The relegation battle – with three sackers this season – is more exciting than ever. With no less than seven teams – and we don’t count Anderlecht yet – the nervousness is already striking. What are their strengths and weaknesses? An estimation.
+ Will the reunion between old loves make Charleroi bloom again? With Felice Mazzu, the Carolos brought their former successful trainer back on board. As a coach with the most experience, he must be able to keep the peace within the team.
+ Rank the relegation candidates by quality and Charleroi is certainly high. Gholizadeh, Ilaimaharitra, Zorgane, Kayembe, Morioka… Those are guys you can go to war with.
– Used to be a plus, now more like a minus. Can the fans of Charleroi fully support the team again? The open war with Mehdi Bayat costs the club points – just think back to the match against KV Mechelen.
– There is a vacancy for a scoring striker in Charleroi. The club that had snipers like Osimhen, Perbet and Brogno are now looking for a surefire number 9.
+ The most important plus: 3 more points will have to be added to the 19 points of KV Mechelen. The stopped game by the fans of Charleroi will result in a forfait victory.
+ Just like with Charleroi, this team seems too strong to fall. Storm, Hairemans, Schoofs, Verstraete and Coucke: they have to get up soon, don’t they? Five years ago – when Malinwa was relegated – many thought the same.
+ White smoke Behind the Barracks. The tradition club has an agreement with Philippe van Esch as the new strong man. Do that certainty and the extra money translate into better results on the field?
– Competitive trainers know what it’s like to fight against relegation. For the inexperienced Steven Defour, this is something completely new. How does he handle that extra pressure?
+ Has there already been a season that Eupen does not fight against relegation? As a regular in the basement of the ranking, this situation is not new for the club from the East Cantons. In the past, the outcome has always been positive.
+ Trainer Edward Still may have the best helpline of them all. Brother William is currently a trainer at Reims and is doing very well there with a series of nine unbeaten matches. Striking: the French club sent Ibrahim Diakité to Eupen on a rental basis.
– When will Smail Prevljak score again? The Bosnian striker used to be a guarantee of goals, but has been dry since match day 3 (!).
– According to Christoph Henkel, Eupen will not get any more reinforcements unless someone leaves. Another thing: the general manager assured that the Qatari Aspire Academy will continue to invest in the club after the World Cup.
+ Bernd Storck lives up to his reputation once again. The German coach seems to have resuscitated KV Kortrijk at a rapid pace. The West Flemish team fought like lions to victory against Racing Genk and OHL. Everyone suddenly believes in salvation again.
Storck requires his players to be top fit and does not tolerate any troublemakers. Is someone being difficult? Then he flies out without mercy. In this way he was able to save Cercle Brugge and Mouscron from a hopeless situation earlier.
+ Just in time, some players from Kortrijk seem to have regained their best form. Think, for example, of Felipe Avenatti – three goals in the last two matches – and Faiz Selemani. Goalkeeper Tom Vandenberghe is also a pleasant revelation under the bar.
– 6 out of 6 in the competition under Storck. But what if things go a bit less at KV Kortrijk – not an unthinkable scenario. The demanding working method of the German may then be counterproductive.
+ Many eyes on the winter transfers at KV Oostende, which could really use a quality injection. The Croatian defender Matej Rodin was snatched from Cracovia, but even more striking was the arrival of Pierre Dwomoh. The rough diamond with a past at Genk and Antwerp can – if it’s right in his head – teach every team something. But will that much-needed striker arrive?
– Dominik Thalhammer did not bring the intended shock effect. Under the Austrian, KVO achieved a particularly poor 3 out of 12. The defeat against the last-placed Seraing certainly hit hard last weekend.
– How concerned are the American owners really with the fate of Ostend? The investment group also has Barnsley, Esbjerg, Thun, Nancy and Kaiserslautern in its portfolio.
A message on Facebook from chairman Frank Dierckens – no longer involved in policy – was revealing. “It is time for a thorough evaluation of the functioning of this club. KVO is sailing around too rudderless and against Seraing we collided head-on with a rock. There must be another captain on this ship.”
+ After barely two matches, the impact of Ruud Vormer can no longer be underestimated. At the Gaverbeek they already wear the midfielder on their hands. “It is unbelievable how humble Ruud walked into our club”, coach Mbaye Leye praised after the cup victory. Christan Brüls also seems to have been a smart transfer from CEO Eddy Cordier.
+ Whether it was the right choice remains to be seen later. But it is admirable that Zulte Waregem was the only relegation candidate to retain confidence in its trainer. It must have given Mbaye Leye a boost.
– Does Essevee have a scorer in goal? Last season, the club always counted on experienced rotten Sammy Bossut and Louis Bostyn, but both keepers fell through the basket at crucial moments. A transition from Ortwin De Wolf seemed to be in the works, but still jumped off.
– In a normal season a plus, but now maybe a minus. Due to the qualification for the semi-finals of the cup, Essevee has to play (at least) two extra matches. Not a gift with a rather narrow core.
+ There is still the collaboration with the French Metz. Will they send some saving angels to Wallonia?
– The biggest flaw of all teams: Seraing is four points behind in 15th place.
– Two strong players are injured in a core that is not overflowing with quality. Goalkeeper Guillaume Dietsch and the spry attacker Marius have been sidelined for a while.
