Why Vincent Kompany succeeding Pep Guardiola at Man City could be perfect, even without keeping the same playing style
A former Manchester City defender and club icon, the coach is having a magical season at Bayern Munich, but has moved away from the “traditional” Pep Guardiola-style model.
Vincent Kompany left Manchester City and quickly began attracting attention as a coach. First as a player-manager at Anderlecht; then with a Burnley side that impressed in the Championship. Now, he has one of the most praised projects in world football with Bayern Munich.
His success this season—leading Bayern to over 300 goals in 100 matches and close to Bundesliga records—has once again put the former defender in contention to succeed Pep Guardiola as Manchester City manager.
This debate has existed before. Earlier, the young coach even showed a Burnley team playing in a similar way to Guardiola’s City, with clear influences from positional play. At Bayern, however, he has taken a different path—more radical and “relational.” That said, does the transition from Pep to Kompany still make sense for City?
What Kompany has built at Bayern Munich
© Iconsport / Picture Alliance
If Kompany the player operated under Guardiola in a classic positional-play model, Kompany the coach no longer follows that approach so strictly—though he still carries strong influences.
Bayern’s 2025/26 season has been revolutionary. The team adopts ideas from “relational play”—a concept involving player clustering, staggered progression through quick combinations, short passing patterns, and dribbling—but is virtually the only team able to execute this consistently at the highest level.
Other teams attempt similar, even more radical approaches, but usually in less demanding contexts and with mixed results. Fernando Diniz is the clearest example, having won the Copa Libertadores this way but also faced criticism elsewhere. José Alberto leads Spain’s second division with Racing Santander, while NEC sits third in the Dutch league under Dick Schreuder.
As bold as these coaches may be, none operate under the same pressure as Bayern Munich. Kompany has built an aggressive team with constant positional rotations, freedom for defenders and attackers, and extremely high lines—even at this level.
Kompany’s Bayern often plays in something like a 2-2-6 shape, with defenders positioned very high, free to carry the ball forward and attack space. Harry Kane has gone viral as a number 9 who drops deep—even alongside centre-backs—to help in build-up play.
The idea is to progress on one side with a heavy concentration of players, using positional interchanges to confuse the defence and create numerical superiority. Guardiola-style principles remain: finding the free man, creating overloads, and drawing opponents out to exploit space. But the way these ideas are executed is different.
From Guardiola’s City to Tite’s Brazil, most teams attacked in structures like 2-3-5 or 3-2-5. Over time, opponents adapted by defending with back fives, removing numerical advantages. Kompany has helped popularize the 2-2-6—placing even more pressure on defensive lines and creating superiority in depth.
The differences from Pep Guardiola
© Iconsport / SPI
As a player, Kompany captained a Guardiola-led City that primarily used a classic 4-3-3, with variations over time but a strong central idea. Whether wingers stayed wide or moved inside, or full-backs inverted, the rational occupation of space was always key.
Guardiola emphasized dividing the pitch into zones that must always be occupied. In practice, this meant maintaining width, half-spaces, and central presence during attacking phases.
Players were also required to threaten depth, receiving the ball facing goal. If defences dropped deeper to counter this, space would open between the lines—creating a cycle where the team dominates possession in advanced areas.
Kompany draws heavily from this philosophy. His six attacking players pressing the defensive line aim to crowd it and open spaces between lines or across channels.
The key difference lies in how those spaces are attacked. Guardiola preferred fixed roles—for example, a winger holding width for one-on-one situations, while a midfielder attacked the half-space to draw defenders and free teammates.
At Bayern, roles are far more fluid. Luis Díaz might start wide but drift centrally, while a midfielder moves out wide and a full-back tucks inside. Kane may drop deep, only for Díaz to later attack the box like a striker.
The spaces are still occupied—but in a fluid, interpretative way. This doesn’t mean Guardiola’s players lack freedom, but his system relies more on predefined patterns. Kompany, by contrast, encourages positional exchanges that maintain structure while allowing flexibility in who occupies each space.
Does Kompany make sense as Guardiola’s successor at Manchester City?
© Imago
In short: yes, absolutely.
The former defender has strong ties to the club and knows many of the staff and players—though fewer remain from the early Guardiola era. He has proven himself in England, with Premier League experience (despite Burnley’s struggles), and at the highest level in Germany and the Champions League.
He is also highly regarded by Guardiola himself, which would give him an advantage. Tactically, he has the squad profile to replicate his Bayern ideas and seems adaptable enough to adjust to the more intense, transition-heavy nature of English football.
The main obstacle is contractual. Kompany signed with Bayern until 2029, with no release clause—meaning any move would require major negotiations or a termination agreement. Guardiola, meanwhile, is under contract until 2027, which would mark 10 full seasons at the club.
When asked about the possibility last December, Kompany was clear:
“I like to live in the present—it takes all my time. I’m not thinking about other teams, only Bayern,” he said at the time.
This article was initially published on Trivela.
