Matchday 7 in the Jupiler Pro League produced some surprising results. Enough food for discussion for Peter Vandenbempt, who sheds light on Union’s scoring problem, leader Ghent’s loss of points and the harsh language of Anderlecht coach Brian Riemer.
“Scoring is a problem for Union”
Union played a great match against KRC Genk. It had enough chances to win 3 matches.
Be much better, get many chances and still lose. Nowhere do they know better what that feels like than in Genk.
So Genk doesn’t have to be ashamed that it played very poorly for once and did win.
Genk won with a bit of luck and a very good goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt. If national coach Tedesco always brings 4 goalkeepers with him in the future, Vandevoordt may now be among them.
Thanks to a good tactical conversion by Genk coach Wouter Vrancken, there was also a little more control after the break.
According to the expected goals, Union should have already scored 17.48 goals this season. But they are still down to 10 goals, 6 of which were penalties.
Peter Vandenbempt
Genk also won due to Union’s great inability in front of goal, a shortcoming that has been there all season.
Union scored 27 goal attempts against Genk, of which only 4 were between the posts. But of course you can only score with balls between the posts.
If you look at the expected goals, Union should have already scored 17.48 goals this season. But for now they have only scored 10 goals, including 6 penalties.
So scoring is indeed a problem for Union. Then of course we look at the players who left with great statistics last year such as Boniface, Teuma and Adingra.
The replacements must show in the coming weeks that they are worthy replacements. Because Union is doing with all those other players exactly what it has done in the past 2 years with a 3rd trainer in 3 years: bringing energetic and spectacular football.
“Miracle that Cuypers and Orban were no longer able to score”
KAA Gent played very strong and dominant football in Leuven yesterday. It was a pleasure to watch.
I would also like to emphasize that there was a nice tribute, also from OHL, to the young Ghent fan who died in an accident this weekend. That had a bit of an impact on the Ghent family.
Football and its supporters are not always ugly.
Ghent scored too few valid goals yesterday, as 3 were disallowed for offside. Ghent had 22 goal attempts and only scored once.
That Orban and Cuypers will start scoring again is as certain as it will rain here this week.
Peter Vandenbempt
Unlike Union, the two goal machines from last year, Hugo Cuypers and Gift Orban, are still there. They were even both on the field.
But Cuypers and Orban have now not scored for 4 and 5 games in a row respectively. And considering their stellar stats, that’s something of a miracle.
Ghent doesn’t have to worry. It plays attacking, attractive and spectacular football. They have also become very threatening on stationary phases, which is an extra weapon.
Ghent is also at the top for the first time in forever in mid-September.
That Orban and Cuypers will start scoring again is as certain as it will rain here this week.
“Good that Riemer mentioned this for the first time”
Yesterday was a nasty disappointment for Anderlecht in Kortrijk.
It is not the case that Anderlecht had stolen that one point, with that very late equalizer. On the contrary, I would say.
Despite the poor play, the Purple & White should always have won yesterday. But it almost ended up losing itself.
Anderlecht’s football was once again a disappointment.
What the always positive Brian Riemer said afterwards was striking and refreshing.
Peter Vandenbempt
The fact of the day was the strong language of Anderlecht coach Brian Riemer afterwards.
He wasn’t even happy with that late goal, it was a “disaster”, he called the level “unacceptable”, “substandard”, “immature” and “far below the level of what I want to see from this team.”
The fact that the ever-positive Riemer said all that was striking and refreshing. Because yesterday was not that much worse than in a number of other matches, especially outdoors.
But hopefully it indicates that the bar is now a lot higher due to those transfers and quality injection. And that the coach expects better, faster, cleaner and more attacking football from his team.
Riemer may have to change positions and put other players on the field in the near future.
This may take a while until the latecomers are fully fit and integrated again. But that shouldn’t take weeks anymore.
Anderlecht must not only move up to the club it once was in terms of results, but also in terms of more dominant football.
It is good that Riemer has actually mentioned this for the first time. He can’t do anything else.
Does Anderlecht now have a goalkeeper issue?
It is of course also annoying that goalkeeper Dupé immediately makes a mistake in his first match after the much-discussed arrival of Kasper Schmeichel.
Very predictably, Anderlecht is now faced with a goalkeeper issue until a clear choice is made. Until then, the media will make it a goalkeeper’s issue.
It is up to the coach, the club and the goalkeepers not to allow themselves to be talked into a goalkeeping issue. This is only possible if no mistakes are made.
