to be one reason they moved on from initial interest in signing Jed Wallace as a free agent after his contract with fellow Championship side Millwall expired last month. The risk of going down that road, especially in Burnley’s situation, is that failure to go up would make a doomsday scenario a reality.
After losing so many core players without recouping any money, further departures were expected in the shape of sales to help fund the large number of incomings required — essentially trying to turn one player sold for a good fee into three or four signings.
The key is getting the club back in a healthy and sustainable position, so the focus has been on spotting smart deals, spending relatively low amounts on primarily less experienced players who, in the long term, will prove beneficial on the pitch and in increasing each player’s potential value.
For example, England goalkeeper Nick Pope’s exit, for around £11million ($13.4m) to Newcastle, was expected after relegation and with the World Cup on the horizon.
Burnley have signed seven new players for around the amount they earned in that one deal: Scott Twine (£5m), Luke McNally (£2m), CJ Egan-Riley (£450,000), Taylor Harwood-Bellis (loan), Samuel Bastien (£800,000), Josh Cullen (£3m) and Ian Maatsen (season-long loan).
The sales of Nathan Collins and now McNeil however, have raised eyebrows.
At 21 and 22 respectively, they were the club’s crown jewels, young players with value and expected to be pillars of the club’s promotion challenge. Neither will play any part in it now, with Cornet expected to follow (on a motorbike or not) a year after he arrived from French club Lyon.
Club sources indicated there would be no fire-sale this summer, but the number of first-team players still around from last season continues to dwindle.
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Internally at Turf Moor, the short- and long-term benefits were considered when deciding on these sales, from the player’s wishes to the offers on the table.
The McNeil fee is considered about market value for him and represents good business as he was a product of the club’s academy. The dilemma for Burnley and the player was if he stayed for 2022-23 and proved to be one of the best players in the Championship, his value would be higher than what Everton are paying. But produce a second straight disappointing season, and in a lower division too, demanding a substantial sum would no longer be viable.
When asked about players leaving, Kompany explained it was on a case-by-case basis, that they had to fit the plan, and they would not just allow everybody to leave now Burnley are an EFL club again. The sense for players such as Charlie Taylor, though, is if a deal to go elsewhere suited all parties they would be unlikely to stand in his way.
Supporters are looking forward to seeing something different, watching new players in a new system, but recent days and the sales of Collins and McNeil have brought questions.
No fan wants to see their club’s best players leave, especially, as in Collins’ case, for what feels like a lower fee (£20.5million) than it could have been. Sources had indicated the deal could eventually net Burnley nearer £30million.
Pressure is on the board to spend the incoming funds to replace those who leave with sufficient quality. Player sales are closely linked to those Burnley can target. Kompany has been reassured, and has been happy with the money he has a) been given and b) will receive from the deals that have been done.
If the club fails to show a willingness to spend a good amount of what comes in from player sales, it will raise further questions about the sustainability of the model ALK has put in place. It is uncertain whether they will revisit their interest in Coventry City midfielder Callum O’Hare after negotiations hit a standstill, but if they do it will, post-McNeil, be with additional funds available.
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Burnley’s strategy has been to aim young in a revamped recruitment system that has data and analysis at the forefront. Kompany is at the centre of that operation, and has the final say.
The manager’s meticulous nature has been crucial in convincing new signings to choose Burnley. His knowledge of each player and his pitches to them, explaining their role and how he sees their development, has impressed those listening.
Kompany is pleased with the business done so far. He feels the club have found players suiting his system and that new foundations are being built.
High player turnover each season is what he experienced in his three seasons back at Anderlecht after leaving City following their 2018-19 title win. With more than a month left until the window closes on September 1, more business is needed but he remains relaxed.
Expectations have been played down at every opportunity. Kompany refuses to make big statements and knows how tricky this season could be — particularly at the start, as knitting a new team together takes time. The belief is that style and relationships will develop as the campaign unfolds.
Short term, it is about finding ways to win matches.
There has been a positive atmosphere around the training ground. There is a freshness among the players and staff, not just because of the sheer number of new faces, but also because they are learning a new system that encourages them to want the ball, dominate and score goals.
Sources have told The Athletic that several of the squad have remarked on how impressed they have been so far with Kompany’s coaching and management style. Players have found training intense and challenging but enjoyable.
The leadership qualities Kompany displayed as a player — as well as his club success with City, he also captained the Belgian national team for seven years, including when they finished third at the 2018 World Cup — have translated into management but there is much more to him than that.
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He does not leave any stone unturned in his preparation. The 36-year-old is relentless with every detail in each session and team meeting. There has been no gradual drip-feed of his ideas to the players, he has overloaded them with information to try to speed up the learning process. Inside the club, the feeling is that the can-do attitude the players have shown has helped in that regard.
At training, Kompany is hands-on, and while he may not lead every session, he is constantly offering words of advice and encouragement to individuals. The young centre-backs, in particular, have benefited from working with one of the best modern-day Premier League defenders as Kompany regularly offers feedback.
The rest of the coaching staff follow the same style. Bellamy is seen as playing more of the bad cop, but follows Kompany’s detailed and knowledgeable approach, providing advice. First-team coach Bram Geers leads a significant portion of the training sessions, which he also helps plan.
The squad’s training trip to Portugal was important with the final fitness preparations and high-intensity tactical work the focus. Off the pitch, new squad members got to know the old guard on a deeper level. The younger players began to come out of their shells during downtime which involved golf, table tennis, foot tennis and the daily watching of reality TV show Love Island.
The question is, when does welcome and needed change become too much change? Burnley could feasibly have seven of their nine new signings in the starting XI tonight. In a shortened off-season, they have had little time to gel as a team.
Behind the scenes, the idea appears to be trying to put themselves in a position of strength from one of weakness, but one which does not rely on a quick return to the Premier League. The wage bill has been significantly reduced and they are using incoming transfer money to limit future restrictions on the club as well as funding their own business in the market.
It is a huge risk. If everything clicks it will be seen as the perfect plan, but there are no guarantees. The squad Burnley have entering the season is smaller than the one they finished last season with. They have lost over half of their first XI, and replaced them with some newcomers who are untested in the Championship.
Kompany knew the job he was taking on, but the true extent of his task will become much clearer in the next few weeks.
(Top photo: Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)
