Times are tough for our Belgian neighbours. Sportingly, the Red Devils can still hope to come out of the pools of this 2022 World Cup, where they first snatched a success against Canada (1-0) for their entry into the running, before losing against Morocco ( 0-2) on Sunday, after another very disappointing performance. But now, the recent more than mixed performances of Belgium have clearly left their mark in Roberto Martinez’s locker room.
The proof, Kevin De Bruyne, the star of this selection, flatly felt, a few days ago, that his team was too old to claim final victory in Qatar. “I think our luck was in 2018. We have a good team, but they are getting old. We have some good new players coming, but they are not at the level of other players in 2018. We don’t have the three fastest central defenders in the world but they know that. » After Belgium’s defeat against the Atlas Lions, Jan Vertonghen indirectly charged his compatriot in the press: “I guess we attack badly because we are also too old in front. »
“Yes, there are tensions in the group”
Enough to imagine a tense atmosphere internally, while Belgium will play their qualification in the round of 16 on Thursday (4 p.m.), against Croatia. Especially since in the country, these remarks obviously did not go unnoticed. Highly anticipated on this subject, Roberto Martinez came out of the woods on Monday. “Yes, there are tensions in the groupthus recognized the Spanish technician in an interview granted to the RTBF. It’s natural. The players have been evolving together for a very long time. It’s like in a family. If you don’t have tension or disagreement in a family, it’s because you don’t have emotions. »
The former Everton coach therefore wanted to defuse the emerging controversies around his group, but he also had fairly strong words, also acknowledging his share of responsibility. “I am disappointed with our performance, of course. I saw a fear of losing on people’s faces, and that’s my responsibility to find solutions, to change the mindset of the players. Because when you play a match with this fear, it is very difficult to use your qualities and win. We are not a team that likes to leave the ball to the opponent, who only relies on counter-attacks. Our team is offensive and likes to create opportunities. […] Our team needs to get opportunities, to have fun on the pitch. We are not managing to develop our full potential at the moment.he analyzed.
Martinez has confidence in his Red Devils
And Roberto Martinez to make optimistic remarks for the rest of the competition. “I know what to do to bring joy back to the team. We have a few days ahead of us. If we manage to overcome this obstacle, I think we will see the full potential of our team in this tournament. We did enough things in the first game to win it. […] Personally, I believe in it 100% because I believe a lot in the potential of my team. » It remains to be seen whether this media outing by the 49-year-old coach will be enough to bring peace to his troops, who will have to act like a real team to overcome Croatia next Thursday.
