Kompany man targets title next

Published May. 24, 2011 10:58 a.m. ET

foxsports

Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany has vowed to make next season a title-winning campaign as the club celebrated their FA Cup success.

At the end of a tumultuous campaign, City finished third in the table, nine points adrift of champions Manchester United, trailing runners-up Chelsea on goal difference alone.

It was good enough to secure a path straight through to the group stages of the Champions League, which added to the end of their 35-year trophy drought completed an outstanding season for Roberto Mancini and his men.

But Kompany knows more is expected next term and before a parade that started in Manchester city centre and ended with a massive firework display at Eastlands, the Belgium defender spelled out the way forward.

"We had a good season but the reality is we didn't finish champions, so there is obviously a gap between first place and second and third," he said.

"We will do everything we can to bridge that gap. If the club decides to buy it will make sense but hopefully this team will be stronger, regardless of that."

Kompany certainly does not feel any sense of inferiority when he assesses City's strengths against those of their rivals.

"There has been very little in our games with United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham," he said.

"We will do better next season than this and the gap is going to get smaller."

Keeping Carlos Tevez would be a start.

Unlike Mario Balotelli, Tevez was on City's open-top bus on Monday night despite rumours that he had flown back to Argentina.

Whether that represents anything like a commitment for next season is open to considerable debate, although on Monday night at least, he was keen to stress his commitment to sealing a fine year, which for him ended with a share of the Premier League's Golden Boot with Dimitar Berbatov.

"In my mind, there was never a question as to whether I would be there," said Tevez.

"It is a great day for Sheikh Mansoor, who has given so much to the club, and also the fans, who have waiting so long and so patiently as well as the players who have given their all to make this possible.

"No one had to persuade me to be here. I simply wouldn't have missed this event."