Vincent Kompany pulls no punches with verdict of Burnley's defending so far this season ahead of Bournemouth match-up

The Clarets have the second worst record in the Premier League so far this term having shipped an alarming 23 goals in just nine games.

Only bottom side Sheffield United have conceded more with 24.

A top defender himself during his playing days for Manchester City, Kompany knows better than anybody else what it takes at the top echelons of the game.

But addressing his side’s defending so far this season, Kompany concedes it’s been nowhere near good enough.

“I think we’ve been hurt defensively because at the moment we’ve not defended properly as a team. That’s the basics of it,” he said.

“Whether that comes due to a lack of automation within the team, players finding positions, it comes because we’re still adapting to the level, but all of that with two days to go until the game, it’s in the past.

“On Saturday we have a chance to affect the rest of the season and that’s how we’ve got to look at it.”

Kompany was talking ahead of this afternoon’s six-pointer against Bournemouth, where Burnley will be desperate to issue a response following last week’s 3-0 defeat to Brentford.

They face a Cherries side that have yet to win this season and are one point and one position below them in the table.

With Burnley losing seven of their first nine games, some have suggested this could be a must-win game for them despite the early stage of the season.

When that viewpoint was put to Kompany, the Clarets boss said: “It’s a mindset thing for me, every game is a must win. I’ve never been raised that way.

“From the age of six, I’ve played in a team at Anderlecht where you had to win every game. We went to tournaments in Europe and we had to win every game, it’s something that is in my blood.”

Kompany added: “All of us have the same ambition, to get to that next level and make sure you establish yourself as a good, strong Premier League club but it goes in stages.

"At this moment in time, we’re in a similar pattern and a similar situation, but it’s the nature of this league.”