Kompany needs to stay

[BurnleySteve_]

His job should be 100% secure, if he stays, he WILL get us up again next year, these boys just need to be bed in and have a season moulding against lesser teams.

A year later and loads of these young un's will be ready to make a mark.

[Kilson810]

Are they all staying then? (The players that is)

[lewishamclaret]

100% should stay for me. He's trusted too much in youth but at the end of the day we have some wonderfully gifted young players if we can hold on to them and develop them.

[Elizabeth]

Are they all staying then? (The players that is)

Who do you know that’s going ?

[JimmyRobbo]

The OP is right. I think he will stay, too.

We'll sell a few of the players just like last time round. We'll invest in a few more. The process has commenced and we now have a few on a production run. When VK began, we had virtually nothing coming through.

[Carlos the Great]

Konpany might not be perfect .. but his fully committed to the progress of this team it seems and i don’t think there is a better option for us I can see

[Kilson810]

Who do you know that’s going ?

I don't know. The original poster implied they were all or mostly staying and I wanted to check to see where they got the info from. Last I checked, most clubs who go down lose players.

[Elizabeth]

I don't know. The original poster implied they were all or mostly staying and I wanted to check to see where they got the info from. Last I checked, most clubs who go down lose players.

I’ve watched Sky Sports News all night and I don’t know when they are going to declare the breaking news that we have gone down.

[NewClaret]

Has never been a single doubt in my mind. 100% Kompany in whatever the outcome of this season. Needs full backing.

Had a few rounds of “Here’s to you Vincent Kompany” today and need more of it at home.

[Rowls]

We need to change tact defensively.

Whether that's Kompany himself or whether it's Mike Jackson - something needs to change.

We've been undone by key refereeing decisions today but mark this well: one of the only things we've done consistently this season is defend so badly it is beyond comprehension.

[Rowls]

PS: I'm very supportive of Kompany and was very happy to sing his name today.

But something needs to change defensively.

[Elizabeth]

We need to change tact defensively.

Whether that's Kompany himself or whether it's Mike Jackson - something needs to change.

We've been undone by key refereeing decisions today but mark this well: one of the only things we've done consistently this season is defend so badly it is beyond comprehension.

Just watched MOTD , what was beyond comprehension in the goals we conceded. You clearly don’t know your stuff.

[Rowls]

Just watched MOTD , what was beyond comprehension in the goals we conceded. You clearly don’t know your stuff.

[Newcastleclaret93]

I understand why people want to keep VK but I just can’t get my head around why so many people are happy to get relegated and see promotion next year as an absolute certainty.

[Bordeauxclaret]

I understand why people want to keep VK but I just can’t get my head around why so many people are happy to get relegated and see promotion next year as an absolute certainty.

Who thinks it’s an absolute certainty?

Nothing in football is.
Confidence is completely different.

[warksclaret]

Absolutely agree he should stay. My only concern being if we go down and straight back up, is the PL a step too great for him. The level of managers in the PL is staggeringly high, and will be even higher in 2025/26

[Wokingclaret]

Hopefully

[Wile E Coyote]

It should be crystal clear to all but dimwits that Kompany has it figured out. The team is improving as he said it would. Cant argue with his intent and commitment. Nobody around could come in and make it better. We are in transition, and his squad under his guidance will come good . No doubt about it.

[Goliath]

Englands the place to be in football at the moment. Nobody from the premier league is going to take him at the moment so I dont see him going anywhere. Remember he turned down Stuttgart to manage us in thr Championship.

[Newcastleclaret93]

Who thinks it’s an absolute certainty?

Nothing in football is.
Confidence is completely different.

The OP??

[Newcastleclaret93]

It should be crystal clear to all but dimwits that Kompany has it figured out. The team is improving as he said it would. Cant argue with his intent and commitment. Nobody around could come in and make it better. We are in transition, and his squad under his guidance will come good . No doubt about it.

Serious question, you don’t believe there’s a single manager in world football that would have this squad on more points than 11 from 20 games?

I mean Rob Edwards is doing it at Luton.

I get you really like VK but calling people Dimwits and making silly suggestions like that really doesn’t help your point

[Wokingclaret]

It should be crystal clear to all but dimwits that Kompany has it figured out. The team is improving as he said it would. Cant argue with his intent and commitment. Nobody around could come in and make it better. We are in transition, and his squad under his guidance will come good . No doubt about it.

Shame relegation will get in the way

[Elizabeth]

What is the silly emoji all about Rowls ? Lost your ability to express yourself ?

[Bordeauxclaret]

The OP??

Like I said in my edited post. Having confidence in something is different from it being a certainty.

It’s why bookmakers still exist.

[NewClaret]

I understand why people want to keep VK but I just can’t get my head around why so many people are happy to get relegated and see promotion next year as an absolute certainty.

You were one saying what a tough league the Champ was and how we’d be mid table when we went down.

Kompany signed a whole new squad and walked the league. He replaced a squad assembled by a manager you now highly rate despite slagging him to high heaven whilst he was here but also saying that the squad he’d assembled would struggle to make mid-table in the championship.

I’m telling you now, the Championship has got no better and we’ve got a whole lot better - and will continue to improve.

[Vegas Claret]

scored 2 more goals against Villa than Man City did. The difference between the first time we played them and today was huge, one step backwards 2 steps forward, stick with him 100%

[Elizabeth]

His job should be 100% secure, if he stays, he WILL get us up again next year, these boys just need to be bed in and have a season moulding against lesser teams.

A year later and loads of these young un's will be ready to make a mark.

Couldn’t agree more. What a waste of time it would be if he parted with the club .

[bf2k]

His job should be 100% secure, if he stays, he WILL get us up again next year, these boys just need to be bed in and have a season moulding against lesser teams.

A year later and loads of these young un's will be ready to make a mark.

100% agree

[Rowls]

Just watched MOTD , what was beyond comprehension in the goals we conceded. You clearly don’t know your stuff.

Just watch the first goal again Elizabeth. Note where Watkins picks up the ball, note how he isn't shepherded anywhere.

Think how Tarkowski or Mee would have dealt with him. It isn't that they were light years better than our current defenders (though they are better) it's that they would have been drilled to keep him in the channels where he isn't a threat.

What happens? Nobody gets close to him.

He ghosts past at least two of our men and into our box without a SINGLE challenge. He then plays the ball across our own penalty box, where nobody intercepts it, to two players who also go unchallenged before one takes a shot at goal.

The man who should be blocking the shot turns his back on it and the result is that it ricochets into the top of the net. Can anyone imagine Ben Mee turning his back like that. Ben Mee is a better player but do you need to be a brilliant defender to throw yourself into a block? No. What you need is bravery and to have that value drilled into you day-in and day-out on the training ground.

This kind of goal is typical of our defending all season long and it would never have been permissible under the old regime.

We've all but given up on marking men, tracking runners, making challenges, keeping a straight back line and throwing ourselves into blocks.

Some of it is the fact that these players are young but a lot if it is a lack of discipline, rigour and organisation. It isn't just the defenders: Brownhill, Odobert, Berge and Trésor all let runners drift behind them today. Berge's led to the second goal, the others led to chances inside our own box.

Any team with a bit of creative movement can slice us apart like butter but often, as Everton showed, it's enough to win a free header to beat us or alternatively to plonk a centre back up for a set piece and watch him get two unchallenged shots on goal.

It's not good enough.

[NewClaret]

scored 2 more goals against Villa than Man City did. The difference between the first time we played them and today was huge, one step backwards 2 steps forward, stick with him 100%

And some fans are saying Kompany isn’t improving players. Absolutely

The Villa fans I travelled with today couldn’t believe the difference in us today vs the early game.

[Newcastleclaret93]

You were one saying what a tough league the Champ was and how we’d be mid table when we went down.

Kompany signed a whole new squad and walked the league. He replaced a squad assembled by a manager you now highly rate despite slagging him to high heaven whilst he was here but also saying that the squad he’d assembled would struggle to make mid-table in the championship.

I’m telling you now, the Championship has got no better and we’ve got a whole lot better - and will continue to improve.

It doesn’t matter if the championship has got better or not, there are no certainties at all.

I can’t get over how so many are willing to throw away this opportunity

Everyone is going to be excited about next season in the hope we get back to exactly where we are now. Why the hell aren’t we doing everything we can to just stay in the league we are?

[Superjohnnyfrancis]

Ive heard JJ's favourite song is called "dont believe the hype" what a tune!

[CrosspoolClarets]

Definitely stay, 100%.

Been very unlucky, with late ‘star’ transfers falling through, Cole Palmer the big one when Chelsea came in late on Sept 1st, and we got turned down by Gyokeres, Lukebakio, Dier, Maatsen. It felt he couldn’t get the bigger names done.

Also been unlucky on the pitch with injuries and illness. And with referee decisions, 3 point swings at both Forest and Bournemouth, then today.

I would expect Amdouni and Tresor to go if we drop, not the types to play in a 2nd tier, but I expect Trafford to stay and develop, Foster out of loyalty / health, Koleosho and Odobert due to age, Al Dakhil to develop further, Berge a ‘maybe’. We don’t know relegation clauses but other than that we have a lot under long contracts and the clauses are probably fairly big. Hard to tell because there will be some shananigans and some upset at not playing. But we will retain a very good side if Kompany is retained.

So I could see us doing a Leicester hence there is no reason to blink and get rid.

[Mark the Claret]

And some fans are saying Kompany isn’t improving players. Absolutely

The Villa fans I travelled with today couldn’t believe the difference in us today vs the early game.

That's because Villa were poor today.

[Elizabeth]

Just watch the first goal again Elizabeth. Note where Watkins picks up the ball, note how he isn't shepherded anywhere.

Think how Tarkowski or Mee would have dealt with him. It isn't that they were light years better than our current defenders (though they are better) it's that they would have been drilled to keep him in the channels where he isn't a threat.

What happens? Nobody gets close to him.

He ghosts past at least two of our men and into our box without a SINGLE challenge. He then plays the ball across our own penalty box, where nobody intercepts it, to two players who also go unchallenged before one takes a shot at goal.

The man who should be blocking the shot turns his back on it and the result is that it ricochets into the top of the net. Can anyone imagine Ben Mee turning his back like that. Ben Mee is a better player but do you need to be a brilliant defender to throw yourself into a block? No. What you need is bravery and to have that value drilled into you day-in and day-out on the training ground.

This kind of goal is typical of our defending all season long and it would never have been permissible under the old regime.

We've all but given up on marking men, tracking runners, making challenges, keeping a straight back line and throwing ourselves into blocks.

Some of it is the fact that these players are young but a lot if it is a lack of discipline, rigour and organisation. It isn't just the defenders: Brownhill, Odobert, Berge and Trésor all let runners drift behind them today. Berge's led to the second goal, the others led to chances inside our own box.

Any team with a bit of creative movement can slice us apart like butter but often, as Everton showed, it's enough to win a free header to beat us or alternatively to plonk a centre back up for a set piece and watch him get two unchallenged shots on goal.

It's not good enough.

That’s a better response which I’ll read properly in the morning.
I doubt I will agree with you because I think today was more about being unlucky than defensive deficiencies against a very good team and an England international who regularly tears defences apart .

[ksrclaret]

Excellent post, Rowls. That sums up our defending, or lack of, very well.

As you say, it's not good enough.

[dsr]

The reason to sack a manager is because of what you think he is going to do in the future, not what he has done in the past.

My prediction if we keep Kompany is that we will get relegated despite a much better second half of the season, and that we will come back up next year. We have a big squad - we can sell 10 or so players and still have a squad good enough to come back up. And Kompany knows how to play in that division. And then, I would hope, Kompany will have learned from his mistakes and will do much better, much quicker, next time round.

My prediction if we sack Kompany is that we get relegated just the same, and then what? Do we want to start next season with Kompany in charge and players that he knows well, or with a new man in charge and who knows what players? I vote for Kompany.

[Rowls]

That’s a better response which I’ll read properly in the morning.
I doubt I will agree with you because I think today was more about being unlucky than defensive deficiencies against a very good team and an England international who regularly tears defences apart .

Today and against Liverpool it's well worth pointing out the quality of the opposition.

The problem was summed up by Ian wright in a few seconds punditry after the home loss against west ham.

"Luckily" for me, there's plenty of goals to analyse to back up my pov.

Anyway, good night Elizabeth. We were hard done by today.

UTC

[Westleigh]

Slagged him off in the last few weeks however I think his approach is becoming a little more pragmatic,ie Trafford starting to kick longer if it needs be ,and even though we’re making individual errors we’re starting to play as a team ,plus he’s realising like the rest of us that the Premier League is full of cheating *****,

[Vegas Claret]

And some fans are saying Kompany isn’t improving players. Absolutely

The Villa fans I travelled with today couldn’t believe the difference in us today vs the early game.

I know a few Villa lads, all season ticket holders in the Holte End. None of them thought it was a penalty (all were delighted and found it hilarious though ), all thought their defender should have walked for the handball, rightly said they missed enough chances to win 3 games and were all unanimous in the massive difference between the two games. We've improved massively (although I think we are going down) and the future looks really bright for us imho, a relegation doesn't change that or my support.

[Kilson810]

I’ve watched Sky Sports News all night and I don’t know when they are going to declare the breaking news that we have gone down.

Fair enough if you think we will stay up. If such a miracle happens then player retention will be good. I do not think we will stay up and that means player retention is uncertain to say the least.

[warksclaret]

Just watched entire game on SKY. For me the best we have played this season, and had Berge stayed on, and with the rub of the green on the penalty awarded, I think we would have easily got the draw, maybe even 3 points

.

[Rowls]

Excellent post, Rowls. That sums up our defending, or lack of, very well.

As you say, it's not good enough.

I've held off saying it for so long. It hurts to say it because I only really want to cheer the lads on. I'm naturally optimistically inclined too.

We are getting better but at nowhere near the required rate.

It's so frustrating because if this squad got organized properly defensively we could potentially beat anybody in this league on our day.

[theonlywayisup]

It should be crystal clear to all but dimwits that Kompany has it figured out. The team is improving as he said it would. Cant argue with his intent and commitment. Nobody around could come in and make it better. We are in transition, and his squad under his guidance will come good . No doubt about it.

Agree.

[Goody1975]

It's a tall order but the next three league games are Luton (h), Man City (a) & Fulham (h)

Six points from those three and we give ourselves a chance.

We have to play the following at home:-

Luton
Fulham
Arsenal
Bournemouth
Brentford
Wolves
Brighton
Newcastle
Nottingham Forest

We aren't going to win them all but there are realistic points available there, I do feel we'll need to win an unexpected game somewhere against a top eight side.

The performances are better, just need to results to go with them.

[Kilson810]

I've held off saying it for so long. It hurts to say it because I only really want to cheer the lads on. I'm naturally optimistically inclined too.

We are getting better but at nowhere near the required rate.

It's so frustrating because if this squad got organized properly defensively we could potentially beat anybody in this league on our day.

Nothing wrong with calling it as it is. 41 goals conceded in 20 games is a poor defence and I would like to hear any arguments otherwise.

I am firmly in the Kompany IN camp, but the good moments we show on the pitch do not turn into points at anywhere near enough to survive in the PL. Mistakes have been made and if they aren't called out, then we will make them again.

[Superjohnnyfrancis]

I've held off saying it for so long. It hurts to say it because I only really want to cheer the lads on. I'm naturally optimistically inclined too.

We are getting better but at nowhere near the required rate.

It's so frustrating because if this squad got organized properly defensively we could potentially beat anybody in this league on our day.

Bring a manager in that can organise a defence then. Like we did when Howe couldnt defend for toffee before we got Dyche. We acted at the right time there and he left by mutual consent.

[CoolClaret]

Agreed.

I was a bit dismayed to start the season but have renewed optimism given how we’ve performed over the past 7 or 8 game weeks.

We’ve already made a lot of memories together and the absolute last thing we need to do is start becoming a club that sacks managers every season.

We’re a good fit and there’s history still to be made.

Let’s back the manager.

UTC

[NewClaret]

It doesn’t matter if the championship has got better or not, there are no certainties at all.

I can’t get over how so many are willing to throw away this opportunity

Everyone is going to be excited about next season in the hope we get back to exactly where we are now. Why the hell aren’t we doing everything we can to just stay in the league we are?

We are doing everything we can. We spent £100m in the summer and signed some great players. What do you want us to do, spend another £100m?

We’re improving game after game, that is clear.

This season is done. Absolutely done. It’s now about improving every single one of our players to the highest level possible, either to sell them for a great price (allowing us to sell as few as possible) or to make sure that next season our levels are as high as possible.

[Superjohnnyfrancis]

He's Dyched Pace, he isnt going anywhere without a big ass payoff.