Fellaini... and other famous Belgians...

[Gozorich]

Watching Fellaini almost single handedly destroy ManU it got me thinking of the other Belgians in the premiership. If you add to Fellaini:
Dembele
Hazard
Kompany
Lukaka
Mignolet
Vermaelen
and anyone else I have forotten, they are the basis of one hell of a team. If England had them you would expect considerable success. Why then has Belgium under performed internationally, not even qualifying for the Euros?

Perhaps Sipwell could advise us? :Belgique:  

[jelmo]

There is also Lukaka's brother Lukaku

[ClarksOriginal]

Thorgan Hazard plays for Chelsea. Eden's brother.

There are also some very good Belgians abroad. Steven Defour and Axel Witsel to name two whom are playing in Portugal and Radja Nainggolan plays for Calgiari in Serie A. Think we were linked with him once...

[dgnffc]

..and not forgetting Nacer Chadli too who we've also been strongly linked with.

[Matt Inglis]

I was also going to say Nacer Chadli.
There's also Jan Vertonghen, Dries Mertens and Van Buyten (although I don't like him very much).
Not to forget, Everton just signed a young Belgian from Olympiakos; Kevin Mirallas.
I'm surprised Belgian football isn't flourishing with all these great players.

[MasterHaynes]

It does make you wonder how they couldn't qualify for the Euros with those players.

[Jack Fulham]

Kevin Miralles has just signed for Everton for £6 million.

[elgreenio]

Courtios.Mignolet

De Laet
Kompany
Vermaelen
Boyata

Vertonghen
Dembele
Fellaini

Hazard
Lukaku
Mirallas

shift about with T.Hazard and Boyata and it's all prem

[Airfix]

Perhaps Sipwell could advise us? :Belgique:  

Perhaps he can.  Alas, he is currently preoccupied with polishing his PhD!

[cookie123]

It does make you wonder how they couldn't qualify for the Euros with those players.

good players doesn't necessarily make a good team.

[cmg]

good players doesn't necessarily make a good team.

...but they don't half help.

[MontenegroWhite]

Igor De Camargo (Borussia M.), Van Den Borre and Vossen (R. Genk), Mudingayi (Inter M.), Alderweild (Ajax)...

Their best generation ever. Will watch them all the way in Qualifications...

[Matt Inglis]

Will watch them all the way in Qualifications...

:plus one: I reckon they might just be ready to shock the world.

[Airfix]

Perhaps Sipwell could advise us? :Belgique:  

Perhaps he can.  Alas, he is currently preoccupied with polishing his PhD!

I've heard from him - he has no internet currently due to a fault.  He is keen to respond soon though.

[Vinnieffc]

Eddie Mercx and Hercules Poirot ?

[Gozorich]

Eddie Mercx and Hercules Poirot ?

Glad someone got my not-very-subtle joke! fp.gif :Get Coat gif:

[HatterDon]

Perhaps Sipwell could advise us? :Belgique:  

Perhaps he can.  Alas, he is currently preoccupied with polishing his PhD!

a little less of that would be good. Too much results in blindness ... or hair on your palms. I can never remember which.

[sipwell]

No access to internet (the horror) but I had written my reply on notepad after Airfix was the excellent assistant he always is.




Essentially, the problem boils in my opinion down to the following (re past tournaments):

Experience


All the people you mention are younger than 25. Talented: yes. Experienced: no. We were leading the Euro qualifier vs. Austria with 4-3 in the 92nd minute. Every other team would keep the ball in the team. Hazard dribbled, lost the ball and it ended 4-4. We were beating Turkey and conceded a last minute goal too. Many more examples can be found.

Additionally:

1) we don't have a really mature striker yet: a man who scores goals no matter what. Lukaku is going to be brilliant but not there yet. We are using B-strikers (that is: people playing in the Belgian top division) which is a bad sign, is it not?
2) not all talents are internationally so good. Hazard was absolutely poor against Holland last Wednesday. He was replaced and all of a sudden the team started to play better. I do not know whether it has something to do with the other players (or the lack of experience) or with the person 'Hazard'. Superb in club football, non-factor in national team football.
3) team spirit. Talented players but not a team (couple of 'years' ago). Now with our new national manager (an absolute hero in Belgian football) that is changing. Marc Wilmots, Kampfschwein (battle pig) par excellence, is transforming them into fighters. That was very clear against Holland: we are 1-2 down and battle mode was switched on. 10 minutes of brilliant football and we are 3-2 up.

So, in short: we are not experienced enough and we need a mature goalgetter. The public is behind the team – the game against Holland was sold out, which had been a while – which seems to help too.

Traditionally Belgians are underdogs so I will end by saying I am hoping for the best regarding Rio.

[sunburywhite]

Malbranque and Tintin

[sipwell]

Malbranque and Tintin

Malbranque chose France. He is a non-entity in Belgium.