Vincent Kompany’s Burnley didn’t have it all their own way in their win over Huddersfield, but Ian Matheson’s winner summed up the newfound drive to give an idea of what to expect as the defender started and completed a catchy move to kick-start the club’s new era with three-pointers.
The Clarets completed more than 300 passes in the first half, they accomplished such a feat in 90 minutes only twice last season to demonstrate the early impact of their new manager. No wonder Kompany said Pep Guardiola inspired him before the game. The Manchester City boss will also appreciate the victory, even if it was won by a Chelsea player who looted the penalty area from the left flank and then chose the bottom corner.
Burnley took an innovative approach to their new era, when there were six newcomers in the starting line-up. Maatsen, a constant browbeat on the left, and Josh Cullen in midfield were the most impressive of a group of newcomers from a tumultuous summer, which had a policy of transfers with revolving gates – and several more comings and goings can be expected at Turf Moor before the window closes.
The intensity of the action seemed to have reached Kompany very early; the Belgian felt the need to take off his jacket less than four minutes before the end. This will not be a sample of a tracksuit. He watched Burnley learn their new roles and system at work, but they quickly found their brands, much to the delight of the company.
Cullen was the fastest to settle into the central role of a central midfielder, helping others to tune in to the right mood, helping Burnley control the game in the process. He was the man behind everything positive, thanks to his neat touches, passes and ability to read the game, showing why the company was so eager to find each other after working together in Anderlecht. “I know him as a person,” Kompany said. “He helps to unite people, he communicates on the ground. It’s good for him that he was the man of the match, but knowing him is not his priority.”
Burnley fans found their enjoyment at the start of the season in an extended period of passing, which was not the matter in the days of Sean Dyche, when every side pass that hit the target received a quasi-sarcastic “Ole” from behind a crowded stand as the Clarets dominated the pitch. ownership. ”I found the first half pretty disappointing, I thought tactically we might not have quite figured it out, we lost the middle of the field,” Danny Schofield admitted.
Old and new combined, thanks to Ashley Barnes’ clever work of simulating a pass to create space in the penalty area, he eventually returned to the feet of Josh Brownhill, which allowed him to control and inadvertently put the ball in the path of rookie Maatsen, who showed a desire to score. from a half-way sprint to a jump and a house bend.
Kompany’s vision of the striking team began to manifest itself in a flash as confidence grew. Shortly after the score was opened, there should have been a second when a one-two between Connor Roberts and Cullen saw the defender catch a Dink higher, but his close-range shot was stopped by Lee Nicholls.
The company constantly turned to its predecessor Mike Jackson for advice.aside. While they will be glad that, with almost three-quarters of possession, both defenders in the dugout will be glad that they didn’t miss a single shot at point-blank range. “I wouldn’t be a manager if I was excited about all this. There’s a lot to do, I’ve heard a lot about the style of the game. For me, Burnley is in the foreground, and Burnley is hard work. I’ve seen players who were brave. There was a good base there,” Kompany said.
Sensing a change in dynamics, Schofield, who made his debut as a manager, made a double substitution, inviting Jack Rudoni and Tino Anjorin shortly before the start of the game. The latter had an instant impact when Cullen pushed him off the edge of the field, who received a warning about his troubles while simultaneously provoking the anger of the crowd.
Whether Burnley will be able to make such a persistent effort in a 46-game season remains to be seen. The players succumbed in the closing stages due to a wet night in the face of relentless resistance, but most importantly, they managed to hold out. The foundation was laid so that Burnley could lean on it, all they had to do was reach the company’s standards for more than an hour.