Burnley’s managerial search is prioritising detail over speed as they look to replace Vincent Kompany after his surprise move to Bayern Munich.
It has been over two weeks since Burnley and Bayern agreed a compensation fee to allow Kompany to leave, and the search for his successor is under way.
The Championship club are following a similar process to the one they employed in looking for Sean Dyche’s successor after he was sacked in April 2022. Assistant Mike Jackson was put in interim charge until the end of that season, which, like the one just completed, brought relegation from the Premier League. Kompany was not appointed until June 14, a month after their final game of the 2021-22 season.
So, what is the latest on the search and when can fans expect a resolution?
The criteria
Over the past couple of weeks, Burnley have been contacting and sounding out potential candidates about their interest levels as they began to whittle down an initial longlist that featured more than 100 names.
These early stages of the search process have been largely data-driven. As is the case when Burnley recruit players, 12 different areas are being assessed to determine the suitability of candidates.
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There is an acknowledgement that nobody will score perfectly across all 12, but those who score highly or tick the boxes in 70 to 80 per cent of the categories have risen to the top of the reduced shortlist. Key priorities include developing players, style of play, long-term ambitions and their fit with chairman Alan Pace and the rest of the directors.
Pace had an excellent relationship with Kompany during his two seasons as manager. The pair spoke frequently and the hope is that sort of line of communication and aligned vision will continue with the Belgian’s successor.
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The candidates
Preliminary interviews are due to begin this week, and the former Derby County, Chelsea and Everton manager Frank Lampard is set to be one of those spoken to. Liam Rosenior, sacked by Hull City after they just missed out on last season’s Championship play-offs and who had also been of serious interest to Sunderland, is also due to be interviewed.
Scott Parker, who has managed Fulham and Bournemouth to Premier League promotion in the past four years, is also being considered but it remains to be seen if he progresses to the interview stage.
Alan Pardew, however, is not expected to be involved. There was brief initial contact with the former West Ham, Southampton, Newcastle and Crystal Palace manager — who, like Parker, has been out of football for over a year — as there were with many managers, given the size of Burnley’s initial list. But that contact with Pardew was not instigated by the club and no talks have taken place.
Steve Cooper dropped out of the running late last month. There was no offer put on the table, with the Welshman, who was fired as Nottingham Forest head coach in December, informing Burnley he was not interested in being considered.
The timeline
Burnley’s players will return for pre-season on June 24 but there is no guarantee a new manager will be in position by then. Club sources, who were granted anonymity by The Athletic to protect relationships, insist that date is not a deadline they are working to but they do expect to have someone in place by the time the season begins on the second weekend in August.
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The appointments of Craig Bellamy and Jackson as acting head coach and assistant head coach respectively offer an element of continuity from the previous managerial team. The board have faith in those two to lead the club through pre-season and even into the start of 2024-25 proper if required. Bellamy is one of the candidates under consideration for the permanent role, with Burnley keen to promote talent where possible. He is not, however, a leading contender at this stage.
Those interim titles are different to the one held by Kompany, who was the manager. As part of their search, Burnley are considering restructuring their football hierarchy and appointing a head coach this time rather than a manager.
The multiple Premier League title-winning Manchester City captain was given a lot of power during his two years at Turf Moor. He was involved in all elements of the operation, effectively having the keys to the club. No decision has been made on whether they will appoint a manager or head coach, and the eventual job title is likely to simply reflect the person hired.
Unless someone blows senior figures away, as Kompany did in 2022, Burnley’s search is set to take weeks rather than days.
No stone is being left unturned, and there is pressure to get it right in order to give Burnley the best possible chance of another swift Premier League return, as happened under Kompany in his debut season.
Will managerial uncertainty affect transfer business?
Despite not having a manager/head coach, Burnley are attempting to carry out transfer business, with the window officially opening on Friday.
However, a club who completed 31 incoming deals over the past two summers expect this one to be quieter. The aim is to add quality rather than quantity, and there is set to be an added focus on bringing in young talents to develop who may not be first-team ready yet.
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Lorenz Assignon, a 23-year-old right-back signed on loan from France’s Rennes in January, will not be part of next season’s squad as an agreement could not be reached with intermediaries. However, a new right-back will officially join on July 1. Shurandy Sambo, 22, is set to be out of contract at new Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven this summer and will leave having agreed a pre-contract with Burnley.
Following relegation, sales are going to be impossible to avoid.
There is an acceptance internally that there are around four to five members of the squad who should be playing or have indicated they want to be at a higher level than the Championship and will now be sold.
Goalkeeper James Trafford will definitely depart and talks have taken place with Newcastle. The Premier League side value the 21-year-old at around £15million ($19.1m) to £18m, while Burnley are expected to want around £20m for a player they paid Manchester City an initial £14m for last July and believe has the potential to be the England No 1 after making Gareth Southgate’s preliminary squad for this summer’s Euros.
Kompany’s move to Bayern has boosted the available transfer funds, with the German club paying an initial €12million (£10m; $12.9m). Burnley are very happy with the compensation fee they secured. They are hopeful of keeping most of the squad together heading into next season, and this additional money should help with that.
There has been plenty of interest in several players. An inflated squad means some members will have to be moved on either permanently or on loan anyway. Every player has a price, but the club are determined to stand firm on valuations for those they want to keep and aren’t under pressure to sell.
(Top photos: Frank Lampard, left, and Liam Rosenior; Getty Images)