World Cup 2022 - Official Red Devils in Qatar thread

Discussion in 'Belgium' started by Blondo, Jul 15, 2020.

  1. Blondo

    Blondo Member+

    Sep 21, 2013
  2. Blondo

    Blondo Member+

    Sep 21, 2013
    Before the ranking for this draw is finalized Belgium have yet to play:

    24/03/2021 WCQ Belgium - Wales (I = 25)
    27/03/2021 WCQ Czech Rep. - Belgium (I = 25)
    30/03/2021 WCQ Belgium - Belarus (I = 25)

    06/06/2021 Friendly Belgium - Croatia (I = 10)
    12/06/2021 ECGS Russia - Belgium (I = 35)
    17/06/2021 ECGS Denmark - Belgium (I = 35)
    21/06/2021 ECGS Finland - Belgium (I = 35)
    + EC2020 KO matches

    02/09/2021 WCQ Estonia - Belgium (I = 25)
    05/09/2021 WCQ Belgium - Czech Rep. (I = 25)
    08/09/2021 WCQ Belarus - Belgium (I = 25)

    07/10/2021 NLSF Belgium - France (I = 25)
    10/10/2021 NLF Italy/Spain - Belgium (I = 25)

    13/11/2021 WCQ Belgium - Estonia (I = 25)
    16/11/2021 WCQ Wales - Belgium (I = 25)

    Additional friendlies, +/- play-off matches, and EC2020 KO matches will be added later (once the info is available).
     
  3. msilverstein47

    msilverstein47 Member+

    Jan 11, 1999
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  4. ra_sriniketan

    ra_sriniketan Member

    Jul 5, 2010
    Martinez must get rid of Boyata and Denayer and think about other options. They were tormented by the Estonian players. Should try some raw talents. I don't believe these two are the only options.
     
  5. Beer and Footy

    Beer and Footy New Member

    Liverpool FC
    Canada
    Jul 31, 2020
    Toronto
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
    Greetings from Canada my Belgian friends am posting here to get your help to continue a project of previewing each World Cup team with the help of a fan from each country. Have done 5 so far https://kylewest.substack.com/publish
    Will prepare writeups for each one with posts here on the ideal starter and subs bench and then record a podcast to talk through the roster.
    Here are the first five here, have a listen and message me if interested.
    1-Argentina
    2-France
    3-England
    4-Netherlands
    5-Brazil
     
  6. Belgian guy

    Belgian guy Member+

    Club Brugge
    Belgium
    Aug 19, 2002
    Belgium
    Club:
    Club Brugge KV
    Doesn't look great going into the WC with these as our defensive options but it's primarily on Martinez for not giving more playing time to younger defenders. Even if they don't have the reputations of the likes of Vertonghen and Alderweireld. But it's clear both are now far too old to deal with fast and mobile attackers.
     
  7. Kamtedrejt

    Kamtedrejt Member+

    Internazionale Milano
    Albania
    Mar 14, 2017
    Hamburg
    Club:
    FC Internazionale Milano
    Nat'l Team:
    Albania
  8. ra_sriniketan

    ra_sriniketan Member

    Jul 5, 2010
    Lucky to get away against Canada. This team needs speed and you just can't have it with old players. I don't believe that Alderweirld and Vertonghen are still the best defenders that Belgium have. Hazard and Witsel are also way past their peak. That is why Martinez has failed the team. He didn't blood young players enough with experienced players at right time. When he introduced Onana, Openda and Trossard he saw that there is much improvement in the team. You have to introduce Faes and Debast in defense with one of the older players. Else.......
     
  9. Belgian guy

    Belgian guy Member+

    Club Brugge
    Belgium
    Aug 19, 2002
    Belgium
    Club:
    Club Brugge KV
    I don't trust Faes and Debast defensively. I think we would just be trading in old age with lack of quality if we do that.

    We cannot however keep on starting the Witsel-Tielemans defense. Onana needs to start. Also Trossard needs to be in the team, even if it means benching Hazard (sorry for the Hazard fans).

    We were incredibly poor last night and let off the hook by Canada. This was our worst group game since Russia game at WC 2014 in Brazil.
     
  10. Blondo

    Blondo Member+

    Sep 21, 2013
    It sounded like Martinez feared Canada would sit back and try to hit us on the counter. And the team weren't prepared for how the game actually played out. Still made the same mistakes as against Italy in the euros. I really hate this low passive block (not a good fit for us and no progress has been made to get better at it). Gifting your opponents so much space and time never is a good idea. The double pivot with Witsel and Tielemans hardly shields the defence when under the cosh, nobody gets tight (incl. the backline) and seldomly offers good outlets when we need to beat the press (KDB usually dropping deeper but doesn't matter if you're too scared to play balls into midfield even when players are wide open). Canada's risky gamble almost paid off but had Belgium punished them a few times you get a whole different game.

    This World Cup is simply too early for Debast. With 26 it makes sense to bring a defender for experience. Theate should already have been trusted more often to take Vertonghen's spot in the starting line-up. Faes over Dendoncker, I lean towards Faes but idk what the training sessions tell. Doku +/- Trossard gives your opponents more to worry about further up the pitch. Hopefully Onana is a nailed-on starter from now on. Could even take another yellow if you go all out for the win against Morocco and then get to rest him in a dead rubber final group game. But then you really can't have so many players not reaching their level, Kevin godverdomme, or have such a big gap in intensity compared to your opponents. It's a World Cup. Plenty of players are able to surpass their level in these games and why even go at all if you intend to sleepwalk towards an early exit.
     
  11. ra_sriniketan

    ra_sriniketan Member

    Jul 5, 2010
    If Toby and Jan are still the best defenders we have then any speedy team will hurt us bad.
     
  12. Blondo

    Blondo Member+

    Sep 21, 2013
    It's the wide backs where we need more agile and faster defenders. Theate, Alderweireld and Faes with Onana +1 shielding them or change your shape when out of possession.
     
  13. ra_sriniketan

    ra_sriniketan Member

    Jul 5, 2010
    Seen the first match of Morocco, a much better team than Canada by all means. Lets see what Martinez does with that horrible defense.
     
  14. Mikebsiu

    Mikebsiu Member+

    Mar 15, 2008
    Club:
    RSC Anderlecht
    Hazard, Witsel, Toby, Vertonghen, all old and terrible. We need an overhaul, and get some youth in the side. After watching the first two games I don’t even know if we qualify for the next Euros.
     
  15. ra_sriniketan

    ra_sriniketan Member

    Jul 5, 2010
    #15 ra_sriniketan, Nov 27, 2022
    Last edited: Nov 27, 2022
    Shameful but not shocked. Martinez should immediately resign or sacked. In fact he should have been sacked a long time ago after they became third(and celebrated being third!) in the last world cup with that tremendous team. Any decent coach would have done much better with the bunch of players he had and he still has. Disgusting to say the least. He made the team looked like the weakest European team in the competition which they actually are not. Will loose the last match also. Hopefully Belgian FA will do something about this situation.
     
  16. Blondo

    Blondo Member+

    Sep 21, 2013
    Reportedly they hired a great set-piece coach during the qualis/ahead of the NL. Had quite a few dead ball situations in the game against Morocco, e.g. 9 corners for Belgium to Morocco's 1, yet nothing they had picked up in training came off. Morocco OTOH get the ball in the net twice from a freekick; guess defending against these is of no concern for Belgium's set-piece coach. Didn't expect England 2018 level of return on set pieces but none at all, robbing a living.

    So much talk about how experience and chemistry from years of playing with the same players, the same way, more yapping... would be a big advantage heading into a World Cup that didn't allow for much prep. Yet who had more jitters in the opener and who is still afraid to take risks. Doesn't look like they're on the same page either and quite possibly a few players that can't be bothered/that would rather hide (pretty easy to hide when so many have underperformed in the first two games).

    Morocco's 2nd in minute 92 doesn't exactly help if Canada are able to pull off a win v. Morocco; any win could have sufficed, if not for that goal, and then Belgium could advance even with a draw against Croatia (that no longer is an option now as Canada won't run up the score against Morocco). IIRC Witsel failed to clear the ball that was headed on (wasn't that hard to get rid off but he just tapped it softly to the side) and then he gives Aboukhlal plenty of space and time to receive the assist and score. Hey-ho, no safety net in the next game, must-win.

    PS Canada want to get their first World Cup win ever and they could very well beat Morocco (in case Belgium also wins the last game then both Belgium and Croatia advance).
     
  17. Blondo

    Blondo Member+

    Sep 21, 2013
    morocco-vs-croatia-stats-world-cup-2022-1536x864.jpg FilDwcIUAAI3keU.jpg

    Only after going a goal down and opening up when chasing the equalizer did Morocco up their xG. It was even lower than their xG in Morocco's uneventful opener v. Croatia. Already said in another thread that Morocco's manager had a rep for being ultra-defensive and if Belgium keep playing with the handbrake on they'll struggle to break down these sides. Then again are Belgium even able to go full throttle because the players seem to be out-of-sync and too many have very little fight in them. Such a big contrast to 2018 when they were lauded by analysts from all corners of the world for coming together as a real team with a strong mentality and even bigger appetite. Against Croatia they need to rediscover how to play as a team again and show a lot more intensity. Belgium's 14th World Cup already and only the 1998 team didn't reach the last 16. At least it went unbeaten, for all the good that did, so the 2022 one better win the next game or else.
     
  18. ra_sriniketan

    ra_sriniketan Member

    Jul 5, 2010
    Expected. Lets see what Belgian FA does now.
     
  19. Blondo

    Blondo Member+

    Sep 21, 2013
    Unlike going out in the semis in 2018 this one doesn't sting (although Japan in the Ro16 but then Brazil again...). Martinez gambled on the old guard and lost. Can't really complain too much about Theate and Faes not playing over Vertonghen or Dendoncker, don't even know how they perfomed in training sessions, but the youngsters should have a lot more caps already (hopefully they'll get them asap yet a missed chance to make your World Cup debut). Meunier OTOH was awful, didn't deserve to be on the pitch in the first two games, while Saelemaekers returned to fitness at the same time as Meunier but only made the stand-by list. Witsel struggled so much yet never gets dropped. Onana and Lavia are looking really promising and who knows maybe Lokonga or Mangala up their game (the latter 2 are still quite young for a position that requires experience). Trossard never got going but even before he got on the plane journos were taking shots at him and the young guys (making clear there was no way they'd get a fair shake). Theate, Faes, Saelemaekers, Onana, Lavia, Mangala, Lokonga, Delcroix, Duranville, Samoise, Matazo, Vranckx, Bornauw, Trésor, Raskin, Doku, CDK, Openda, Lukebakio, Ramazani, Verschaeren, Debast, De Winter, Vandevoordt, Bakayoko, Vertessen, ... there's plenty to chose from to rejuvenate the team. I really hope quite a few join the youngsters that already are getting regular call-ups and we get a hungry team with lots of pace that likes to press hard.

    I really wonder if the Belgian FA can snag a decent manager in the middle of the season (won't expect a top manager and I'm even afraid they'll offer unattractive wages). Probably will need a director of football as well. Whoever comes in will have to be keen on a "project". Some coaches do like a challenge, especially when there's plenty of room for improvement. In any case it has to be a manager that trusts in youth, gets players to surpass their level or at least show far more intensity and that has a clear idea of how to win tournaments, doesn't have to be pretty/just effective. EURO2024 qualis start in March (Sweden away already pretty important, need to be ready for it, and then a friendly). I very much doubt we have fullbacks good enough to move away from playing a wingback system and also need the numerical advantage of a 3atb. 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-1-2 can be defensively solid and still allow for plenty of chance creation. Regardless of the way we play, the execution has to improve considerably because it has been too sloppy for too long. And breathe life and drive into the team.
     
  20. Blondo

    Blondo Member+

    Sep 21, 2013
    Vermaelen, Henry, Preud'homme, Clement, Kompany, ... some of the coaches being put forward. Yikes.

    We already know we'll have to settle for someone the FA can actually get and afford. This campaign wasn't exactly a money-spinner and who knows who'll end up in the ad hoc committee to appoint a new manager and director of football (despite operation zero will it be Verhaeghe's contacts again?). Probably looking at managers that need to rebuild their reputation; giving a 3rd, 4th or is 5th chance already, to someone like Bosz. Wouldn't surprise me if the FA are aiming even lower; at least Bosz has a good track record with youth (but so has Hiddink). We won't get linked to Zidane, Tuchel, Lopetegui, Pochettino, ... this time round; Bielsa, Rudi Garcia or AVB rumours at best (and those will be baseless; just because they're available).
     
  21. Kamtedrejt

    Kamtedrejt Member+

    Internazionale Milano
    Albania
    Mar 14, 2017
    Hamburg
    Club:
    FC Internazionale Milano
    Nat'l Team:
    Albania
  22. ra_sriniketan

    ra_sriniketan Member

    Jul 5, 2010
    It seems that its either Kompany or Renard. Belgium needs a fiery coach to wake them up. I will go for Renard. What about you guys?
     
  23. ra_sriniketan

    ra_sriniketan Member

    Jul 5, 2010
    Any updates on coach recruitment?
     
  24. Blondo

    Blondo Member+

    Sep 21, 2013
    Sounds like Tedesco is the frontrunner. Only weeks ahead of a friendly with Spain, in 2016, the Belgian FA announced that a Spanish manager would take over. This time will they go for a German manager with our next friendly, against Germany, already agreed upon? Please no Löw (baseless rumour which was shot down). If we can afford him I could get behind Tedesco.

    Tedesco is a manager that trusts in youth, gets players to surpass their level/show far more intensity and although his teams usually are brimming with pace and press hard he's also pragmatic. Winning the German cup is his highest managerial honour (similar to Martinez with Wigan; Tedesco did get better finishes in the league, with a stronger team though). He does have an instant impact which might translate well from the club game to international football. Could get off to a flying start in the Belgium job seeing he prefers to play with 3atb (or a 5 man backline), adjusts to what his players are best at and would have better choices at his disposal further up the pitch. Someone like Bosz might need more time to get his ideas across.

    Heard Verhaeghe tried to land Tedesco before (at Club Brugge) and as he's a polyglot the journos over here have more than enough to make him the frontrunner. Let's see how it turns out.
     
    Kamtedrejt repped this.

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