[Albion] Vincent Kompany

[Commander]

Ah yes my bad. Bullying is fine if it is in professional sport.

Even in the context of that clip, Kompany singles out one player, screams in his face, confronts him, and then when he asks why he's being picked on, the best he can come up with is "body language".

Sure, something might have led to this confrontation and it is a lone clip that doesn't provide a ton of context, but do you really think behaviour like that is ever acceptable from a manager in any workplace?

I think if you were to look at footage of some of the best ever managers in the history of the game on the training ground (Ferguson, Clough etc) then you might feel a little uncomfortable about it. Yes times have changed blah blah blah but professional sport is still completely different to the real world. You've watched a 30 second clip with no knowledge of the context, what's happened previously, whether this situation had happened before etc etc and have made your mind up. I guess that is the modern world though, unfortunately.

 

[Beanstalk]

I think if you were to look at footage of some of the best ever managers in the history of the game on the training ground (Ferguson, Clough etc) then you might feel a little uncomfortable about it. Yes times have changed blah blah blah but professional sport is still completely different to the real world. You've watched a 30 second clip with no knowledge of the context, what's happened previously, whether this situation had happened before etc etc and have made your mind up. I guess that is the modern world though, unfortunately.

The game, and world, has changed from Clough (retired 21 years ago) and Ferguson (retired 11 years ago and was classed as the last of a dying breed then). They are relics of quite a distant past.

I don't think behaviour like that, from someone in a senior position, is defendable or acceptable in any workplace today, including football. And I hope that that is the modern world because being we should demand more from people at the top of the game, and those in visible, inspirational, positions.

 

[Flounce]

Any chance of a video showing RDZ having a meltdown with a player?

I bet it happened!!

 

[The Wookiee]

I know sport is a high-pressure work environment and we don't always apply the same rules to football as we would a normal job but that is textbook workplace bullying.

Would be interesting to see what the PFA think of it.

I bet similar things happen in training at EVERY club in the country and probably even worse in dressing rooms at halftime and full time

 

[dsr-burnley]

The game, and world, has changed from Clough (retired 21 years ago) and Ferguson (retired 11 years ago and was classed as the last of a dying breed then). They are relics of quite a distant past.

I don't think behaviour like that, from someone in a senior position, is defendable or acceptable in any workplace today, including football. And I hope that that is the modern world because being we should demand more from people at the top of the game, and those in visible, inspirational, positions.

There would no doubt be many ex=players who would say "that never did me any harm" or even (or especially) "I wouldn't have been the player I was if I hadn't had an almighty kick up the backside now and then".

On the other hand a rant like that one on film probably does no good at all, probably does harm. and whether it helps the player or not it is likely to cause splits in the squad if players believe the manager is unfair. We never heard that Dyche went ranting unfairly like that. He may have ranted fairly now and then!

(I can't believe we got £12m or so for the "sale" of Kompany. We fell on our feet there. He had stopped learning - he tried to play a style of football that our players were not technically good enough to do, and he refused to change even though it meant relegation. And now we see that was his management style? Good riddance.)

 

[oldboyroy]

Looks a twat.

Nothing different to Roberto last season I'd hazard a guess. Although, to be fair, if a boss laid into me like that I'd tell him to do 1! But, I'm only on paupers wages not the megabucks footballers earn.

 

[lost in london]

Not excusing that behaviour, but I wonder if some ex top level pros do better managing only top level players? Their standards are so high, and their drive to get to the top so intense, it must be hard for them to accept or understand there are other ways of doing it and people who just aren't as committed or capable.

 

[Easy 10]

I'm not convinced Bayern will put up with Kompany for long if they're not winning games handsomely right away.

Agreed. And the thing is, whilst still winning the league up until 23/24, there has been a gradual malaise at Bayern over the last few years, which Leverkusen (and Stuttgart) took advantage of last season. Points won by Bayern since 2019/20:

19/20 = 82 pts
20/21 = 78 pts
21/22 = 77 pts
22/23 = 71 pts
23/24 =72 pts

They are not the all-conquering Bayern they used to be, and other clubs have caught up. Is Kompany and his baseball cap / suit combo the one to arrest that slide and restore them to former glories ? If Dortmund get their act together, and they made a PHENOMENAL signing last week, then its only going to get tougher.

 

[Jim in the West]

There would no doubt be many ex=players who would say "that never did me any harm" or even (or especially) "I wouldn't have been the player I was if I hadn't had an almighty kick up the backside now and then".

On the other hand a rant like that one on film probably does no good at all, probably does harm. and whether it helps the player or not it is likely to cause splits in the squad if players believe the manager is unfair. We never heard that Dyche went ranting unfairly like that. He may have ranted fairly now and then!

(I can't believe we got £12m or so for the "sale" of Kompany. We fell on our feet there. He had stopped learning - he tried to play a style of football that our players were not technically good enough to do, and he refused to change even though it meant relegation. And now we see that was his management style? Good riddance.)

The highest level of football I played was St Wilfred's Burgess Hill 3rd XI. However, if a manager/coach acted like that he'd go rapidly downhill in my estimation. The way Burnley played last season was absolutely suicidal, and - as you say - it was frankly incredible watching Kompany dogmatically stick to it to the bitter end.

 

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

Looking forward to watching him crash and burn this season

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Looks a twat.

So Bellamy was the calm voice of reason of the two?

 

[Beanstalk]

Not excusing that behaviour, but I wonder if some ex top level pros do better managing only top level players? Their standards are so high, and their drive to get to the top so intense, it must be hard for them to accept or understand there are other ways of doing it and people who just aren't as committed or capable.

A mate made an interesting point about this and the balances of power. As a player, and captain, it's probably somewhat acceptable to do that to a colleague on your level, to demand the same effort as you're putting in as you are essentially in the same boat (though plenty of pretty nasty stories from the last 50 years of Football about senior players bullying junior players - see Ian Wright and Jim Cannon at Palace). Kompany probably would throw his weight around on the training pitch as a given at City.

As a manager, he has complete power over the player. The dynamic is completely in his favour and he abuses that position. It's absolutely unacceptable.

 

[dsr-burnley]

So Bellamy was the calm voice of reason of the two?

Bellamy is another, like Gudmondsson, who left the club immediately the season ended, but came back (and was caretaker manager) after Kompany left. Obviously he moved on to Wales since then.