Kompany's aggressive pressing style is giving FC Bayern a boost
The Stars of FC Bayern Experience a New Coaching Style. Vincent Kompany Coaches and Teaches in an Extremely Active, Loud, and Energetic Manner. Manuel Neuer, Thomas Müller, or Joshua Kimmich Enjoy It. Sporting Director Max Eberl Explains the Kompany Approach - and What Ultimately Matters.
After a slightly delayed landing in Munich following a night flight, Vincent Kompany could have given his players a day and a half to recover from the strains of the South Korea trip. Hard work is the credo of the 38-year-old Belgian. But the former top player Kompany pays attention to the dosage, even if he intends to introduce a new football style at the record champions at high speed. The king's way is to keep the good - and become title-worthy again with the new.
Kompany seems - as observed in the intense days of Seoul - more inward than outward. The young head coach does not explain much in public, especially questions from reporters about individual actors do not please him. About the Kompany football visible in the 2:1 test match against Tottenham Hotspur, he let others talk at length. Sporting Director Max Eberl, for example. Or the players. "Bayern Munich has played very similarly for a very long time," said Eberl after many championship years of the recent past, which Bayer Leverkusen could end with impressive Xabi Alonso football. A comeback is to be made with Vinnie football.
The approach of Kompany is as follows. "He wants to have an incredibly high running readiness, high energy, high intensity on the pitch," said Eberl. Especially against the ball. Against Tottenham, it looked like extremely high and aggressive pressing - man against man. The ball wins are to lead to goal chances and goals through lightning-fast switching and combining. Striker Harry Kane can look forward to that. But does Kane, who is supposed to start training in the middle of the week, fit the intensive pressing style?
Dominating All-in-Pressing
Konrad Laimer, who is probably the most biting ball hunter in the Munich squad, spoke at the end of the Korea tour of an "All-in-Pressing". The Austrian is convinced that "the playing style will be very dominant" when the whole Munich team has "the nuances". The Bayern stars have to adjust to a different coaching style in training and games. Kompany coaches and teaches in an extremely active, loud, and energetic manner. But the style comes across well. "Especially in the initial phase, it can still be louder from the sidelines," said captain Manuel Neuer. "His calling in needs to be there," said Laimer.
"We are currently doing everything we do very conscientiously," said veteran Thomas Müller, who is making his x-th season preparation. The coaching team around Kompany goes "ahead with commitment and discipline - and we follow," said Müller: "And that is also urgently needed. Because we have a lot planned for this season. We will be passed from one department to another in training. Each trainer has the lead in their hands."
Difference to Nagelsmann and Tuchel
Unlike Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel, Kompany starts in Munich without a large coaching vita. But compared to his predecessors, he can refer to a large player vita, especially at Manchester City, where he also learned from Pep Guardiola. Whose work was once also appreciated by Neuer, Müller, or Joshua Kimmich at Bayern.
Kimmich expressed his positive impression after just a few days of working together: "Kompany has his ideas with the ball and without it. He does that quite well, with videos and how he coaches on the pitch." He noted that "a certain style" was already evident. "Fantastic football with 2:2, 3:3, 4:4" isn't enough, remarked Eberl. "Attractiveness comes through results. Attractive and no results eventually leads to unattractive and no results."
Kompany, however, believes that Bayern Munich and he could form a perfect partnership. "I think we fit very well together," he said in Seoul while discussing his "mindset," or way of thinking. Success is his driving force. "I've had to win my whole life. Why should that change here? That will never change. The club's expectations can't be any greater than my expectations for myself."
The new coaching style introduced by Vincent Kompany involves high running readiness, energy, and intensity on the pitch, particularly against the ball. This style resulted in an extremely high and aggressive pressing during Bayern Munich's match against Tottenham Hotspur.
Vincent Kompany, as the new coach, teaches and coaches his players in an active, loud, and energetic manner, which the Bayern stars, including Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller, find enjoyable.
