Announcing the base XI is much easier under Alfred Schreuder than with Philippe Clement. Since the start of the series of victories, against Charleroi on February 13, only fourteen players have been established. Sobol helped out on the left flank in the absence of Buchanan, retained with his selection. Vormer received a reward for his exemplary attitude towards the red lantern, the Beerschot, which allowed Odoi to breathe after his Ghanaian journey. Only Adamyan and Lang regularly compete for the striker position alongside Charles De Ketelaere.
The Dutch technician systematically aligns his 3-5-2, with ten certainties out of eleven. We can say that the Club is the least surprising team in the kingdom. An observation to recontextualize however. The last nine meetings have been played over nine different weekends. The “fatigue” element was only taken into account after an international break.
Stability in a squad is paramount, but unlike other formations, Schreuder can rotate while maintaining nearly equivalent quality in multiple positions. With Hendry (in the stands against Antwerp), Sobol, Balanta, Vormer, Dost and Adamyan, he has an experienced bench.
The rotation set up by Clement was often criticized and the Club lost points against several poorly ranked teams in the first part of the season. Two points against Eupen, five against Cercle, not to mention the slap in the face at La Gantoise (6-1), with Mbamba and Van der Brempt defending. Yet its effects are being felt now. Our colleagues from Latest news have published the Blauw en Zwart availability rate since the beginning of the 2021-2022 financial year and it exceeds 95%. What is not insignificant: each time the Club became champion, this rate was at least higher than 90%. “Because you need your best players to be present”, the Monaco coach explained at the time. In 2020-2021, the rate was 91%, compared to 95% the year before. The last time FCB missed the title, availability was only 84%.
Mignolet (knee) missed the first two days, Vormer was ruled out for two weeks (Achilles tendon) and De Ketelaere also (shoulder). Dost and Balanta only spent a week in the infirmary.
The question that we can ask ourselves, when we see the delay accumulated at one point (up to 12 points) on the Union: was this rotation not too important? But the Brussels epic was impossible to predict. And with the 72 points gleaned, he should have started the Champions playoffs in the lead. His runner-up last season, Antwerp, had only pocketed 60 units.
As a result, a result is almost obligatory. “I expect a very aggressive Anderlecht. Even a split would not do their business. And then we have a bit of the same style. Kompany thinks like us.”
