Vandenbempt: “Felice Mazzu’s fears have come true” | Jupiler Pro League

Union’s defeat was unexpected, considering what they’ve done this season. But coach Mazzu had warned against decompression against a small team, after that great 10 out of 12 against four top clubs. His fears have come true.

Sint-Truiden did what it often does under Hollerbach: defend massively in block and come out very quickly. They did that a few times with very good football. Union had no answer. Suddenly they had 68 percent possession, which is not what they are used to and they did not know what to do with it.

Too many defining players were off-level, invisible, or sloppy on the ball. What Mazzu also concluded: there was not the intensity of being different. Union has impressed many times this season, but their eagerness, collectivity and intensity are irreplaceable values. Union has also been lucky more than once, such as the penalty against Genk. Now Vanzeir’s penalty went over the goal.

The competition hopes this could be a turning point so they can catch up. It could just be that the coming month – against even more modest opponents – turns out to be an even more difficult exam than the one they have had. The previous defeat to OHL at home also followed the fall title, followed by 8 wins in 10 games.

By the way, I read that it has been three years since Union lost twice in a row in the competition. The leader should certainly not do that on Saturday in Charleroi, because then we start to ask ourselves questions again and then the pressure at Union becomes a bit unpleasant.

The many substitutions of coach Schreuder had not turned out to be a good idea against AA Gent. Now things went better against Charleroi of course and the score didn’t ask for many changes. The coach had understood that his checkerboard coaching from the previous week could not be repeated.

He did, however, have a correct analysis ready afterwards. He wasn’t suddenly euphoric after the win, which was a bit more difficult than the score made it out to be. With the spaces small in the first half, Club had one chance before half time thanks to the class of De Ketelaere, who always comes up again, and a goal on the counter.

That goal also made sure that the mumbling that could be heard every now and then during the very patient build-up of Club Brugge did not become a boos. It was also established that Club gave away too many chances at the 2-0. Mignolet had to excel a few times to keep the unrest away.

So what the coach said: it was far from perfect. He will nevertheless look to see if this team can continue in the coming weeks. With Odoi, who was really good as a defensive midfielder, De Ketelaere in the front close to the goal and Rits higher on the field, who could be the Rits of the past.

But also without Vormer and without Dost, although the latter was now injured. Philippe Clement had already decided that before, regarding Vormer’s bench seat status.

He received a lot of criticism about that then, there was much less to do now. But after the snack in Eupen – said with respect – Antwerp follows the following week. By then Club should be a lot further ahead.

Mechelen has now achieved 9 out of 9, although against Standard, Beerschot and KVO, that the teams are not exactly doing great. But they are now six points behind Anderlecht and at the moment – unless the BAS Leuven agrees after all and undoes that astonishing decision – Mechelen can play twice more.

So they are virtually fourth. That would be something, play-off 1 with KV Mechelen and Union. This week, KVM will be thoroughly weighed up, with duels against Genk and Antwerp. But apart from that – and apart from that indefensible action in Leuven – KV Mechelen has been a fresh sound on the field for some time, with positive attacking football.

Well, it was not good in the first half against Ostend, but the intention is always there. And there’s also a Belgian slant: modestly inconspicuous guys who work hard and some of whom are great at football. As far as I’m concerned, Rob Schoofs is the exponent of that.

Apparently it was his 150th game in the shirt of KV Mechelen. He puts a nice bow around it with that great goal. He is a real club man, as we don’t often see them anymore, but the way they like Achter De Kazerne.

He always shows one hundred percent commitment and yet is also emotionally connected to the club: he has failed and then promoted again, he has won the cup, and so on. With Cuypers in the front, they still have someone like that in the front who has everything to become a KVM club man.

Cheers to Schoofs and congratulations on his anniversary. We are curious whether KV Mechelen will still be secretly ogling play-off 1 from behind the corner in a week.

Vanderhaeghe’s appointment was looked upon strangely, of course, because of Vanderhaeghe’s profile – trainers are always put in a box – which is one hundred percent at odds with the philosophy of the Red Bull school of the bosses of KVO.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s an appointment that arouses some suspicion. Especially the explanation that CEO Ganaye gave: he said that they had followed Vanderhaeghe very closely when he was at Cercle and that they had been impressed by his work; the pressure with which he let his team play football, which is also the basis at Ostend.

Then it is strange that it took them a whole month to appoint that coach of their dreams, which suggests that they first looked for something else everywhere.

I think it is very good for the sake of clarity that KVO has once again made a Belgian choice with Vanderhaeghe and that Vanderhaeghe can get back to work at Cercle after that unfair dismissal. But I am curious if it is a real and fair chance in view of next season.

It is also an opportunity for him to evolve as a coach, to walk along in Ostend’s data philosophy and to strike a good balance with the human approach that he stands for. He might be able to add some motivation and a little intuition to the computer, like Mazzu does at Union.

I’m curious, because Yves Vanderhaeghe deserves not to be just a throwaway interim resident waiting for yet another data foreigner.