I didn’t want Kompany to move on particularly and would have been happy for him to be with us next season but was losing patience.I even started to almost doubt his sanity and certainly his respect for the fans after the twaddle he came out with after the Newcastle match.

He told the reporter, who asked him if so many fans leaving early concerned him, that in Belgium fans stop till the end in this country they are more bothered about getting home 15 mins. early and beating the traffic, leaving early had nothing to do with the football on offer. I thought this was insulting frankly and an apathy towards him followed.

His post match interviews have always been pretty meaningless and always slightly rambling. He never owned up to his mistakes and often sounded like he had been to a different game. What a contrast to Stan who would say that was not good enough and I will put it right. Never would he say anything to reassure us his staff knew things weren’t right or shoulder any blame.

I stayed until the end in order to avoid the traffic

The mess he made of the goalkeeping position. Its hard to know what was going through his head sticking with Trafford for so long.

January

jrgbfc wrote: ↑

Thu May 23, 2024 8:08 pm

The mess he made of the goalkeeping position. Its hard to know what was going through his head sticking with Trafford for so long.

Maybe when he leaves he can explain his decision making (but probably won't).

I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed he’s leaving, nor would I say I’m glad he’s going, but the constant post match comments from January of “we’re learning” were getting tiresome

His stubborn attitude to playing Muric, Jayrod, Jack Cork, and ignoring the glaring errors in our playing out from the back.

wilks_bfc wrote: ↑

Thu May 23, 2024 8:17 pm

I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed he’s leaving, nor would I say I’m glad he’s going, but the constant post match comments from January of “we’re learning” were getting tiresome

That's all he used to ever bang on about. it always left me wondering if there was going to be a finishing point to the learning because that's all he ever seemed to do.

The Forest game. He said after the Spurs game our next season starts now, so the dire performance against Forest indicated to me that there was going to be plenty more games like that under Kompany next season.

Last May,with the players he would not bring back,after what they did for him,no feelings or loyalty to any of them,and us fans,good riddance,he showed this season he is clueless at the highest level as a Manager,file alongside Coyle,do not believe a word he says,UTC.

Pre match interview vs Fulham away. (One of the rare wins) be mentioned being like Fulham when they went down and had a rebuild and came back stronger. I knew then he was resigned to going down.

Around Christmas time.
Don't mind admitting I'll be relieved when he's gone.
Rather he practiced his Test Tube football at another club.

Be interested to see how he does at a club with their resources.
He's going to have to adapt better than he did here. He'll be managing seasoned players with well formed, bigger egos than those here.

I’d reached the point where I was hoping he’d go and I’m pleased he is going. We’ve just wasted a season, we haven’t learned from our mistakes and VK just became more and more bizarre with both his words and actions. He was responsible for the squad we have, he brought must of them in, and I felt we were so horribly ill equipped for the Premier League and really never looked as though we’d stay up.

While some thought he’d repeat his first season with another promotion, I had very serious doubts.

Well its been a tough season. By Christmas he'd splurged £100m in transfers and we were in the bottom three with seemingly no way out.
But for me the real turning point is round about now, Bayern keen to recruit someone with a shocking record as a 'top end' manager. A manager seemingly unwilling to take responsibility for a disastrous £100m spend, and walking away from it rather than attempting to clean up the sh1t that he's keen to leave behind.

I thought the approach to the season was bizzare, then was pretty flabbergasted upon seeing the team sheet before the City game at home on Friday night to start the season.

After 3 games I knew we were toast... Switched off to it all really by about October when it was the same old every week.

Cullen & Muric's reintroduction brought at least a little bit of joy back to the season (for me) but I'll echo CT's comment above... Like, what a waste? Seems like the season was a colossal, and expensive waste of everyone's time.

Around Christmas when he kept picking the same inept players. Totally non plussed about him leaving.

Palace away . Bringing on Jay , Corky and Benson on with a minute of injury time left . Absolute meaningless/pointless arrogant exercise .

expoultryboy wrote: ↑

Thu May 23, 2024 8:44 pm

Palace away . Bringing on Jay , Corky and Benson on with a minute of injury time left . Absolute meaningless/pointless arrogant exercise .

I think he did similar at Wolves with stoppage time substitutions.

West Ham at home

Probably 5 games into this season

We can argue about whether or not last season was the worst in our recent history, but for me personally (supporter since the back end of 87) it was by far the least enjoyable. I can't believe how the same guy can go from one extreme to the polar opposite. Around Xmas I realised he wasn't 'learning ', which for me is inexplicable, inexcusable and indefensible.
And now he's off to Bayern after that complete waste of an opportunity? I mean I don't blame him for one moment, but wow...just wow.

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑

Thu May 23, 2024 9:01 pm

Probably 5 games into this season

I confess I’m not sorry to see the back of him, but you wanted to sack the manager that led us to our best ever points finish after just five games?

Are you saying you would have sacked him at that point if you were Pace?

He brought 2 on but it wasn't as bad , we were only 1 nil down ( still to late , but not taking the xxxx out of the fans ) and it could of worked .

I'm pleased he's going. I had my first serious concerns with him as a manager when he made those half-time substitutions and changed the shape against Spurs at home and then we were shocking. His decisions that day were completely at odds with his decisions last season, and the bizarre decisions just kept coming and coming.

That Spurs game was just a few days after the transfer window had closed and we'd been left with a squad that was totally inadequate for the task ahead. He'd been backed more than any Burnley manager ever, and probably ever will be again, and he'd got it so horribly wrong. He was like a kid in a sweetshop and nobody at the club was able to parent him properly.

I first wanted him to go though after the Everton home game, when it was obvious that he was so far out of his depth when up against the more pragmatic coaches. We were never going to compete properly.

The most damning thing of all though was that the whole team appeared to be in a malaise of poor standards, sloppy habits, and a flat team spirit. The manager kept claiming we were working hard and we'd soon get the rewards, but I'm still none the wiser at what we were supposedly working so hard at. The rumours emerging from the senior players about their concerns at training standards and dressing room cliques don't surprise me one bit.

Never outright fell out but gradually grew more and more concerned at his failure to learn or even try certain things. Benson remains an obvious one. Gudmundsson being used more (and centrally, after his success there last year) is one. Muric being played earlier seems obvious. His completely inexplicable use (or lack thereof/almost petulantly late use) of substitutes is another.

I wanted him to stay, I figured if we retained the majority of this team with him at the helm we had a very strong chance to bounce back, I just wanted him to be a bit more acknowledging of his own mistakes and show growth as a manager- instead it felt like he tried to be too clever for 3/4 of the season then eventually part-reverted back to last year's setup, started doing better, but too little too late and still stuck to some strange guns.

I remain unconvinced he's got what it takes to be a manager at a club that isn't the most well equipped in the league. I freely admit I doubted our ability to bounce back last time and had us as upper mid table 8-12th, but the bookies had us as title favourites before a ball was kicked or player was signed, we retained a 7-man core of experienced PL players of whom Cork, Barnes, Jay, Brownhill, Taylor, JBG, and the less-PL-seasoned Roberts all featured heavily, and despite loan payments and outgoings had a sizeable incoming player spend. He had the best starting base of any manager in the Championship- still overachieved on that, but did start from the best place of all 24. In that respect, Bayern's ideal for him, they've got by far the best starting position for any Bundesliga team so you'd expect him to be set up for success. But it's a very different beast managing the big dog with the biggest budget and best player core in the division, to taking a less fancied side and growing it- which is what we will ALWAYS be in the wider scheme, even if we might be Championship big dogs. But I still never went Kompany Out, as I was willing to buy into the alleged longterm plan, for all my reservations.

I think for me it started fairly early on but was prepared to ride with him for a while. After the Luton win I really thought this is it, the team is gelling. However performances and game management (ie WHU at home) soon after were shocking, and it was the post match interviews which started showing me he was deflecting any blame on himself by coming out with dribble like the team gave me 100% , or they never stopped trying. It went downhill with the freezing out of players. He came over very arrogant and stubborn. The biggest thing that really upset me though was his Spurs recent away defeat interview which confirmed relegation-at a time when every claret fan was hurting he came over vert flippant and arrogant, apportioning no blame to himself. When he leaves I can guarrantee no player will come out singing his praises, definitely not Beyer, Amdouini, Brownhill, Cork, Rodriguez, Muric, Cullen, Roberts, Zarourry, Benson

As per billyblah really.

I was “all in” on the five year plan… he sold it to me. Sadly, he wasn't all in on it.

Swore to myself after sheepsteeth that I wouldn’t get dragged in again like that… no fool like an old fool eh?

I suppose it was a gradual thing but I certainly remember leaving the 0-5 Arsenal match thinking he was showing absolutely no signs of learning how to help us compete at that level, with no plan B at all.

I'm pleased he's leaving. I suspect he was about 10 games away from things getting a bit messy here, which would have been a real shame. Bayern are doing us a huge favour.

I think the Everton away cup game for me, I was never won round after that, it was so so abject.

His transfer policy was what got me twitching a bit. But his lineup for the City game and then his constant tinkering after that really started to p*ss me off. Also his reluctance to use the experience we had within the squad.

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Thu May 23, 2024 8:36 pm

I’d reached the point where I was hoping he’d go and I’m pleased he is going. We’ve just wasted a season, we haven’t learned from our mistakes and VK just became more and more bizarre with both his words and actions. He was responsible for the squad we have, he brought must of them in, and I felt we were so horribly ill equipped for the Premier League and really never looked as though we’d stay up.

While some thought he’d repeat his first season with another promotion, I had very serious doubts.

Agree with this. Coupled with his persistence to keep playing players who simply weren’t performing in a shape that clearly wasn’t working.

In the home game against United in September Luca Koleosho had run Dalot ragged on the left wing and got him booked after just 13 minutes. So 77 minutes to go and Dalot has to be really careful not to get sent off against a winger that he can't handle.
VK immediately switched him to the opposite wing.
I started thinking he sometimes did exactly what nobody expected, just to be different and unpredictable. It made no sense at all.

He ballsed last season up, badly, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt going into next season, thinking he would be able to replicate his first.

I’m not bothered he’s going, though, and neither do I suspect Pace will be. It’s probably saved us about £30m.

Now to just offload a few of Vinny’s overpriced duds.

Stan Tastic wrote: ↑

Thu May 23, 2024 9:49 pm

In the home game against United in September Luca Koleosho had run Dalot ragged on the left wing and got him booked after just 13 minutes. So 77 minutes to go and Dalot has to be really careful not to get sent off against a winger that he can't handle.
VK immediately switched him to the opposite wing.
I started thinking he sometimes did exactly what nobody expected, just to be different and unpredictable. It made no sense at all.

I remember that - was properly bonkers, wasn't it?

He did that a few times as well after Koleosho had drawn a foul/got his opposing fullback on a booking.

Palace at home. The opposition were absolute bobbins, didn’t create a chance of their own and Burnley still lost 2 - 0

Stan Tastic wrote: ↑

Thu May 23, 2024 9:49 pm

In the home game against United in September Luca Koleosho had run Dalot ragged on the left wing and got him booked after just 13 minutes. So 77 minutes to go and Dalot has to be really careful not to get sent off against a winger that he can't handle.
VK immediately switched him to the opposite wing.
I started thinking he sometimes did exactly what nobody expected, just to be different and unpredictable. It made no sense at all.

Wolves away - Koleosho was running them ragged and then picked up his injury. Rather than bring on Odobert to do similar, he brought on JBG and the whole game changed. I think it was Kilman who was really struggling but we let him off the hook.

Not picking Muric for the first game set alarm bells ringing for me. Freezing Benson and Zaroury out. It’s a long list.

i gave my season ticket away afyer Luton at home…. 1-0 up last ten mins they put Morris on and VK then put two wingers on they equalised in the 90th min then he put jack cork on
Cork should of been on when they put morris on it’s not rocket science

Dropping Muric was the one - so early and so wrong

Villa at home 2nd game of the season was very alarming

Been obvious all season. Many called it, and got pelters from the Pace-bots

In mission to Burnley when he stated Foster would a better player in the Premier League than the Championship

Casper2 wrote: ↑

Thu May 23, 2024 10:17 pm

In mission to Burnley when he stated Foster would a better player in the Premier League than the Championship

Almost rivals when he said after his first PL game away at Man City, that that was the worst you would see our team play that season

warksclaret wrote: ↑

Thu May 23, 2024 10:20 pm

Almost rivals when he said after his first PL game away at Man City, that that was the worst you would see our team play that season

Very true

I wanted to see if he could repeat the title winning season, and was confident he'd take us back up, but some stuff was baffling.

Remember Al Dakhil (a young centre half) at right back, Roberts (a right back) at left back and Taylor (a left back) on the bench?

And then he brought in Delcroix, a centre half who'd never played in England, and chucked him in at left back.

JUST PLAY OUR F****** LEFT BACK!!!!

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Thu May 23, 2024 8:36 pm

I’d reached the point where I was hoping he’d go and I’m pleased he is going. We’ve just wasted a season, we haven’t learned from our mistakes and VK just became more and more bizarre with both his words and actions. He was responsible for the squad we have, he brought must of them in, and I felt we were so horribly ill equipped for the Premier League and really never looked as though we’d stay up.

While some thought he’d repeat his first season with another promotion, I had very serious doubts.

Exactly my thoughts.

Simple really when he refused to drop Trafford.before that when he destroyed the team spirit by not giving the players who won promotion last season a chance.also not signing a left back.also refusing to sop playing out from the back when everyone could see our players weren't good enough to do it.but continuing with Trafford who looked like a rabbit lost in headlights was absolutely bewildering

I never fell out with him. I was disappointed that he left but I have already moved on.

I will remember the good times during the promotion season like spanking Bastards 3-0 at home, going on a 10 match winning run, being present at Middlesbrough when we won promotion and watching on TV when we won the title at Ewood whilst amassing over 100 points playing some excellent football.

Yes he made loads of mistakes last year competing against far better equipped teams (Luton and Sheff Utd excepted) and more experienced managers.

We won the league at Ewood-it doesn't get any better. How can I ever fall out with a man who led my team to that amazing achievement?

I think that by the turn of the year it was obvious he had started getting things wrong and continued doing it. I could never see what the plan was or why we had paid so much for players that were clearly not ready or never going to be good enough. The obstinacy of never using experienced players, the strange team selections and formations, the ridiculous substitutions. He completely blew this season and a lot of money on some vain project that has been a disaster for our club. I find it incredible that he has been allowed to do it.

I didn't until I saw the tweet from Fabrizio Romano about how it took only 5 minutes for Kompany to decide to join Bayern.

I mean I get it, it's a major team, and I'm not one of these "OmG tHeReS nO lOyAlTy In FoOtBaLl AnYmOrE!" people because it's a job and you go where you're wanted/paid more like ANY other industry, but like... 5 minutes? Really? After 2 seasons with us and all the work put in?

Just feels like a "get the F out of Dodge because you just burned down the Town Hall" type of thing now. Soured the whole affair.

Fretters wrote: ↑

Thu May 23, 2024 10:22 pm

I wanted to see if he could repeat the title winning season, and was confident he'd take us back up, but some stuff was baffling.

Remember Al Dakhil (a young centre half) at right back, Roberts (a right back) at left back and Taylor (a left back) on the bench?

And then he brought in Delcroix, a centre half who'd never played in England, and chucked him in at left back.

JUST PLAY OUR F****** LEFT BACK!!!!

Fairly criminal how he threw Al-Dakhil under the bus this season. After getting ripped to shreds against Spurs at right back, I can’t remember the game but he played him at left back a few games later.

He got roasted again.

Fretters wrote: ↑

Thu May 23, 2024 10:22 pm

I wanted to see if he could repeat the title winning season, and was confident he'd take us back up, but some stuff was baffling.

Remember Al Dakhil (a young centre half) at right back, Roberts (a right back) at left back and Taylor (a left back) on the bench?

And then he brought in Delcroix, a centre half who'd never played in England, and chucked him in at left back.

JUST PLAY OUR F****** LEFT BACK!!!!

The rise and fall of Al Dakhil is so ******* bizarre and spectacular. Comes in as a backup in the Championship but gets a chance and does so phenomenally well he makes the Belgian senior team, probably did well enough that he did warrant a chance to start the PL. I'd have thought with an experienced head or in a central 3 with Beyer/Ekdal so there's cover and room for Beyer to attempt his marauding, and that's not too far off the opening day defence. Sure we lose 3-0 to City but to be expected, he wasn't awful all in all. Then he's getting put as a fullback. Right back one minute, left back the next, just completely overthinking things with his selection. Unsurprisingly he struggles, and then that's it for him, curtains.

Bizarre. Up there with Trafford being thrown in at the deep end and kept there for 28 games, with Tresor being the 45 minute man for 6 games then vanishing, or with Benson contributing more match winning goals than anybody and being frozen out, everyone putting this down to his lack of defensive contribution, meanwhile Odobert offers zero defensive work or help except for 1 game near the end of the season, Vitinho being played at LB with Taylor on the bench then at RW over Larsen/JBG only to be dropped just as he started to show some good shape in the role, Foster being moved out wide to accomodate Fofana, etc. etc. Just some really strange man management and tactical calls like he wanted to prove he can mould any player to any position.