Player Focus: Misery Loves Kompany as City Captain Struggles
It’s difficult to comprehend just what was going through Vincent Kompany’s mind in the build up to Jordan Henderson’s opening goal in Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Manchester City on Sunday. Fernandinho, to an effect, sold the City captain short with a lackadaisical pass, but his wild swing in a bid to clear the danger, which allowed Philippe Coutinho to snatch the ball away from the Belgian before bearing down on Joe Hart’s goal, was out of character for a defender once deemed the very best in the Premier League.
Kompany’s rash attempts to relieve the pressure on the City goal are becoming common-place. The defeat at Liverpool came just days after the defending league champions were embarrassed on home turf for the second season running by La Liga giants Barcelona. A Luis Suarez brace effectively brought City’s Champions League dreams to a premature end, though it was Barcelona and Suarez’s second goal that had Kompany’s critics harping.
A wonderful Blaugrana move, yes, but it was wholly avoidable had Kompany kept his wits about him. The ball came to Jordi Alba on the left before the Spaniard drove a low cross across the face of goal, which Suarez tucked away from close range. Kompany, though, had anticipated the ball being pulled back for the Uruguayan and failed to foresee the former Liverpool striker’s darting run towards goal. It was one of numerous occasions in the first half where the 28-year-old looked out of his depth against, arguably, the most effective strikeforce in world football.
The Citizens skipper suggested there was a media ‘angle’ on the back of a number of lacklustre performances for City, but this campaign, the focus on his poor form is not without reason. Kompany’s WhoScored rating (6.93) is his lowest in the last 6 Premier League seasons, with the Belgium international looking more suspect at the back than ever before. His decision-making has been declining rapidly and his positional awareness has contributed to some basic defensive errors.
"Vincent Kompany has turned into Mr Rash," Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville said in the wake of Liverpool’s 2-1 win at Anfield at the weekend. The defender had often been the calming influence at the heart of the City backline, but his composed demeanour has been replaced by that similar of an inexperienced centre-back. In none of his last 6 league seasons has he received more yellow cards than he has in the current campaign (6), and that figure will likely rise over the course of the next 11 games. His average of 1.6 fouls per game is at its highest it has been since the 2009/10 season and a total of 30 fouls is the highest of all centre-backs in England's top-flight, contributing to a statistically calculated weakness of ‘discipline’.
Worse still, an average of 1.6 tackles per game this term is his lowest over the last 6 seasons and only reinforces Neville’s ‘Mr Rash’ quip. Kompany’s timing has often been his biggest strength when it comes to defending, but this quality of his game has deserted him, which has seen his usually high performance levels drop.
Of course, a lack of continuity at the back has not aided Kompany’s cause. Last season, he and Martín Demichelis formed an effective defensive partnership, which helped City to their second Premier League title. This campaign, however, manager Manuel Pellegrini has been unable to settle on a consistent pairing at the heart of the backline following the big money acquisition of Eliaquim Mangala. The Frenchman arrived at the Etihad with a big reputation, but has so far failed to live up to expectations. With Pellegrini undecided as to who should partner Kompany in defence, the Belgian cannot forge a better understanding with either Demichelis or Mangala, which, unsurprisingly, has proven to be a hindrance.
A lack of protection from the midfield also leaves the defence open to attacks, where Kompany’s rashness is easily exposed. Swift attackers with a low centre of gravity are able to tacke advantage of the centre-back’s insistence on charging forward to defend, which was capitalised on by Coutinho in the lead up to Henderson’s goal on Sunday. Fernando and Fernandinho’s underwhelming displays in front of the back four have not helped, while Pellegrini’s persistence with a 4-4-2 formation has not afforded the centre-back the extra protection he requires, subsequently denting City’s title hopes.
Nevertheless, Kompany should be leading by example at the heart of the City defence. While Pellegrini’s tactics and selection issues have not helped the Citizens skipper, a series of blunders at the back have cost his side on several occasions this season. Back in 2012, Kompany captained City to Premier League glory in supreme fashion. However, the defender currently looks a shadow of his former self, with opposition sides now exploiting his weaknesses at the back, meaning City look more beatable with each passing week.
What do you make of Vincent Kompany's Premier League performances this season? Do you think he has struggled for Manchester City? Let us know in the comments below
