Anderlecht player-manager and former Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany has made himself captain of the side and given up matchday managerial duties to head coach Simon Davies. Kompany’s side have suffered an awful start to the season in Belgium, with no wins from their opening five league games. This move is just the latest of the defender’s attempts to save his boyhood team.
Vincent Kompany Makes Himself Anderlecht Captain
Nightmare Start
It was supposed to be the stuff of dreams for Vincent Kompany, returning to his boyhood club after ten years away with Manchester City. In that time, he became a Premier League legend and arguably one of the best defenders of the decade, leading City to enormous success.
He bowed out at the end of last season after guiding City to a second successive Premier League title and took the player-manager role at Anderlecht in a bid to take the next step in his career. However, things really have not gone to plan.
They opened the First Division A season with successive 2-1 losses, firstly away at Gent and then at home to KV Oostende. Goalless draws against Royal Excel Mouscron and Mechelen followed to finally put points on the board, but a 4-2 defeat away at Kortrijk looks to have triggered Kompany’s drastic move.
Responsibilities
Kompany’s move places more onus on coach Simon Davies, who was the manager of City’s reserve side when Kompany was at the club. His only previous experience of first-team management, though, came with Chester City in 2008.
Another former City player in Samir Nasri had been donning the armband prior to Kompany taking it for himself.
After discussions with Davies about how things would work, it was agreed that the Welshman and his staff would plan all of the matchday tactics, while Kompany would act as a leader on the pitch to try and inspire his side to their first win of the season.
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