On Saturday night, Burnley will host Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United, hoping to secure their inaugural victory of the season after breaking the ice with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest on Monday night.
Meanwhile, Manchester United finds themselves in a rut, suffering three consecutive losses in various competitions, and four defeats in their last five matches, compounding their off-field issues.
Despite facing numerous inquiries about the Red Devils, Vincent Kompany, Burnley’s manager, chose to shift the focus to his own team and their quest for improvement, particularly after enduring three successive home losses to formidable opponents like Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Tottenham.
“I only try to assess them in terms of what I need to do for my team, focusing on their strengths and weaknesses,” he explained.
“I’ve been part of a big club before, and I understand that when you experience a couple of losses, the pressure can intensify. However, it’s not my place to discuss their situation. What matters is their performance on the pitch, and that’s where my attention lies.
“I am genuinely committed to transforming Turf Moor into a daunting venue for any visiting team. However, when we’ve faced teams of Manchester United’s caliber, it’s fair to say that we haven’t managed to maintain a high level of performance for the entire 90 minutes.
“We’ve posed a threat and shown glimpses of quality, often maintaining competitiveness for 45-minute intervals. However, we’ve been punished during the moments when we haven’t been at our best.
“We’ve had three encounters against teams that I would classify as being in the top eight. On the other hand, in our matches against Nottingham Forest, we felt that we were on a level playing field. Therefore, our objective is to narrow the gap between us and the top-tier teams.
“I’m eagerly anticipating this match to assess whether we’ve made progress in this regard. I have a strong belief in the attacking potential of our team, and I hope that will be evident on Saturday.
“If our players are performing at their best, we can compete with the likes of Tottenham, Manchester City, and Aston Villa. Our primary goal is to maintain competitiveness throughout the full 90 minutes.”