Vincent Kompany’s suave Burnley side

In a matter of months, Vincent Kompany turned Burnley from a sturdy defensive side who it seemed were on a downhill slope without direction into one of the more inventive attacking sides in Europe, leading the Championship whilst playing a brand of entertaining possession-based football. It has proved to be quite the turnaround for the 36-year-old coach who will be one of the more sought-after young coaches in English football as he has meshed his intimate knowledge of Belgian football, exalted leadership qualities and tactical know-how to create one of the most attractive footballing experiences on the continent. His vibrant young team blazed a trail at the top of the Championship, creating a sizeable gap between themselves and the rest of the league in only his second managerial job.

Build-up

Burnley employ positional fluidity in the build-up phase as they can switch from a two-cahin in a 2+3 shape to a three-chain a 3+2/3+1 shape as they utilize rotations in midfield and the wide areas to circulate possession and evade pressure. In Arijanet Muric, they have a ball-playing goalkeeper as they will frequently play back-passes to the goalkeeper to attract pressure as he will switch possession to the fullbacks, play raking passes in between the lines or switch the ball for the wingers to have 1v1 opportunities. There is a focus on stretching the pitch in the build-up phase, moving the ball from flank to flank with deeper-lying fullbacks who are very active in the possession phase while there is also a focus on attracting opposition pressure with movement and rotations in the second or third line to create options to move the ball into space.

In the situation above, Burnley are in their 2+3 shape as they are utilizing a system with their fullbacks in deeper roles as they have moved possession to the right-back. The deepest-lying midfielder is moving towards the ball-near side while the ball-far fullback, the left-back has tucked inside to the central spaces. With the deepest-lying midfielder moving to the ball-near side, Burnley are looking to create an overload on one side of the pitch as the deepest-lying midfielder is also dragging his marker out of position, the left-back could move into the six-space to receive possession or the ball-far 8, could move into the six-space, allowing the deepest-lying midfielder to push higher while the ball-near 8 will tuck into the ten space or move into the wide zone or nine-space, allowing the striker to drop deep to receive possession in between the lines. If the deepest-lying midfielder drags his marker out of the six-space for the ball-far 8 to drop into the position, the ball can be played to the ball-far 8 who can work a one-touch pass into the striker who has dropped deep or he could lay-off the ball to the ball-far centre-back who will work a pass for the winger in the wide zone.

An inverted fullback allows Kompany’s side to create numerical superiorities in the centre of the pitch while also opening a passing lane to the wide zone for the winger to drop deep receive possession as the fullback makes a movement into the half-space to work a one-two with the winger to release him into the channels for a crossing opportunity. When the winger receives possession in the deeper areas, the fullback can also make a run to drag an opposition midfielder out of position, opening a passing lane for a pass into the centre of the pitch. In certain build-up interchanges, Burnley will operate as a 2+3 with both fullbacks moving closer to the six-space while the wingers establish width as this allows them to play direct passes to the flank where the winger will play a pass for the ball-near midfielder making a run into the half-space for a high-quality crossing opportunity.

The goalkeeper has a very active role in Burnley’s build-up as the ball will be frequently played back to the goalkeeper to receive possession, attracting pressure to play a deep line-breaking pass in between the lines. The goalkeeper will at times push in between the centre-backs to receive possession, playing the ball to the centre-back positioned on the far side or switching the ball to the fullback. The ball will normally be played to the goalkeeper to recycle possession with a line-breaking pass or a lobbed pass forward for an attacker making a run beyond the striker as this allows Kompany’s side to evade pressure and create breaking situations. In short goal-kick situations, the centre-backs will be positioned either side of the goalkeeper, receiving possession from him to attract pressure as the goalkeeper can switch the ball to the fullback zone or play an early pass in between the lines. If the opposition chose not to press the goalkeeper, he will play the ball to the ball-far centre-back who will drive forward with possession.

The genius of Kompany’s system is the synchronized movements to get players in certain positions to create space as there are certain situations where the ball-near 8 will move into the wide zone, allowing the winger to play closer to the nine-space as the ball will be played to the 8 in the wide zone to work a connection with the winger positioned in the half-space or for the 8 to play the ball back to the centre-backs as the striker will drop deep, allowing the winger to make an early vertical run into the nine-space to receive a lobbed pass in behind and have an opportunity on goal. Burnley will also utilize inverted fullbacks when they move possession back to the goalkeeper with the deepest-lying midfielder dropping deep and attracting his marker into the deeper areas, the ball-near fullback will tuck into the six-space to receive a lobbed pass in between the lines for the fullback to turn and play the ball wide or forward.

In their 2+3 shape, Burnley’s centre-backs and goalkeeper will circulate possession amongst each other to attract pressure from the opposition as once the opposition striker’s push up to apply pressure on them, they will work a pass into the six-space for the deepest-lying midfielder to play a one-touch pass to the flank to evade pressure as the fullback will then drive the ball forward. As a rule of thumb, when the fullbacks receive possession, they are tasked with driving possession into the centre as if they receive possession under pressure, the fullback has the freedom to dribble past pressure and drive the ball towards the central spaces or they will work a connection with the deepest-lying midfielder who will move into the half-space zone, working a quick one-two for the defender to drive into the centre to spread the ball to the wide areas, work a deep pass into the centre or switch the ball to the opposite flank.

In the build-up phase, Kompany’s side will work routines where the centre-backs circulate possession amongst each other before playing the ball to the fullback zone as they will work a pass to the six-space for the deepest-lying midfielder to play a one-touch pass into the forward line or for a one-touch pass into the channels for a crossing opportunity. When the deepest-lying midfielder moves to the wide zone, the ball-far 8 will drop into the six-space as if Burnley circulate possession to the ball-far side, the 8 will move back into the 8 space, dragging a marker out of position and clearing a passing lane to the six-space. Burnley will also switch to a 2+4 build-up shape as when the 8 drops deep, the striker will drop into the 8 space as the double-pivot will work connections before the 8 pushes into the 8 space and the striker moves into the 9 space. The 8 will also work interchanges with the fullback, with the ball-far 8 moving into the fullback zone while the fullback tucks into the 8 space as the duo will interchange to create space for the fullback to receive possession in the wide areas.

In their 2+3 build-up shape, one of the main tools for press resistance is the centre-back driving forward with possession as the ball will be played to normally the left-sided centre-back who will drive the ball forward with attacking players clearing space for line-breaking passes or the centre-back will trade passes with a teammate to continue his run into the box. There will also be situations where Burnley circulates possession to the ball-far centre-back who will drive the ball forward into a pocket of space before switching possession to the weak side for the opposition winger to have a 1v1 opportunity against his fullback. When the centre-back drives into the midfield line, he can turn and work a pass to the six-space while he can also drive the ball forward to work a pass to one of the 8s in between the lines as circulating possession for the ball-far centre-back to drive the ball forward is one of the consistent ways for Kompany’s side to evade pressure.

The centre-back driving the ball forward will normally be facilitated by evacuating the six-space as the deepest-lying midfielder will move wider, creating the space for the centre-back to drive into when he pushes the ball forward as once he centre-back drives into the midfield line, the deepest-lying midfielder will tuck inside to receive possession. Interchanges in the six-space are also crucial to Burnley in the build-up phase with the ball-far midfielder dropping into the six-space as this will create triangles with the centre-back, midfielder and fullback as well as the midfielder and two centre-backs, allowing Burnley to circulate possession to the ball-far side and play a deep pass in between the lines. As they circulate possession the 8 will push into the 8 space, creating space for the deepest-lying midfielder to drop into, receiving possession to play a one-touch pass to the flank. Once the ball is played to the flank, the deepest-lying midfielder will move into the wide areas as his job is to move into open space as if a pocket of space becomes available, he will move into the higher areas to receive possession while if there is a pocket of space in the deeper areas, he will move deeper to receive possession.

Burnley will frequently switch to a three-chain when facing pressure in the build-up phase as they utilize deeper-lying fullbacks as one of their fullbacks can drop into the defensive line to act as a third centre-back, receiving possession to drive the ball forward and work passes in between the lines. While operating with a three-chain, the tenets will remain the same, attracting pressure from opposition attackers by circulating possession amongst the back-three before looking to play direct progressive passes as the deeper-lying fullbacks, allow the wingers to stretch the pitch in the wide zone as once Burnley evade the first wave of the press, they can switch the ball to the flank to stretch the opposition.

In the situation above, Burnley have circulated possession to the ball-far centre-back as this has triggered a press from the opposition winger in the zone, this pressure will allow the winger to drop deep and receive possession in the wide zone while the midfielder in the half-space pushes forward, creating space for the striker to drop into space and receive a direct pass into the centre. Another routine that Kompany’s side utilize in this shape is circulating possession among the three-chain to create space for passes to the six-space as in the situation above, the deepest-lying midfielder is moving to the ball-near side to create a passing angle where he will receive possession. A midfielder will then push up, allowing the striker to drop deep, receiving possession in between the lines to switch the ball to the flank where one of the wingers will cut inside to have a shot on goal or where Burnley can generate a crossing opportunity.

Even when switching to a back-three, Burnley will circulate possession amongst their three-chain, looking to attract opposition pressure as if the opposition remain in a medium block, Burnley will circulate possession to the ball-far centre-back who will drive the ball into the midfield line to attract markers before looking to play the ball forward. Attracting pressure is paramount as once Burnley are able to attract pressure, they will be able to play the ball to the wide zone to work wide connections for a pass into the channels, a deep pass into the central spaces to facilitate a switch to the weak side or Kompany’s side can work a pass in between the central lines to the six-space.

Another facet of Burnley’s three-chain build-up play is the movement in the second line, the deepest-lying midfielder will move from flank to flank as the three-chain circulate possession as once possession is played to him, the fullback and winger will interchange positions with the fullback moving into the centre to receive possession while the winger occupies the wide zone. If it is on a flank where the fullback has tucked into the three-chain, then the ball-near 8 and midfielder will interchange positions as the ball-far 8 will also drop into the six-space if the midfielder decides to play the ball into the wide areas or push up with possession. There will also be interchange in the 8 and 9 space with the striker dropping deep as the ball-far winger tucks into the nine-space or the 8 pushes into the nine-space as he will be a passing option in between the lines to receive possession and stretch the pitch.

 It has already been mentioned that Burnley utilize movements in the second-line when they switch to a three-chain in the build-up phase as they will also utilize their fullback tucking into the central spaces to create numerical superiorities in certain zones while their inverted fullback will also interchange with the deepest-lying midfielder. Moving the fullback into a central position to interchange with the deepest-lying midfielder and occupy the 8 space, allows for a greater amount of fluidity as the midfielder previously occupying the 8 space can move into different zones, interchanging with the winger and the striker in the third line.

In the situation above, the goalkeeper is in possession as he will play the ball to one of the wide centre-backs as if he plays the ball to the left-sided centre-back, the opposition will push up to apply pressure while the deepest-lying midfielder will move towards the left flank to receive possession, allowing the right-back who is occupying the 8 space to tuck into the 6 space to receive possession as the deepest-lying midfielder. When the right-back is tucked into the half-space, the winger or ball-near wide midfielder could drop into the wide zone to receive possession, playing a one-touch pass into the centre for a direct pass into the channels for the winger or wide midfielder to run onto to have a crossing opportunity. The player in the wide zone can also play a direct pass for the attacker in the half-space to make a run into the channels to receive the ball. When the ball is played into the wide areas, the inverted fullback can also make a run into the half-spaces to drag a marker out of position for a pass into the six-space as if the deepest-lying midfielder receives possession, Burnley will have a numerical superiority in between the lines.

While the fullback is tucked inside, and the centre-backs are in possession, the fullback will act as a direct passing option to receive possession in behind the first line of pressure while he can also interchange with the ball-near 8 to create space for passes in between the lines. There are sequences where the fullback has received possession to drive the ball into the central spaces and switch passes to the opposite flank to stretch the pitch. When the goalkeeper has possession and the opposition are applying pressure on the centre-backs, the inverted fullback will be able to work interchanges with the deepest-lying midfielder to create space to receive possession in the six-space while if he receives possession from the centre-backs, he can lay-off the ball, to move into a wider or more central positon, allowing a teammate to move into the space he vacated to receive possession. When possession is being held on the ball-far side and Kompany’s side are looking to switch the ball, the fullback will still be positioned in a more central position as he can open a direct passing lane to the ball-far winger when the ball-near wide centre-back is in possession or he can receive possession in the central positions to play the ball to the ball-far winger in the wide zone to stretch the pitch. 

Positional Play

In the positional play phase, Burnley use triangular passing interchanges to circulate possession with Kompany preferring to stretch the pitch with his wingers, allowing the fullbacks to tuck inside and interchange in the centre. Burnley will evacuate spaces to create overloads in certain areas as late movements into space is crucial in their ball-circulation while they will also look to create opportunities by switching possession to the wingers who will have 1v1s with the fullbacks as this will allow them to cut inside and have shooting opportunities or allow the fullbacks to make underlapping or overlapping runs which will allow Kompany’s side to create low crossing opportunities. Burnley look to be patient and incisive in their attacking interchanges.

In the situation above, Burnley are in their 2-3-2-3 or 2-3-5 attacking shape as the wingers are stretching the pitch, allowing the fullbacks to be positioned either side of the deepest-lying midfielder as the player spacing is intriguing. In the situation above, the opposition wingers are being occupied by the fullbacks while the opposition midfielders are being occupied by Burnley’s free 8s as this will allow the centre-back to drive forward with the ball, attracting pressure as the 8s make blind-sided movements into pockets of space in between the lines while there will also be situations where one of the 8s will push forward into the nine-space, allowing the striker to drop in between the lines and receive the ball. The centre-back driving forward and the movement in between the central lines will also be crucial for the use of wingers making outside-in runs as the centre-back can drive the ball forward and play an early pass into the channels for the wingers to make a run to play a low cross into the box.

The fullbacks maintaining deeper positions in the attacking phase allows them to drop into defensive chain to create a three-chain while also tucking inside closer to the six-space as the ball-far 8 will drop outside of them to create an overload and receive possession as once he receives possession, the fullback will make a run into the centre as the 8 can spread the ball to the winger in the wide area before making a run to drag the a defender out of position and create a passing lane to the inverted fullback who will move into the half-space to receive possession, turning and playing the ball to the deepest-lying midfielder to facilitate a switch to the opposite flank. The fullback will also interchange with the deepest-lying midfielder, allowing the midfielder to move into the 8 space as this allows Burnley to evade pressure as they will normally play the ball to the half-space for the winger or inverted fullback to play the ball to the flank. These rotations will also allow the centre-back to drive the ball forward and spread possession to the flank.

The relationship amongst the winger, fullback and ball-near 8 is also crucial as Kompany prefers to have interchanges in these areas with one player stretching the pitch while another makes a run into the half-space during a passing interchange to clear a passing lane to the central spaces. If Burnley are building up in their tight 2+3 shape with the fullbacks in a more central position, the ball-near midfielder will drop into the half-space to receive possession as once he received possession and plays the ball into the wide zone, this will trigger a central run from the inverted fullback as the midfielder will also make a run into the half-space to drag a marker out of position and clear a passing lane to the fullback in the central spaces. Once they have the ball in the opposition half, the winger will make a movement into the centre as a passing option if the fullback holds possession or prods the ball towards the wide areas while the midfielder will make an overlapping run towards the flank to receive possession and have a low crossing opportunity.

The winger and ball-near 8 interchanging is also an integral chance creation tool for Kompany’s side as in the build-up phase, the striker will drop deep to receive possession in between the lines, the ball-near 8 will move into the wide zone and the winger will move into the more central zone to receive a lobbed pass into the channel to have a high quality low crossing opportunity or a clear cut opportunity on goal. Burnley will also work this routine as there are situations where the winger will move into the nine-space and not receive possession as the winger will move back into the wide zone with the 8 moving into the half-space as the 8 will drop deep to receive possession, allowing the winger to make an outside-in run to receive an early pass into the channels to have the opportunity to cut-back for a runner at the top of the box. These routines are an essential chance creation tool for Burnley as their movement allows attackers to isolate themselves against defenders before making runs off them to receive possession in space.

Burnley will stretch the pitch and create width as the wide combinations and passes into the centre allow them to switch possession to the opposite flank for the ball-far winger to have 1v1 opportunities. They can also stretch the pitch with more patient passing routines, moving the ball back to the centre-backs which will allow them to drive the ball forward and push the ball into space, before looking to work a one-two and drive into the box or play a pass into the wide areas as once the winger receives possession, a run will be made inside him or outside him to play the ball to the runner or for the winger to cut inside and shoot or play a backwards pass for a switch to the opposite flank. Kompany’s side can also work switch balls to the weak side for quick one-twos to create high quality crossing situations.

Utilizing deep and inverted fullbacks allows Burnley to create numerical superiorities in the centre and create space for passing interchanges with the aforementioned six-space rotations while the inverted fullbacks are also interchanging with the 8s. When the ball is played to the wide areas or the centre-backs are in possession, the fullbacks will make runs to drag markers out of position to create space for passes to the 8s in between the lines or for the striker who has dropped deep while an 8 or a winger is making a run off him as the passing interchanges are crucial to playing switch passes or lobbed passes to late runners in the nine-space. In passing interchanges, Kompany prefers to utilize constant movement and positional interchange to move the ball with triangular passing sequences.

 In the opposition half, one of the key routines for Burnley is the evacuation of the nine-space as this is key in creating overloads in a variety of areas with the striker dropping deep to receive possession in between the lines or move into the wide areas to work combinations. This is key as it allows other players to occupy the nine-space while if Kompany’s side choose to leave the area unoccupied, the will utilize late runs into the area for players to receive deliveries and generate high quality goalscoring opportunities. This ploy is essential in disorienting opposition back-lines while allowing players from different positions to occupy or make late runs into the nine-space to have goalscoring opportunities.

In the situation above, the wide player has received possession and is looking to play the ball back to the central spaces while the central striker is holding a deeper position. With the ball being played into the centre, the player occupying the ball-near 8 space is moving into the wide zone as the ball could be played to the deeper-lying central striker which will trigger a run into the nine-space from the play who originally made the pass as the striker could look to play the ball through to him or switch the ball to one of the flanks for before making a run into the box to get on the end of a cut-back. Vacating the nine-space allows the striker to drop in between the lines to receive possession while teammates will make runs into the vacated zone to occupy centre-backs or to receive possession and have high quality goalscoring opportunities.

Vacating the nine-space is crucial in allowing the striker to move and fulfil a variety of roles when Burnley have possession as this is essential when they are working wide combinations. When Burnley are holding possession on one flank, the striker will vacate his position to receive possession in the half-space to lay-off or play a one-touch pass to a runner while he will also look to make runs into the wide zone to receive possession to have low crossing opportunities from inside the box. Once the striker moves into the wide areas, the ball-far winger or midfielder occupying the ball-far 8 space will move into the nine-space to occupy the centre-backs or they will make a late run into the area to receive a low cross and have a shooting opportunity on goal. Burnley evacuating the nine-space and attacking making late runs to receive low crosses are a vital chance creation tool for Kompany’s side.

The striker will also drop deep into the ten space or the eight space to receive possession, allowing teammates to make vertical runs behind him into the space that is occupied to receive through balls and have 1v1 situations with the opposition goalkeeper. Once the striker drops deep into the central positions, one of the 8s will move to occupy the nine-space as there are sequences where the striker will drop deep with the 8 moving to occupy the nine-space before the ball is played into the wide areas where the 8 drops deep to receive the ball, allowing the striker to move back into the nine-space and move into the wide areas for the ball-far winger to then tuck into the nine-space. Situations like these show the importance of Burnley moving into and evacuating areas on the pitch to generate space for teammates to make late runs to receive possession.

Sometimes, Burnley will not totally evacuate the nine-space but their striker will move across the defensive block to occupy the ball-far centre-back, creating space for a teammate to make a late run into the zone to receive possession as once he makes a movement into the zone, the striker could make a run into the centre of the box or to the near post to receive a low cross and have an opportunity on goal. There are also sequences where the striker will drop out of the nine-space, allowing a winger or 8 to make a run into the nine-space to receive possession, allowing the striker to make a late run to the top of the box while the ball-far winger makes a run into the six-yard area to receive possession. Kompany’s side will normally look to play a cut-back to the top of the box as allowing the striker greater mobility could also be a crucial in generating shooting opportunities for him.

Once the striker vacates the nine-space, Burnley will utilize triangular movement with the ball-near 8 occupying the ten space and the ball-far winger tucked into the half-space as if the striker drops deep, the 8 will move into the nine-space while if the ball is played to the wide areas, the 8 will move into the wide areas with the 9 reoccupying the nine-space before moving into the wide areas creating space for the 8 to run into. In these sequences, Kompany’s side can systematically vacate and occupy the nine-space with triangular movement amongst these three players while if an early pass is played to the striker who has dropped deep with nine-space vacated, the 8 can make a run into the nine-space to receive a through ball or the winger could make a vertical run from the half-space. These movements are crucial in creating opportunities from lobbed crossing situations from the half-space or the wide areas as the striker can make a run into the wide areas to receive a pass, dragging a marker out of space and creating a pocket of space for the eight to run into or for the ball-far winger to make a run to receive the cross and have a shot on goal.

Burnley utilizing a deeper-lying striker is crucial to the build-up phase and the attacking phase as it allows the centre-backs to play early passes to the strikers in between the lines while also gives Kompany’s side greater fluidity and movement in the final third. The striker will sometimes be asked to drop deeper and occupy the 8 space as rotations in the eight space allow Burnley to create space to evade pressure. In possession, Burnley can create numerical superiority in between the lines with the striker dropping into open spaces to receive possession while his teammates will be able to make runs into the pockets of space he has vacated as this allows Burnley to create opportunities.

In the situation above, the centre-back is in possession as the striker is dropping into a pocket of space in the eight space as in the photo above, it is intriguing that in the ball-far 8 space, the fullback has tucked into the area with the ball-far midfielder dropping outside of him. The centre-back can play a direct pass to the ball-near flank with his teammate in half-space making a run to clear a passing lane for the striker to receive possession in between the lines. Burnley’s player spacing allows them to create triangles as the defender can work a pass into the half-space as the striker can move into space to receive possession in the wide areas, creating space for the ball-far 8 to make a run into the nine-space as the striker will work combinations before moving back into the central spaces. The initial positioning of players in the situation above is an example of how Kompany’s side can utilize movement in the approach play phase as if the striker receives possession to drop out of the nine-space and work a connection, the inverted fullback will be the player pushing up to occupy the nine-space as Burnley could work combinations on the left flank before switching play to the right winger as the midfielder could make a run into the half-space, allowing the fullback to move out of the nine-space and receive possession to work a pass to the midfielder in the channels to cross for the ball-far winger and striker making late runs into the box.

Burnley utilize blind-sided movement in the final third as a key tenet of their attacking interchanges is a player dropping deep while a teammate makes a run in behind off him while the inverted fullback is key in creating overloads, dragging markers out of position with runs to open passing lanes to teammates who drop into space. For instance, Burnley’s striker dropping deep is essential to allowing the 8 to make deep runs off him while the inverted fullbacks will drag markers out of position to not only create central passing lanes but to also create driving lanes for the centre-back. Every time a player makes a deep run forward, a teammate will drop into a pocket of space as this is key for their nine-space rotations as the striker will drops deep, a teammate will make a run off him while if the player in the nine-space drops deep, the striker will move to reoccupy the nine-space. In the wide areas, a player will make a run into the channels to drag a marker out of position for a teammate to move into the passing lane and receive possession.

The way that Kompany’s side attack the box from crossing interchanges is fascinating as they usually look to attack the box with three or four players, but it is less about the quantity of players and more about the quality of runs and the efficiency of the deliveries. With their nine-space interchanges, they could attack the box with three players but the player at the near post will be tasked with dragging a marker out of position when the ball is played to the half-space to clear a pocket of space for a teammate to make a run into the box to receive a looping cross to have a high-quality opportunity on goal. In other situations, the ball-near attacker will make a run but not as a decoy run but as a run to receive possession and have a low crossing opportunity to the striker at the top of the box or for the ball-far winger making a late run into the six-yard box. The winger making a late run into the six-yard box could also be utilized to drag defenders out of position to create space for a cut-back to a late runner at the top of the box. With the interchanges in the nine-space and the striker dropping into deeper positions, the striker can make late runs to the top of the box to get on the end of goalscoring opportunities from cut-backs.

Counter-pressing

In the counter-pressing phase, Burnley will normally look to force the opposition into playing clearances, so they can regain possession in the opposition half and recycle attacking moves. They will counter-press ferociously after losing possession in order to force turnovers and long-balls as their close player spacing allows them to cover passing lanes and force turnovers after the initial loss of possession. If they lose possession in and around the opposition box, there is a heavy focus on applying heavy pressure at the point of ball loss to deny the opposition time and space to build a counter-attack while also forcing a long pass, so their centre-backs or deeper-lying players can regain possession and push the ball forward to recycle the ball into the next attacking moves.

When Kompany’s side lose possession around the opposition box, especially in situations where their fullbacks could be caught in a high area or in the central spaces, the primary focus is not to retreat but rather to push forward and look to win a turnover with immediacy as the deepest-lying midfielder will slide across to cover as press security while the defensive line will shift across to regain possession if the ball is cleared. In some situations, if Burnley lose possession and the fullback is in a central position, instead of retreating into the fullback position, he will look to a passing lane to a player in his immediate zone as this allows the teammate closest to him to push up and apply pressure in the attacking line to force a turnover. Sequences like this are key in allowing midfielders to push up as if the first attacker is beaten, then the midfielder can engage the player in possession to force a turnover as Burnley have players covering the central passing options.

If possession is lost in the attacking line, the onus is on the attacking players to retreat to close down a defender’s blind side to force the turnover as midfielders will also push up to constrain the space to force a turnover or a long-ball. Other players in the zone will also shift to cover the passing lanes to force the long ball as if the player engaging the man in possession is beaten, that will act as their trigger to engage. If the opposition player plays the ball to a teammate then a midfielder will push up to apply pressure while a striker will drop deep to make a challenge as in certain situations, Burnley will apply pressure on the second man with two players while constraining the space to force a turnover in the opposition half. Burnley will apply pressure with two men if they play a long ball in the build-up phase and the opposition intercept the pass as the two nearest men will close down the opposition player in possession as if the first man is beaten, the second man can win the turnover.

Burnley will also react quickly and counter-press in build-up sequences as if they play a deep pass in between the lines or an early pass into the channels which is intercepted, they will counter-press with the wingers tucking inside to look to regain possession while the striker will also push up as the defence will push up against their man-marking responsibilities. If a ball is played to the wide zone then the fullback will push up to regain possession while if the ball is played into the central spaces, the centre-backs will push up to win interceptions to regain possession. After a turnover in the build-up phase, there is a particular focus on constraining the space to force an early turnover or mistake as well as denying the opposition the ability to launch a quick counter-attacking move and have an opportunity on goal.

Pressing

Burnley will look to apply pressure in a variety of shapes, be it in a 4-3-3, 4-4-2 or a 4-2-3-1 press as they utilize a man-orientated press while there are also circumstances where Kompany’s side will sit deeper, waiting for the opposition to play into a predetermined pressing trigger as the Championship side will then push forward. In their high-press, Burnley look to maintain a rigid block with small spaces in their man-orientated press as if they win possession, they can work quick connections to generate opportunities from these situations. They are willing to risk a high number of their players in the opposition half with an aggressive high press in order to force a long ball or a turnover while they are encouraged to be diligent in tracking their men deep into the opposition half in order to win possession in the 1v1 battles.

One of Burnley’s main pressing triggers are back-passes as they can look to apply pressure on back-passes to the opposition goalkeepers in certain situations, especially when the winger is applying pressure on a fullback or a centre-back and a back-pass is played then the winger will continue his movement to apply pressure on the goalkeeper with a curved run from the flank to deny him passing access from the area he received the ball to force a long pass or a short pass which Kompany’s side will press and recover. Another pressing trigger could be Burnley looking to deny the opposition central passing access with a rigid medium block as the ball can be played back to the goalkeeper who will play a short pass as Burnley will not apply pressure on the goalkeeper but rather apply pressure on the short pass. Burnley could maintain a rigid medium block, shifting either side to deny the opposition the opportunity to access the central spaces, forcing them to the wide areas where they have man-orientated coverages as this could be a pressing trigger in forcing the opposition to the flank and backwards to force a turnover.

When the ball is played to the wide areas, Burnley will initiate an aggressive lateral press with the winger pushing up to close down the fullback, the ball-near striker moving to close down the centre-back as the ball-near fullback and midfielder push up to close down the opposition’s ball-near deep-lying midfielder and winger. The ball-far midfielder and winger will tuck inside to supplement the press as if the ball is played back to the goalkeeper, the ball-far striker will push up to press. If the opposition try to work a pass to the centre, the ball-far winger will tuck inside to regain possession. Burnley could also utilize this as a pressing trap, with the ball-far midfielder, striker and winger closing down the central spaces to force a turnover and launch a quick attacking move with an early pass to a runner in space. There are also situations when they are applying pressure in the wide areas where the ball-near striker will shift from covering the passing lane to the centre-back to cover the passing lane to the opposition’s deepest-lying midfielder, allowing the ball-near midfielder to sit deeper while the ball-far midfielder and winger can maintain width.

Burnley could switch from a 4-4-2 to a 4-2-3-1 to adjust to the man-orientations of the opposition if they are building up in a 2+3 shape as they can begin to push up in a 4-4-2 with a central midfielder next to the striker as if the opposition manage to play a pass to the six-space, the midfielder will move into the six-space to force a pass to the wide areas. If the striker is caught on the ball-far side, the ball-near winger will shift across to apply pressure on the centre-back while if the striker is centrally positioned, the winger will shift across to apply pressure on the fullback with the striker moving to close down the centre-back. The fullback will push up with the winger when he drops deep while the midfielder will still be closing down the six-space as this sequence can act as a pressing trap for Kompany’s side. Burnley can also switch from a 4-4-2 to a 4-2-3-1 when the ball is played back to the goalkeeper and one of the attackers pushes up to press the goalkeeper, leaving the other attacker closing down the six-space as the winger will close down the ball-near centre-back with the fullback pushing up to close down the other fullback if he receives the ball. If the fullback receives possession the ball-near winger, deeper-midfielder and fullback will all push up to close him down to force a turnover and deny the opposition the opportunity to break lines and counter-attack.

In their 4-4-2 shape, the two strikers will be closing down the centre-backs, the wingers will be marking the fullbacks as the central midfielders will be closing down passing lanes to the middle. If the opposition shift to one flank and the ball-near midfielder has to push up and close down a midfielder dropping deep, the ball-far midfielder will move to the ball-near side and provide press security as the deeper-lying midfielder as the ball-far winger will also tuck inside to create a rigid block. If the opposition switch possession from one flank to the other in certain situations, the striker will push into the wide areas and lead the press, allowing the winger to hold his position. Once the ball moves to one flank, the winger will push up to engage the fullback, the ball-near midfielder will move to the flank to create press security while the fullback will push into the opposition half to make the opposition winger. If Burnley manage to regain possession in these situations, the ball-near striker, winger, midfielder and fullback are positioned closer to each other to work quick passing combinations as a teammate makes a run into the box to receive possession and have an opportunity on goal.

Kompany’s side can also press in a 4-3-3 shape as their main pressing trigger will be back passes as they look to keep the spaces between the first two lines of pressure, tight and compact as if opposition midfielders drop deep, Burnley’s midfielders are tasked with pushing up to mark them. This shape allows Burnley to press in a man-orientated fashion if the opposition are utilizing a three-chain as they can man-mark the opposition back three with two 8s marking the opposition midfielder while Burnley’s deepest-lying midfielder remains deep. There are situations where if the ball is played back to the goalkeeper, the wingers can tuck inside to apply pressure on the centre-backs while the central closes down the six-space. In this system, players are tasked with covering for each other as when the fullback pushes up, the ball-near midfielder will drop deep to act as press security and in case he is beaten while if one of the centre-backs also pushes into the opposition half to regain possession, the deepest-lying midfielder will drop into the vacated space to cover for his teammate.

Defensive Shape

Burnley operate in a 4-4-2 or a 4-1-4-1 defensive block as their defensive shape is ball-focused with Kompany’s side shifting from flank to flank to cover the defensive block while they look to have constant pressure on the opposition to force back-passes so they can transition into a higher press. In a similar fashion to their press, it is integral that players cover for each other in the defensive phase as if one player pushes out of position to apply pressure on the ball and force a turnover, his teammate should shift over and cover for him. There is a focus on closing the central passing lanes, forcing the opposition backwards where Burnley can transition into a higher press or into the wide areas where they can shift across to apply pressure on the ball to force a turnover.

Burnley can operate in a hybrid 4-4-2/4-3-3 medium block with a winger pushing into the front line to apply pressure as the attacker can also drop deeper into the midfield block to create a line of four. In their medium block, they will look to deny the opposition passes to the central passing lanes as the central attacker will keep the opposition six in his cover shadow while the Burnley 8s will mark the opposition’s 8s. When the ball is played to the wide areas, the winger will push up to lead the press as the striker will also shift across the flank while the ball-near midfielder and deepest-lying midfielder will shift across to cover on the flank. The ball-far midfielder will tuck inside and drop into the six-space while the fullback will also push up to mark the opposition wingers. Burnley will look to force turnovers in this situation while also look to force back-passes so that they can push up and apply pressure to force a long ball or a turnover.

In their 4-4-2 defensive block, Burnley’s strikers will always remain cognizant of their cover shadows, scanning to close a passing lane to a player or to gesture for the midfielder in the zone to cover a runner. When they are deep in their own half with the striker’s playing closer to the midfield line, if a midfielder pushes up to apply pressure on a pass, the striker will retreat to cover the vacated space while if the ball is moved to the wide areas, Kompany’s side will look to have a 2v2 on the opposition winger and fullback. Burnley will shift into the wide areas as a tight 4-4-2 shape with little space in between the lines as this is where the teammates covering for each other is crucial. If a ball is played to the wide areas and the fullback pushes up to apply pressure on the ball and a pass is played into the channel, triggering the ball-near centre-back to cover, the fullback will move to cover the centre-back’s area while the ball-near midfielder is tasked with covering runners into the box. If the fullback is unable to cover, then the ball-near midfielder will move into the centre-back zone with the ball-far midfielder tucking inside to cover runners.

In the build-up phase, with their striker positioned in a deeper role and in the eight space, if possession is lost, he will be tasked with acting as an 8 until his teammate can get back into position as he will apply counter-pressure on the ball or close down passing lanes in the eight space. He will also push across to close down wingers as once his teammate moves back into position, he will move back into the nine-space, looking to apply pressure on back-passes. The centre-backs are active and aggressive during the defensive phase, remaining touch tight to their markers as if a pass is played into the zone, they will push up to make the interception or tackle while the defensive line will also push up with back-passes to initiate an offside trap. If the defensive line has shifted across to close down the wide areas, the ball-near centre-back can track his marker into the wide areas and close down the half-space while if the ball is in the centre and moves back into the wide areas and the centre-back is already pre-occupied with a marker then the ball-near midfielder will close down runners and passing access in the half-space.

When Burnley are operating in a 4-1-4-1 medium block as the opposition push deeper into their half, they will switch to a 4-5-1 low block, moving from flank to flank to cover passing lanes while it is intriguing to analyze them transitioning into the pressing phase. If the opposition play a back-pass, the striker will move up to lead the press, applying pressure on the centre-backs while one of the midfielders will push up and operate next to the striker to create a 4-4-2 to press. When they are transitioning into a press in the opposition half, utilizing passes to the wide areas and back-passes as pressing triggers as they can transition into a 4-3-3 with the wingers pushing up to apply pressure in the attacking line. In the 4-5-1 defensive block, if an opposition midfielder drops deep to receive possession, Burnley’s midfielder in that zone will push and track him into the attacking line with the striker. Kompany’s side utilize a variety of shapes in the defensive phase to adjust to their opponent to cover passing lanes while they also adjust with their man-orientations in transitioning into the pressing phase.

Conclusion

Vincent Kompany comfortably secured promotion to the English Championship in a transition year with Burnley as the Belgian decided to extend his stay at the club amid interest from other Premier League clubs. Burnley will be one of the clubs to watch in the English Premier League next season as they mesh shrewd recruitment with a progressive young manager which tends to be a recipe for success in the top flight. Pep Guardiola had an influence on the young manager as Burnley will need to tweak their side with some higher-level talent in the summer to mount a successful campaign next season. In the fledgling years of his managerial career, Kompany has wasted no time in announcing himself as one of the more intriguing managers in European football.