You could probably fill a sizeable hardback with the mistakes Burnley have made since securing their return to the Premier League last summer.
Their recruitment – around £50 million spent on just Zeki Amdouni, James Trafford and Aaron Ramsey with Mike Tresor also arriving on a £15 million loan-to-buy deal – has been patchy at best, downright poor at worst.
Vincent Kompany’s apparent reluctance to adapt the possession-heavy gameplan that served The Clarets so well in the Championship – Crystal Palace the latest to pounce from a misplaced pass in Burnley’s own half last weekend – also looks a blunder.
And in stark contrast to some of the most impressive newly-promoted teams of recent years – see Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds and Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United, not to mention Luton Town – Kompany may feel, with the benefit of hindsight, that failing to keep the faith with some of last season’s title-winning favourites, replacing them with expensive and often underwhelming outside hires, did a seemingly-doomed Burnley side few favours either.
Manuel Benson a forgotten man at Burnley
Connor Roberts, Anass Zaroury and Aro Muric were shunted to the fringes. Ashley Barnes was let go. Manuel Benson, meanwhile, has played only twice – and for less than 10 minutes combined – since the 1-1 draw with Brighton in mid-December.
There was interest in January from a Leeds side who eventually brought in Roberts from Turf Moor, and an ambitious Hull City side who landed the other of Burnley’s 2022/23 wing wonders in Zaroury (Hull Daily Mail).
HITC Football understands that talks over a move to Southampton also broke down for Benson on deadline day, with The Saints bringing in David Brooks from neighbours Bournemouth instead.
Leeds and Southampton were keen
Given the attacking riches at Daniel Farke’s disposal at Elland Road – Jaiden Anthony, Wilfried Gnonto and Joel Piroe have found starts hard to come by at times – it is far from certain that Benson would have moved to West Yorkshire and established himself as one of the first names on Leeds’ team sheet.
But with Kompany indicating last week that Benson has simply not adapted to life in the top-flight – though it must be said few in the Burnley squad have – the seldom-seen Belgian could be forgiven for watching Roberts and Zaroury driving the promotion charge at Leeds and Hull with a pang of regret in his heart.
“Everybody has had an opportunity to show themselves at this level,” Kompany told BBC Sport when quizzed about the ongoing absence of Burnley’s £3.5 million forgotten man.
“The truth is, it’s a level above any other league in the world and some players adapt quickly, others take a bit more time.
“I’m only focused on the collective, that’s the only thing we need right now.”
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