Under Friday night lights in the height of summer two years ago, Vincent Kompany introduced the managerial version of himself to English football.
Ahead of kick-off on a balmy July evening, few outside the inner sanctum of the visitors’ dressing room at the John Smith’s Stadium knew what was coming when the Belgian, clad in a smart navy suit and bright white trainers, strolled confidently out of the tunnel.
Not Burnley’s supporters, who had travelled across the Pennines in fine number for their first Championship game of the season, not those watching in the press box and certainly not those lining up in the blue-and-white stripes of Huddersfield Town.
What followed was a 90-minute masterclass. It may have ended 1-0 but it could have been five. Burnley — formerly Sean Dyche’s pragmatic Burnley — played their hosts off the park with a dazzling brand of pressing, front-foot football that was easy on the eye and brutal on the opponent.
After what was a procession, giddy supporters gleefully jammed Radio 5 Live’s phone-in to hail the arrival of a new Burnley, the polar opposite from the old one.
Vincent Kompany, pictured here on his first game in charge of Burnley (1-0 against Huddersfield in July, 2022), is on the verge of taking over at Bayern Munich
Kompany steered the Clarets to a dominant Championship title then oversaw relegation
Jack Cork (left) and Kompany cut glum figures after Burnley’s relegation was confirmed
Having landed the job in east Lancashire Kompany immediately set about his task. This was revolution, not evolution, and it was played out mostly behind closed doors.
Burnley appeared in only one pre-season friendly in front of the public that summer. It was, as everything is with Bayern Munich’s manager-in-waiting, planned to the most intricate detail and is part of the attraction that has left him on the cusp of an extraordinary move to Germany’s superpower.
Some have said the Manchester City legend must have the best agent in football to even be in the conversation for a move to the Allianz Arena, let alone in the private jet bound for it.
They will point to what followed after that night in West Yorkshire. For having led Burnley back to the Premier League with a mammoth 101 points, Kompany then spent what is thought to have been more than £100million assembling a side that could only muster 24 points and five wins. They finished the season eight points from safety but had it not been for the…