KOMPANY RELISHING FIRST EAST LANCASHIRE DERBY EXPERIENCE

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Clarets boss looking forward to first taste of derby day in dugout

2022-11-11T14:38:24.162Z

KOMPANY RELISHING FIRST EAST LANCASHIRE DERBY EXPERIENCE

Clarets boss looking forward to first taste of derby day in dugout

2022-11-11T14:38:24.162Z

Clarets boss looking forward to first taste of derby day in dugout

Vincent Kompany is eager for Sunday to come around, with it bringing his first East Lancashire derby during his time in charge at Turf Moor.

The Clarets chief played in 24 Manchester derbies during his own playing career along with numerous in Belgian football, and will now watch on as his Burnley side take on Blackburn Rovers.

Speaking to the media at the Burnley Training Centre on Friday afternoon, Kompany discussed the nature of the game, how he wants the Clarets to handle it, and the importance of the fans’ backing.

Kompany on the derby:

“It’s been a feature since I joined the Club, and has been a long time coming, but I think it’s good for the local area to see both Clubs on top of the division even though there’s still a long way to go.

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“It’s a good fixture to have now. We are where we are, both teams are, for a reason. We’ll just focus on trying to do everything that we can to win the game on the day. My desire is for it to be a derby fans like to see, but we have got to play it first.

“I think it’s lined up to be – even for neutrals – a good game. It’s always nice to have a derby where the two teams are fighting at the top end of a league because it increases the relevance of the game.

“What I would say is that in terms of who is going to win the league, or even get into the Play-Offs, I can’t imagine for a second that winning or losing this game would change the complexity of the rest of the schedule. There’s still so much to be played."

Kompany on the fixture’s importance:

“You can obviously sense it. It’s something that lives with staff members and the people you meet wherever you go around the area, but for us, the key point to be good on the day is to prepare as we normally do.

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“We’ve had enough games at Turf Moor where we’ve been able to find that little extra spark. We’ll make sure we get ourselves in good condition before the game.

“It’s all about sticking to anything that you know makes you strong.”

Kompany on playing the game:

“We have a few derbies of our own abroad and they all have the ingredients you can imagine of high drama, but once you’re on the pitch you’ve got to have a bubble.

“You need to be able to rely on your teammates, the plans you’ve been given, and be able to execute well. With time, we’re hoping we’re at that stage now.

“Normally you execute things better because everything you do is sharper anyway, but there’s so many unknowns.”

Kompany on using experience to help on Sunday:

“Your career experience is always something you can carry. We’ve got some players in the team who have lived those games before, and that helps.

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“You have to prepare well, that’s key for these types of games, and then on the day use the momentum of the crowd without trying to play the game before it has to be played.”

Kompany on Turf Moor and the Clarets fans:

“Turf Moor has been a special place this season, it’s lived up to expectations.

“Normally it’s players who have responsibility to get a crowd going, but on derby day it’s a shared responsibility.

“You never have 95 minutes of just strolling through it, we know there are going to be ups and downs. When we are down, we need the fans to be there for us and then when we’re up, we’ll try to get the fans going as well.”

Kompany on fan safety:

“The rivalry is there to be played out on the pitch. For us, there’s two things… firstly we want a result and then we want everyone to enjoy the game with their families & their children too.

“We want everyone from both sides to be getting home safe and healthy.”