I don't blame Martinez. I do blame the players. After the disappointment against Wales, I had expected a far less lethargic performance.
Have to agree with you ... it's mainly the players that make the difference ... especially when Martinez had very little time to work with them ... as I said, they deserve a thorough kicking up the backside ... and they need to deliver in the next tie ... a drop-off in performance could very well result in a loss ... the conditions will be adverse but our guys should always win and win comfortably (instead of how it went last time) ... for now, Wilmots's legacy of improv theatre still lingers ... more and more I'd like to see Martinez's hand and that also includes getting everybody fired up.
Line-up : Courtois, Meunier, Alderweireld, Vermaelen, Vertonghen, Fellaini, Witsel, Carrasco, De Bruyne, E. Hazard & R. Lukaku #cypbel— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) September 6, 2016
Meunier has been pretty solid defensively in these last two games. I hope he can get into the team at PSG. We really need at least one real fullback, even with the new system.
Nice to see Martinez opt for a 3 man defense against teams parking the bus. Meunier being able to move freely has been a great plus. Fellaini I don't know what the hell he was doing at moments, he didn't even own up to his mistakes. But it's great to see that a side with Fellaini and Witsel as midfielders can be "forced" to circulate the ball faster.
Wilmots interviewed by that “stalwart of journalism" L.Alloo ... asking the "tough questions" I'm guessing Wilmots wasn't the only one opening a bottle of Champagne after the news of his dismissal came out ... well I'm a pleb and I didn't have Champagne (still had to toast to it). A few fragments from the interview: - Wilmots: "looplijnen bestaan niet", "tactische besprekingen van 3 min. anders vallen spelers in slaap", etc. - we missed our best defenders and he mentions Lombaerts (forgetting he could have kept him in the squad/replaced him if he was still injured ahead of the first tie) ... Wilmots said he was lucky to survive the group as we could have lost to Sweden - Mooi palmares ... IIRC he has never won something as a manager (ok, he won a joke award) - Now he claims that he was staying on after the euros ... a month ago he claimed that whatever happened at the euros he would have left because of the negativity within the FA (IIRC Bayat's reply was that Wilmots could have said something if that was the case and we could have saved time/money) ... Wilmots had negotiated a carte blanche and he's now claiming that the FA tried to take that away (he would still be manager as long as he remained in "full control") - Wilmots didn't want the Spain friendly ... if he had any control then he should have prevented it instead of dumping it in the next manager's lap ... criticism of Verheyen and Henry having another job is uncalled for (Henry is a T3 at a NT ffs and it sounds like our players benefit already ... while Wilmots offered no help at all/players had to improvise) - the usual "work hard" and the "collective above all else" mentions ... then goes on to stress "I won", "I scored", etc. and as always remembering the WCs he played in (every fvcking time he goes to that well) - 10 or so journos (especially the Flemish ones) wanted him dead ... this number keeps rising - etc. (never his fault ... it's always somebody else)
Verheyen: “Zonder dat Marc mijn naam heeft laten vallen, voel ik me wel aangesproken door zijn uitspraken” ... "Maar als Marc het met die uitspraken over mij heeft, dan moet hij ook het lef hebben om mijn naam te noemen, vind ik. Als hij, toen hij bondscoach was, echt een probleem had met mijn analysewerk, dan heeft hij drie jaar de tijd gehad om mij dat te zeggen. En dat is nooit gebeurd.” Haha
Confirmed: Kevin De Bruyne will be out for about 4 weeks with an hamstring injury. #MCFC— Kristof Terreur (@kristofterreur) September 25, 2016
Is Courtois the best keeper that we have? It seems he is far away from one of the best in the world. Any new keeper coming up?
Perhaps he had a dip in form for his club lately, but he has never really disappointed for Belgium. With Simon Mignolet seemingly in the process of losing the starting goalkeeper job at LFC, there is no real alternative. Unless you want to give it to Casteels or Sels?
Casteels started the season well ... didn't concede until the 20th of this month in the game against Borussia Dortmund ... still, I'd stick with Courtois. We need to worry more about managing without KDB and the fitness/form of our defenders ... maybe have a look at Miangue ... very young/raw but De Boer likes him and he's playing well ATM. PS one GK for the future could be Svilar but he isn't ready (no Donnarumma).
Miangue shows a lot of promise, but I wouldn't throw him to the lions after one start at his club team.
I was thinking about him getting a look in during training and maybe a debut in the game against Gibraltar (they're more like kittens than lions) ... bring him for experience as we really can use an LB. Edit: he also came on in the games against Palermo and Juventus ... but yea he's young/inexperienced ... still he'll be 21 and 1/2 during Russia ... might be a decent LB option if he's comfy with the NT by then.
Based on current form, the trio behind the CF should be Carrasco-Thorgan Hazard-Mertens. Of course Martinez will still put Hazard in the first eleven, even though he hasn't done anything warranting a start in weeks.
On Friday Martinez will make his selection known. I'd call Origi up for the decisive U-21 ties instead of the senior squad. Chadli and Defour have been hitting form (as have Mertens, Thorgan and Carrasco ... like you said) ... the game against Bosnia should be high energy ... doesn't look like Defour is ready yet for a high intensity 90' and also a few other guys lack a bit of match rhythm. J.Lukaku shouldn't get a call-up (I'd bring Miangue for experience but I also wouldn't mind him helping our U-21 qualify) ... our defenders are a worry though ... Kompany + Engels def. out and Vermaelen prolly too (pubalgia) ... Lombaerts, Kabasele, Denayer, et al. are usually benchwarmers ... Dendoncker might get a call.
De Bruyne-dependency in full swing @ MCFC (his absence was felt) ... the Belgian barrier of Alderweireld and Vertonghen received plenty of plaudits ... best defense in the Premier League, like the year before ... Jan Vertonghen speelt graag naast Alderweireld. "Als je terugblikt in mijn carrière, zal je zien dat ik meer dan de helft van de matchen naast Toby heb gespeeld. Misschien zelfs drie vierde. Wij hebben niet veel woorden nodig om mekaar te verstaan." Het is alvast goed nieuws voor Roberto Martinez. Hij kan tegen Bosnië alvast een ijzersterk centraal duo opstellen. Vincent Kompany en Thomas Vermaelen zijn immers out.
Tielemans replacing Dembele ... there seems to be enough cover for Dembele ... decisive U21 ties not deemed that important?
Tielemans, Heylen and Miangue trained with the senior squad ... just to get comfy and they'll rejoin the U21s.