Ahead of Burnley’s upcoming trip to Anfield, Vincent Kompany spoke to the media about the strength of Liverpool, the boost his side received from the comeback against Fulham, and his unwavering belief in his team’s ability to avoid the drop.
‘For us, it’s about turning these moments into results.’
The Clarets displayed impressive levels of mental resilience in their previous match in the Premier League, coming from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 against Fulham. When asked about the positive effects that a comeback can have, Kompany stated ‘I hope the lads believe they can score goals, they can be a good team when they put their minds to it.’
He admitted that ‘some of the things we showed in that game are more of the things we have to show towards the end of the season.’
‘It’s a result issue for us. In many games, we have shown the same signs as against Fulham, in terms of finishing either strongly or being in the game until the end, for us, it’s about turning these moments into results.’
Embed from Getty Images‘When you go to Anfield, you’ve got to do everything right.’
As a player, Kompany was never able to take all three points away from Anfield. He will be looking to end that dismal run as he faces the Kop for the first time as a manager, but he is well aware of the difficulty of the challenge that awaits him. ‘When you go to Anfield, you’ve got to do everything right,’ he told reporters.
The Burnley manager also confessed that ‘you’ve got to have a few things go your way, as well,’ to get a result as a visiting team against Liverpool.
‘We have to be responsible for our own destiny.’
After a new report about the workings of VAR has been published, the debate as to whether it is fit for purpose has been renewed. Kompany quickly dismissed the discussion, however, simply stating ‘I just don’t have the time for that.’
He was quick to say that in Burnley’s current league position, ‘one thing we can’t do is deflect. We have to be responsible for our own destiny.’
Embed from Getty Images‘I like what I see of myself in a difficult situation.‘
With a playing career consisting mainly of title races and challenging for trophies, Kompany has had to deal with the opposite side of a league table for the first time in an extended period. The lack of points on the board has not deterred the Clarets manager, however, who stated ‘I like what I see of myself in a difficult situation.’
He assured those in attendance at the press conference that he ‘prefers to win,’ but despite the challenging period Burnley are facing, he has ‘not lost a single bit of motivation.’
In fact, it has had the opposite effect on the Belgian. He explained that hard times ‘focus you even more. My days are consumed with how we can get it right, how we can give that little extra push that tilts over the top to where we turn performances into results.’
‘For me, it’s a discipline to show belief.’
Burnley are currently in 19th in the Premier League, having picked up only 13 points so far this campaign – but Kompany refuses to believe the club’s fate is sealed, despite the ‘margin for error narrowing by the game.’
‘For me, it’s a discipline to not only show belief, to really believe and to consistently try and stay on that path that allows you to maybe have a run or a change of fortune.’
Team news
It doesn’t get much more difficult than a trip to Anfield for a side in the Premier League, so Kompany will have been glad to announce some positive news regarding players returning from injury.
‘I’m quite positive on [Hannes] Delcroix, and [Charlie] Taylor – we’ll see if the final training session goes to plan, but hopefully it’s positive news.’
