In some unspecified time in the future within the not-too-distant future, Manchester Metropolis must rent a coach to succeed Pep Guardiola. No one is aware of if that shall be subsequent 12 months, the 12 months after and even three years down the road, however proper now, the person who’s turning into the plain candidate is Bayern Munich’s Vincent Kompany.
When Bayern face Arsenal within the UEFA Champions League on the Emirates on Wednesday, you may argue that the 2 coaches with the strongest credentials to interchange Guardiola — Kompany and Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta — will go head-to-head in a battle between the contenders. However though Arteta was Pep’s No. 2 at Metropolis for 3 years earlier than taking the Arsenal job in 2019, he has change into the embodiment of his personal undertaking on the Emirates to the extent that I am unable to see him leaping ship for Metropolis.
I’ve identified Kompany — let’s name him Vinny any longer — for nearly 20 years, going again to once we met by means of a mutual buddy whereas he was taking part in for Hamburg in 2008, and I now imagine that he actually might be the man who succeeds Pep at Metropolis.
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It is all about timing in soccer — plenty of so-called Pep successors have fallen by the wayside through the years — and you need to think about that Vinny is managing an enormous, highly effective membership in Bayern. However as footballer, wherever you might be, if you happen to’re at Liverpool, Manchester United or wherever, which membership would it not take so that you can depart there? The probabilities are that it’s in all probability Actual Madrid. And I believe for Vinny, Man Metropolis might be his Actual Madrid.
In my view, he can be an ideal match to interchange Pep in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later. You must be an enormous character to comply with anyone like Pep Guardiola, and Vinny has that. He additionally has the political expertise to handle above, beneath and sideways, as properly having the connection and love for the membership. That’s rooted in his 11 years as a participant on the Etihad. He received 12 trophies throughout that interval, 11 as membership captain, together with 4 Premier League titles.
However I believe it is value outlining Vinny’s character and traits earlier than speaking about his soccer philosophy and why it could work for Metropolis. When our paths first crossed, he was taking part in as a No. 10 for Hamburg, alongside Rafael van der Vaart. He had been one thing of a wonderkid, the sort of younger participant who was a sensation in online game Championship Supervisor, however he additionally instantly struck you as a extremely cool man and we stated we might be in contact.
A couple of months later, by pure coincidence, he ended up becoming a member of me at Metropolis. Simply weeks later, Sheikh Mansour’s takeover reworked the membership from what we referred to as “Joke Metropolis” into the membership that’s now one of many greatest and most profitable on the planet.
Vinny was solely 22 on the time, however his presence and management expertise have been instantly apparent. He commanded the respect of all people as a result of this was a man who might comfortably converse with teammates in English, French, German and Spanish — any cliques that may have shaped have been damaged down by Vinny as a result of he was a unifying presence.
He’s a kind of extremely lucky or gifted individuals who excels in something he does, however he’s additionally massive on the significance of laborious work alongside innate potential. He is an educational — he studied for and accomplished a enterprise diploma on the College of Manchester in 2017 whereas captaining Metropolis — but additionally a supremely proficient footballer.
However whereas he might be candy, Vinny may also be direct and he might be offended. I’ve seen that aspect of him, as a result of there are specific issues he will not tolerate.
I keep in mind taking part in in a preseason pleasant alongside him in opposition to Inter Milan in Baltimore in 2010. Inter had simply received the Champions League and so they have been completely killing us. We ended up shedding 3-0.
However as a result of Vinny was so offended with our efficiency as a group, he began to take out his frustration on Inter striker Samuel Eto’o, who was probably the greatest gamers on the planet on the time. Vinny might settle for shedding, however not when he felt the opposition did not should work for it, and he kicked Eto’o everywhere in the pitch.
At half-time, Eto’o spoke to our teammates, Yaya and Kolo Touré, asking them to inform Vinny to settle down a bit as a result of it was solely a pleasant. When the message reached Vinny, he replied by telling Yaya and Kolo that the extra Eto’o complained, the extra he would kick him. And that is precisely what he did.
As a teammate, while you see that sort of drive, dedication and anger, it raises requirements. Vinny might, and did, lead by instance, however he additionally has that fierce profitable mentality that defines all nice groups and nice gamers.He was the pure chief because the captain at Metropolis, and I can see how he has taken that into administration in the best way that he motivates gamers.
At Burnley, he needed the group to press extra usually and with higher depth, however he was intelligent with how he bought the message throughout. Quite than impose his calls for on the group as an entire, he would make particular person gamers suppose that he was tailoring the message and techniques only for them. One of many strikers was on observe for 10-15 objectives a season, however he needed to attain extra, so Vinny satisfied him to press greater up the pitch as a result of he would win the ball again in additional harmful positions and, as a consequence, create extra probabilities to attain objectives. The attacker abruptly had a plan to attain extra objectives, however Vinny had truly satisfied one in all his forwards to do extra defending.
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Moreno: No Bundesliga group can compete with Bayern at their greatest
Alejandro Moreno reacts to Bayern Munich’s 6-2 win over SC Freiburg within the Bundesliga.
At Bayern, the place he is aware of his group will dominate most video games within the Bundesliga, Vinny masses his gamers will tactical plans to beat opponents who attempt to stifle Bayern with totally different approaches. Some groups will double press, others go to man-to-man, some will defend low, others defend excessive — and Vinny has had success by deploying Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala as false No. 9s. Some managers reside and die by their philosophies, however typically it pays to not be so inflexible.
That is why Vinny may have loved the problem of digging in away to Paris Saint-Germain just lately, when Bayern performed with 10 gamers for the entire of the second half and nonetheless got here away with a win in opposition to the European champions. There was a stage of grit to it, with durations of struggling, that may have happy him as a result of that sort of resilience and spirit is what wins you issues on the finish of a season.
Vinny is working beneath fixed stress at Bayern. They anticipate to win the league each season and conquer Europe. Regardless of many individuals doubting his credentials when he took the job after being relegated with Burnley 18 months in the past, he has proved them flawed and earned himself a brand new contract as a reward.
He’s passing each check at Bayern, so he’s more likely to be a candidate for Metropolis than he would have been had Pep stepped down on the finish of the 2023-24 season. His taking part in fashion, which calls for his expenses are able to obtain the ball and play with tempo and motion, can be readily obtained by the Metropolis squad. His relationship with the followers and hierarchy on the membership would guarantee he would have the moment acceptance that David Moyes and Unai Emery did not have when changing Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger at Manchester United and Arsenal respectively.
If he ended up returning to Metropolis as coach, Vinny would not attempt to be Pep, and that is an vital issue. He would in all probability be nervous concerning the problem, however he’s robust sufficient in his personal beliefs to make sure he would meet it with the identical energy of character that he has proven all through his profession. But it surely’s all about timing, and Bayern can be an enormous membership to go away.
In the end, although, Vinny will wish to check himself at a high membership within the Premier League. There may be none extra suited to him than Manchester Metropolis.
Nedum Onuoha was talking to ESPN senior author Mark Ogden