The Red Devils collected 3 points in the European Championship preliminary rounds in Azerbaijan on Saturday, but the Belgians’ play was anything but sparkling. Football commentator Peter Vandenbempt analyzed the Devils’ football on Sunday evening in Sportweekend. “I don’t see any progress and you also notice from the body language of the national coach that he thought his team would be further ahead by now,” he said.
“Don’t be too condescending”
It was a disappointing performance against Azerbaijan. Against the number 121 in the world, your goalkeeper cannot be expected to be one of the best players.
I do know that the most important thing is to win such matches. You can also be bad and lose. That’s even worse. But the football was weak. I saw a lack of ideas, there were wrong choices, misunderstandings, all kinds of things went wrong in the Belgians’ game.
The national coach himself also indicated that the pressing was wrong at many times, especially before half-time. That’s a lot actually. If you give away 3 or 4 good chances against Azerbaijan, then it is really not good enough. The goal was also illustrative of the quality and level of the Belgians.
The goal was also illustrative of the quality and level of the Belgians.
Peter Vandenbempt
There were a few excuses. If you have to miss your best player as a playmaker in Kevin De Bruyne, then you are a lesser team and you will also play less football. But it doesn’t have to be as bad as against Azerbaijan.
The field was also abysmally bad, unworthy of international football. UEFA has a long list of regulations for infrastructure, but the field apparently is not one of them.
And even that is only part of the explanation for a deep ball that is given 10 meters too far. Making wrong choices has nothing to do with the state of the field.
If you miss your best player in Kevin De Bruyne, you will play less football. But it doesn’t have to be as bad as against Azerbaijan.
Peter Vandenbempt
There is no need to condone such a performance as against Azerbaijan. I heard it said: “Take points, pack up and go. It’s a difficult move and a difficult journey.”
Don’t exaggerate, I think. We did not go with a horse and cart. The boys are dropped off at the plane, sit back in business class, fly there and have all Friday to recover. In that respect, there is no need to make excuses.
Spain played football in Georgia on Friday, next to Azerbaijan. Same circumstances, same journey. And the Spaniards won 1-7. So it can be done that way too.
The Red Devils can show a little more against Estonia on Tuesday.
Peter Vandenbempt
The Red Devils play at home against Estonia on Tuesday. Those types of teams are usually much more vulnerable outdoors. You have to give it to the golden generation and the generation after that they have not been surprised against teams of that caliber for an eternity.
Sometimes it is a bad match, but there is always a win. Estonia is also simply far too weak to get in the way of Belgium.
It will be a home game on a good field, without a difficult journey. That won’t be a problem. But for the people who come to watch on Tuesday, they can show a little more.”
The Red Devils celebrate Carrasco’s lucky goal against Azerbaijan.
“No progress”
The start under Domenico Tedesco, that match against Germany, was surprisingly good. But I haven’t seen any progress since then.
We said that a generational change would take time and that argument still applies. But perhaps that match against Germany threw a bit of sand in our eyes, making us think that everything would happen much faster than we expected.
That match was also with Kevin De Bruyne and with a number of players who were in better shape than at the moment. Because that is also one of the problems. A Castagne, for example, has no longer shown an upward shape curve in recent international matches.
The defensive compartment has been the source of concern for some time. A lot of quality has disappeared.
Peter Vandenbempt
With Tielemans I also keep waiting for the moment when he can make his mark and become the patron of the midfield.
And the defensive compartment has been the source of concern for some time. A lot of quality has disappeared. If you look at how Toby Alderweireld is still performing: I don’t see that with the national team at the moment.
You can see Tedesco’s intention. He wants to play football in a different way. But you also notice from the body language of the national coach that he thought that this team would already be a little further ahead at this point.
You can tell from the national coach’s body language that he thought this team would be a little further ahead at this point.
Peter Vandenbempt
We don’t need to sound the death knells yet. It is still about 10 months until the European Championships. But if you compare with how we started, at an absolute peak, it is now a lot less.
Against Azerbaijan it wasn’t such a bad idea to use Lukaku as a target man. He still inspires fear in the opposition. But you have to be able to use it in different ways and that has happened far too little.
If young boys like Doku or Bakayoko can break through and take another step internationally by next year, Belgium can vary a bit more. The stereotypical football we saw against Azerbaijan was a snapshot. But it is clear that a lot of steps still need to be taken.
2023-09-11 04:56:14
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