Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie has claimed that new Burnley manager Vincent Kompany will have a big point to prove this season.
The Belgian was announced as the permanent replacement for Sean Dyche, who was dismissed in April of this year.
This is Kompany’s second managerial role in football, having first managed Anderlecht in his native Belgium.
Making the move to English football sees him return to the country where he was hugely successful as a player with Manchester City.
But the 45-year old now believes that Kompany will have his work cut out for him with the Clarets given the big shoes that he will be filling in Dyche.
“It was always going to be ‘who was going to step into the shoes of Sean Dyche’ and obviously how well he did at the football club was remarkable, you can’t take that away from him,” said Hendrie, via Sky Sports.
“But it’s a new era and I do feel that Burnley fans will certainly be excited with the fact that they’ve had that appointment of Vincent Kompany.
“He’s got a big point to prove.
“He’s been given his opportunity to put his stamp on things and Sean Dyche’s style of play, some people might say it wasn’t attractive, it was effective.
“[Dyche’s] done well over so many years, so you do feel that this might take a little bit of time.
“I think players that are leaving the club, big players let’s not forget, have served the club really well.
“Now it’s all about bringing in the right players, recruiting well.”
Hendrie went on to predict that Burnley will be in amongst the top six places and will be competing alongside their fellow-relegated sides fighting to gain promotion straight back into the Premier League.
Burnley will begin their season with an away trip to Huddersfield Town, who themselves competed for promotion last season but fell just short by losing the play-off final.
The Verdict
Kompany will have a lot of work to do in the coming weeks to shape this team into his liking, especially given the number of players who have departed.
Other big names could yet still leave such as Dwight McNeill and Nathan Collins, who could both be big assets to Kompany.
But the resources available to the club having been a Premier League side for so long should give the recruitment team plenty to work with in terms of improving the squad.
Burnley and Kompany should be targeting a top six finish this year, and anything but that could end up a big disappointment.