KOMPANY EXCITED TO PREPARE TEAM FOR NEW SEASON

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Clarets boss discusses pre-season and looks ahead to 2023/24 campaign

2023-06-12T16:00:00.000Z

KOMPANY EXCITED TO PREPARE TEAM FOR NEW SEASON

Clarets boss discusses pre-season and looks ahead to 2023/24 campaign

2023-06-12T16:00:00.000Z

Clarets boss discusses pre-season and looks ahead to 2023/24 campaign

Manager Vincent Kompany believes his side are in a much better position in this summer compared to this time last year when the Belgian and his coaching staff arrived at Turf Moor.

Kompany arrived in Lancashire from Anderlecht a year to the day on Wednesday (14th) with the Clarets gearing up for a season in the Sky Bet Championship following relegation from the Premier League.

In fine fashion, Burnley bounced back to the top-flight at the first time of asking clinching the league title and amassing 101 points across the season.

Kompany’s men returned to pre-season training last Monday and are now on a training camp in Portugal as the Clarets prepare for their return on the weekend of 11th August.

The Burnley boss said: “I think last season was the back of a relegation so the first couple of training sessions there was a lot of uncertainty and the players are still trying to know where they fit and if they’re part of the plans.

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“I think this season it’s easier in a sense that every player knows what is expected of them. All they’re doing now is trying to get back better at the things we expect them to do. This is a huge opportunity for them to showcase themselves.

“They’re only continuing what they were doing before and trying to improve quicker. It’s very different to what we encountered when we came in of course and that’s normal.”

The Clarets will find out their fixture list for the upcoming season this Thursday (9am) but Kompany says he doesn’t focus too much on ‘things he can’t control’.

However, the Burnley chief says he is excited to then be able to prepare his side once the fixtures are confirmed and knows when his team will face who and when across the year.

Kompany said: “I can’t control any of that. So, I don’t tend to pay too much attention to the things I can’t control.

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“I’m excited about preparing the team for something that I know is coming. As soon as you know the teams that are locked in to the Premier League. Then you know the matches, you can basically know every style of play and every challenge you will encounter in the season.

“The exciting part for me is to look forward to every kind of threat we will encounter.”

Kompany’s side only lost once at home all last season with his men making Turf Moor into a ‘fortress’ and the Clarets boss is hoping his team and the supporters can combine once again to ensure it to be a difficult place to come and play.

“If someone is trying to break into your house – that’s going to give you a bit more strength to defend it.

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“I think that’s the same thing when teams are coming to your home, which for us is Turf Moor, it has to be a battle for any team who comes to us to get even just a little bit of joy.

“By any means necessary we’ve got to make this place, just a very unpleasant date on the calendar for any team that comes to us now. I’m not saying it’s going to happen day one, we’ve had it in the championship or all year long.

“I think it’s part of Burnley’s history to be a difficult place to travel to. But we’ve got to go and find another level. We’ve got to find another edge.

“A way to make sure that we look forward and enjoy to playing against any level of opposition, and I mean any level of opposition, because it’s a home game.

“It doesn’t happen overnight but there has to be that belief from the start you know? Good days. Bad days. Every day we turn up. Again. And again. And again. And again. That could be the difference for us. That really could be the difference.”