Can belgium do it?
Or is golden generation doomed?
Every four years, and in some cases every two, English fans are put through the tilt-o-whirl of emotions that comes with a major international tournament. The expectations among themselves, coupled with the hype from the Press always make that brutal cocktail of wide-eyed hope and inevitable defeat an even more difficult blow to absorb.
In the year 2000, as Belgium prepared to co-host the European Championships, expectations on their latest golden generation were at an all time high. However, Turkey pipped them to a place in the last 16, and Msrs Nilis, Staelens and Wilmots were sent on an early summer break, much to the dismay of those in the stands.
No matter, the Belgian FA thought, the World Cup in 2002 is right around the corner and with it the chance to put it all right. This time, Belgium managed to make it out of the group, but succumbed to eventual winners Brazil in the next round.
No shame in that, but it proved to be their final appearance at a major tournament until they qualified for this year’s event, and the current crop have even been touted as dark horses for the title.
In the years following the 2002 World Cup, the Belgian FA’s technical director Michel Sablon sought to stop the rot at the heart of the country’s football league and restructure their whole operation. In doing so he unearthed a new generation of talent that have once again permeated the consciousness of the football zeitgeist.
The Premier League now houses 17 of Belgian’s internationals, and a starting XI of English-based Belgians isn’t entirely out of the question. But there’s just one problem; several of them have suffered an alarming dip in fortunes. In goal, Simon Mignolet’s rich early season form with Liverpool has deserted him, and he now looks to have slipped further behind the young Thibaut Courtois, who is having another excellent year with Atletico Madrid.
At the back, Toby Alderweireld has failed to establish himself in Atletico’s starting line up after his summer move from Ajax. The 24-yearold had been touted as one of Europe’s hottest defenders and was courted by a number of top clubs, but with just six La Liga appearances under his belt at the time of writing, there is a good chance he won’t be in any condition to last the distance in Brazil.
Elsewhere, Thomas Vermaelen is having a tough time at Arsenal, and is now firmly entrenched on the bench, while Jan Vertonghen has made no bones about his unhappiness at Spurs.Vincent Kompany, who is still playing to a credible standard, has had to contend with a number of stifling injuries that are starting to take their toll on his body.
The midfield is where Belgium’s problems truly lie, though.With no fewer than five of their most influential performers having tough seasons, it’ll be a tall order for them to get their minds on track before June.
Following his late move to Manchester United, Marouane Fellaini has found his performances widely criticised, when he actually gets on the pitch that is. Tottenham pair Nacer Chadli and Mousa Dembele have found the campaign particularly difficult, and Kevin De Bruyne, who impressed so greatly in the Bundesliga last year has had to return to Germany again following a soul-crushing stint with Chelsea during the first half of this season.
De Bruyne still has time to turn his fortunes around, of course, but no such chance appears to be on the horizon for Steven Defour at Porto.
The former skipper has made just a handful of appearances in Portugal. He will most likely still be selected, but he’ll be in no position to influence their assault on the world stage with such meagre preparation.
And finally, up front, where Belgium not long ago had two electric young strikers gunning for a starting spot, Christian Benteke has essentially handed Romelu Lukaku his place as he looks set to fail to reach the highs of last season at Aston Villa as injuries, lack of confidence and poor form all played their part in his struggle this time around before he was ruled out of the World Cup with an Achilles tendon injury.
This doesn’t paint the whole picture, by any means as Belgium have a number of quality players firing on all cylinders, like Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, but it does mean that some of their key men won’t be at the top of their game, which could threaten to derail their long awaited return to the World Cup, and unravel Michel Sablon’s dream in the process.