The die is (likely) cast: the Red Devils will be present at the next World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. But let's be honest: the joy is subdued. What we've been witnessing lately is qualification without sparkle, and that raises a pressing question: is the national coach still the right man for the job?
🌍 The Absurdity of Doubt
These doubts aren't about qualification itself, but about the purpose: "What can we actually achieve at the World Cup?" and "Should we even go there with this national coach?"
My doubts primarily stem from the feeling that the coach isn't getting the best out of the squad. Yes, he has rejuvenated the team, but that was an obligation, not a merit. Any national coach at this stage would have had to do the same. The core question is whether he is the right person to shape this new generation.
🇧🇪 No Belgian National Coach: A Strange Choice
👥 Form or Reputation? The False Balance in Selection
The most persistent criticism concerns the selection policy and the inconsistency in rewarding and penalizing performance.
Chained to Mistakes: Why do we cling to players who consistently disappoint or make the same mistakes? There seems to be an unwritten rule that veterans have unlimited credit, while a young player like Smets, after one mistake, disappears from the squad.
The Witsel Conundrum: The unnecessary recall of a player like Witsel raises questions: what is the point of selection if he barely plays? This seems more like symbolism than strategic planning.
Who is the Scapegoat? The potential replacement of De Winter by Mechele seems arbitrary. If we look at the footage, Theate seemed more responsible for the recent concession. The national coach appears to punish the wrong players, which only increases uncertainty in the defense.
🧠 Tactical Blindness: Obvious Truths Ignored
The tactical insight falters, which is particularly painful during the rebuilding of a new team.
Wrong choices: Against Kazakhstan, a player with creative passing and vision like Romeo Vermant should have been deployed much earlier, instead of Openda. The coach fields Openda but only brings Vermant on in the final minutes – far too late to make an impact against a deeply entrenched opponent. This shows the coach chooses the wrong profile for the situation and mismanages talent's timing.
Wrong Striker Choice & Empty Box: We bring on a counter-attacking striker, who currently lacks confidence, when we must score, while the opponent is defending deep with ten men. The instruction for the deep striker to drift wide, while wingers don't cut inside, results in crosses going nowhere.
The Stark Reality: The Kazakhstan Debacle
The draw against Kazakhstan is a perfect illustration of this tactical anxiety. The Belgian squad was 23 to 27 times more valuable than the entire Kazakhstan team, yet we played with two defensive midfielders. This is fear, not strategy. The excuse of missing star players (Lukaku aside) is invalid; tactical compensation was imperative.
📢 Doku's Wake-up Call: "Everyone Must Do Better"
The painfully weak results are proof enough. Jérémy Doku, one of the few bright spots, vented his frustration after the draw: "Our campaign wasn't great, no. Everyone must do better. The coach, me, everyone." This confirms that the frustration over the strategy is now felt internally.
😡 The National Coach and the Arrogance of Power
The national coach's reaction leading up to the Liechtenstein match only worsened matters: he refused to discuss the Kazakhstan match ("According to him, we could have won that game 1-4") and labeled critics of his players as "not true supporters". This arrogant stance confirms that the leadership has lost touch with reality.
Sparkle is Needed, Not an Option
Qualification is the absolute minimum. But the lack of confidence is so profound that we even fear the final, seemingly easy hurdle. Liechtenstein's market value is only around € 5 million.
Fear in Numbers: While a renowned statistics agency estimates Belgium's elimination chance at merely 0.004% (or 1 in 25,000), when national television asked "Can it still go wrong?", 30% of 25,000 participants in a poll answered Yes.
This absurd contrast between statistical certainty and the collective anxiety of the fans is the clearest evidence that this technical staff has completely lost confidence and conviction. My hope? A dry 1-0 victory tonight, so that the performance is so poor that the association sees the necessity to make a thorough analysis of the national coach's function immediately.