The Red Devils did not perform properly at the World Championship in Qatar and that logically leads to sharp criticism in the press. Some internationals often found the negative comments about it, but it is precisely the job of the press to approach things critically. Thomas Meunier, in particular, was annoyed several times by the press, but it was he who played a terrible tournament.
ANNOUNCEMENT AFTER EGYPT
The form crisis of the Red Devils already became clear in the exhibition game against Egypt, but then it seemed to be an accident – at least we hoped so. The Belgians lost 2-1, but especially the listlessness and the lack of inspiration was distressing to see. But when the press called these things as they are, Thomas Meunier reacted like a wasp stung. The Borussia Dortmund defender found the negative comments completely out of place.
“That’s a shame,” said Thomas Meunier at the press conference. “When I look at the Netherlands, I only see positivism. And I do not believe that the Netherlands will become world champions, but the atmosphere around the team is good,” said the 31-year-old. “It is created by the press. It’s the same in England. But when I talk to my friends here who read the Belgian press, I hear that the tone is negative.” And then Meunier went into more detail about the role of the media.
MEUNIER PUT IN PLACE (1)
“Of course things have to be corrected after the lesser match against Egypt, but the press is the first link between the national team and the people of Belgium. You have a huge influence. A positive vibe can be created.” The criticism after Egypt, however, was not so strong and harsh, but Thomas Meunier was clearly disturbed by the pessimistic atmosphere. Marc Délire, the well-known Walloon journalist, found Meunier’s remarkable statements inappropriate. In fact.
Marc Délire even razed Thomas Meunier to the ground. “I am not a spokesperson and I do not work for a Devils advertising agency. If you let the Netherlands screw you over, score four goals at home, don’t push through in the Nations League and don’t know how to play against Egypt, you can’t expect great things either. If it really annoys them so much that they use it as motivation to move their asses. The way he talks about problems that are not there to avoid the real problems bothers me,” said Délire in the broadcast. The locker room.
MEUNIER PUT IN PLACE (2)
At the World Championship – except for the second half against Croatia – the collective performance of the Red Devils was even worse than against Egypt. And certainly those of Thomas Meunier. Against Morocco, for example, the right wingback was badly disappointed. “I thought Meunier was dramatic,” said Bob Peeters Villa Sporza. “Both offensively and defensively. I would always put Timothy Castagne there so he can provide more control there. In the back I would provide a little more speed, for example with Arthur Theate.” And his performance was not much better against Croatia either.
Het Laatste Nieuws reported one Red Devil in its reviews and it was no coincidence that it was Thomas Meunier. “Not the Meunier of yesteryear. The least Devil,” the newspaper stated. The last hour wrote that in the first minutes he saw all the colors, while SudPresse saw him struggle. After the game against Croatia – and thus the elimination at the World Championship – Meunier again fired at the press. “You couldn’t be worse this tournament. It was childish. It is sometimes surreal in Belgium, and that is putting it mildly. We are still a group, sportingly and in other areas,” he said RTBF.
MEUNIER PUT IN PLACE (3)
Thomas Meunier probably spoke from the collective group feeling at the Red Devils, because based on his individual performances he has no reason to play the victim. As mentioned above, the 31-year-old was the weak link against Morocco and Croatia, but he also reached the lower limit in some important game aspects. In terms of passing, he was the least clean Belgian defender and also played the least vertically. Meunier was even the Red Devil who passed the most backwards, about 33 passes in total or 13 per complete match. This makes him the questionable primus in that part among all right backs at the World Championship in Qatar after Joao Cancelo (Portugal).
