The World Cup of the Red Devils is over, time to take stock. Who fell short of expectations? And were there bright spots? Eddy Snelders draws up the report of the Belgians.
Thibaut Courtois – 8/10
270 minuten – 2 clean sheets
“The best Devil of the tournament. He immediately kept the Belgians on course by stopping that penalty against Canada and was good again in the key match against Croatia. Only against Morocco he was not completely unpunished, I thought. Two strong and a lesser match : that’s an 8 out of 10 for me.”
Toby Alderweireld – 7/10
270 minutes – 1 assist
“Solid and reliable. Against Canada he received some criticism for his slow response, but was there movement? Alderweireld was always firm in the duels and his long balls often posed a threat – for example, he provided the assist for the only goal. That’s why a 7.”
Jan Vertonghen – 6/10
270 minutes
“Like his buddy Alderweireld, Vertonghen played a World Cup without peaks or valleys. I thought he was very good against Morocco and Croatia, so we should not write him off for the future. Those statements by Eden Hazard have fundamentally hurt Vertonghen . Unfortunately.”
Timothy Castagne – 6/10
270 minutes
“Castagne was our most versatile pawn this tournament. He had to profile himself on the left, right and was even in the back three. I thought he played carefully. There was little daring in the build-up and Castagne rarely managed to create depth. Especially because the national coach’s plan did not lend itself to it. A 6.”
Thomas Meunier – 4/10
212 minutes
“Failed for me. Especially defensively, Meunier regularly made mistakes. Was that due to a lack of competition rhythm? We know him as a frequent runner with a large radius of action who infiltrates a lot, but we have not seen that enough.”
Leander Dendoncker – 6/10
162 minutes
“A 6. Out of sympathy for the fact that he was “played” a bit. Martinez first put him in the stands for weeks and then Dendoncker suddenly had to show up again against Canada, because a direct competitor failed. He can see his great running ability in midfield.”
Axel Witsel – 4/10
270 minutes
“Viewed over the three games, Witsel did not get enough. Against Canada he was completely overpowered and overrun – that performance was worth a 2. Morocco was also not good. It went a lot better against Croatia. That’s why not a very heavy tube, but a 4 .”
Kevin De Bruyne – 5/10
270 minutes
“You quickly become strict for Kevin De Bruyne. We expect a decisive class flash from our best player every match. In his first two matches, that presence was too limited – he did not reach his normal level there. Against Croatia we saw glimpses of the best KDB. Too bad we’re out, because he found his way better in this system. A 5.”
Yannick Carrasco – 4/10
118 minutes
“Despite that missed opportunity and penalty error, I thought Carrasco was solid against Croatia. Only the match against Canada killed him completely. That was not necessarily his fault, but a collective failure. Because of that match I cannot give Carrasco enough.”
Amadou Onana – 7/10
104 minutes
“The bright spot for the future is this World Cup. His substitution against Canada was extremely good, the confirmation came against Morocco. He still has to learn to regulate his intensive game – otherwise it will jeopardize his future.”
Youri Tielemans – 3/10
94 minutes
“The biggest disappointment for the Devils. His match against Canada was completely inadequate and in his substitution against Croatia he only walked next to Witsel. You expect more from someone with the qualities of Tielemans. A 3.”
Thorgan Hazard – 6/10
106 minutes
“His substitution against Croatia was good, the match against Morocco was meritorious. A World Cup on the ground, so. He almost gave the decisive assist against Croatia.”
Eden Hazard – 6/10
125 minutes
“A 6 for the Hazard brothers. Are we satisfied with Eden a little too quickly? The level he reached was not comparable to 2018, but I did think that Hazard grew in the tournament. Canada was okay, Morocco better.”
Leandro Trossard – 6/10
102 minutes
“Not bad, but certainly not overly good. Psychologically it must not have been easy for Trossard. You read everywhere that you have to play and then you don’t get a chance from the coach. I found it incomprehensible that Trossard was only third against Morocco the field came. For work and perseverance: a 6.”
Dries Mertens – 5/10
76 minutes
“Pffff… Go for a 5. His come on against Morocco was good – he then provided a rare threatening play. Against Croatia, Mertens worked hard, but also misses that crucial chance on a pass from De Bruyne. If you’re good, finish off such opportunities.”
Michy Batshuayi – 4/10
153 minutes – 1 goals
“Only a few points for his goal – the only Belgian goal at this World Cup – against Canada. The Devils couldn’t do anything with Batshuayi for the rest. In the combination it was far too little.”
Romelu Lukaku – 5/10
53 minutes
“A shame for Lukaku. His second half against Croatia was actually really strong. He was almost the savior of the country with one finished chance. Can you blame him for those missed opportunities? It was mainly reaction moments where the ball came too fast or too close, I thought. All the “klutsballs” went bad. With a little more luck, he scores a hat-trick.”
Roberto Martinez – 4/10
“The World Cup in Russia was an 8, for the European Championship he got a 6 and now … a 4. I think Martinez tested too many things in the preparation that were not implemented in the end. And vice versa.”
“For example, he didn’t take Trossard into account and Hazard got all the credit – but against Croatia the roles were reversed. There were also a few exaggerated panic changes. Look, for me there was no solid plan. In this group you always have to finish first or second .”
