Michy Batshuayi (29) has been able to play football again in a defining role. With winning goals in the Turkish league and the Europa League, he is in the hearts of the fans of Fenerbahçe. Is Batsman finally growing back to the super form of yesteryear? Why does it work now? And does Lukaku have a big competitor for the World Cup in Qatar? Questions for the Belgian-Turkish coach Fuat Capa.
Key to success? “Playing minutes”
Batshuayi is the second best scoring striker in the Europa League with 3 goals in 4 matches. And also in the Turkish league, the head is off after 4 match days.
Fuat Capa sees the new Fenerbahce striker, bought from Chelsea, grow into his best form: “What he has achieved now, he owes to last season.”
“After his successful spells with Standard (2010-2013) and Marseille (2014-2016), there was a void in terms of playing minutes. He sometimes only played 10 times per season. For a player in his position, a lack of match rhythm is fatal to his confidence.”
“Last season he played 35 times for Besiktas and he is now reaping the benefits. He finally feels good and gains confidence. His train seems to have left.”
He is now reaping the benefits of the playing minutes he got last season. For a striker, a lack of match rhythm is fatal for confidence.
Competition as leverage
Due to the last minute transfer, Batshuayi missed the first day of play in Turkey, since then he has been allowed to fill in 3 times. It was only last weekend that he scored his first and immediately decisive goal in a crazy 5-4 win against Karagümrük. And it only took him 2 minutes to do that.
Capa does not see any problems: “He will certainly conquer his starting place in the coming week. He only came over to Fenerbahce in the last days of the transfer period. That is why he is filling in for the time being, but decisively. Due to the attacking way in which Fenerbahce plays, he still score a lot of goals.”
“There is also a good competition in the team with Valencia, the provisional top scorer, and Joao Pedro. That brings out the best in the strikers. And the national team will especially benefit from that.”
“Currently the number 1 at the Red Devils”
Given the situation with the other strikers of the Red Devils, Capa currently sees Batshuayi as the undisputed number one: “Batshuayi now also sees himself as the first striker in Belgium and that also affects the performance he now delivers.”
“Whether he can keep that place in the national team will of course depend on how much Romelu Lukaku will recover from his injury. Batshuayi is a completely different type. Lukaku is a target striker who plays with his back to goal, Batshuayi is much more agile .”
“I think a big, strong central defender would rather play against Lukaku than against Batshuayi.”
I think a big, solid central defender would rather play against Lukaku than against Batshuayi.
No relapse this time…
Batshuayi is known for performing well every time he joins a new squad, but then always fades away. But according to Capa, the situation is completely different now: “He has become much more mature in the meantime.”
“His running lines are completely different and his teammates find him much easier. He now also commands trust and respect from his teammates.”
“Footballers are still people with feelings. You always play differently when you feel you are number one in the ranking.”
It remains to be seen for Belgium, because Romelu Lukaku normally returns this weekend after his thigh injury.
Batshuayi is already in the top drawer with the fans of Fenerbahce:
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