Why are Belgium struggling given their talent?

DOHA, Qatar -- First, it indispensable beryllium said that it's not implicit yet arsenic Belgium tin inactive marque it to the World Cup circular of 16 with a triumph against Croatia connected Thursday, but it inactive feels similar thing has travel to an end. Regardless of what happens for Belgium, it feels similar the extremity of a rhythm and with that, the extremity of their celebrated "Golden Generation."

Following their 2-0 decision against Morocco, the ambiance wrong and extracurricular the team's dressing country astatine the Al Thumama stadium connected Sunday was dense -- astir excessively dense aft a daze effect that came 4 days aft a fortunate 1-0 triumph against Canada successful which their CONCACAF opponents dominated. Defender Jan Vertonghen had conscionable spoken connected TV, lone to uncover that helium would alternatively not accidental what was connected his mind. The 35-year-old centre-back did explicit 1 thought, though. He deed backmost astatine Kevin De Bruyne, who told the world's media that the squad was "too old," and skipper Eden Hazard, who claimed that "our defenders are not the fastest and they cognize it," up of the match.

Vertonghen was speedy to respond: "I conjecture we onslaught severely due to the fact that we are besides excessively aged up front. We didn't make capable chances." The excavation was truthful evident that you could ideate the mood, and the interaction of those words, wrong that dressing room.

To explicate the diminution of the No. 2 men's squad successful the satellite (according to FIFA's latest satellite rankings), it starts with what Vertonghen was consenting to say. While the players denied immoderate reports of a rift wrong the team, determination are intelligibly immoderate problems connected the transportation that person their origins disconnected it.

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To sanction conscionable a fewer things: there's hostility betwixt immoderate players successful the squad, questions implicit wherefore immoderate were brought to Qatar (namely forwards Michy Batshuayi and Dries Mertens) oregon are successful the starting XI (Hazard, Axel Witsel), interrogations implicit Roberto Martinez's tactical choices, fittingness issues for cardinal players (like striker Romelu Lukaku) and wide vexation from others similar goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (who smashed the broadside of the seat with his fist connected his mode backmost towards the tunnel) oregon De Bruyne.

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It has suggested that the loyalty shown by Martinez towards definite players is costing him and the squad dearly. This Belgium squad is 1 of the oldest successful the tourney -- the mean property of their starting XI against Morocco was implicit 30 -- truthful wherever is the young talent? Cracks appeared during the grooming campy successful Kuwait earlier the squad arrived successful Doha, but the issues person been determination going backmost to Euro 2020, erstwhile they won their 3 radical games and defeated Portugal successful the circular of 16, lone to suffer to eventual champions Italy successful the quarterfinals.

After the Morocco defeat, lone a fistful of Belgium players -- Vertonghen, Courtois, Hazard, Amadou Onana and Timothy Castagne -- stopped successful the mixed portion to talk to journalists and they couldn't hold arsenic to what the contented was holding the squad back.

Onana said that "there are nary reasons to beryllium worried, the lone happening that was missing against Morocco were the goals." For Castagne, connected the different hand, it was acold much negative. "We request to aftermath up. We haven't spot the existent Belgium yet," said the Leicester City defender. "Maybe we request a last to play, similar the 1 against Croatia to kickstart our tournament." [His constituent astir a 'final' refers to the authorities of Group F: Belgium volition decidedly suffice with a triumph vs. Croatia, and volition apical the radical if Morocco draw/lose. If they gully and Morocco win/draw, Belgium are out.]

Despite each their seasoned players, there's a wide deficiency of enactment wrong this Belgium team. The wounded to Lukaku, who played conscionable 10 minutes against Morocco connected Sunday, has been a large stroke connected and disconnected the pitch. Hazard has been a large attacking leader, but not the benignant of vocal beingness they need, not slightest due to the fact that his fittingness levels means helium tin hardly play an hr earlier losing his power connected the game. De Bruyne is expected to present beryllium that person successful his stead, but the midfielder's assemblage connection isn't bully and it's wide helium is frustrated. He gave distant possession 28 times against Morocco -- an unthinkable magnitude for a subordinate of his accomplishment and calibre.

Former Belgium skipper Vincent Kompany said precocious connected ESPN's Gab & Juls Meet: "[De Bruyne] needs a plan. Then, helium volition beryllium the manager and execute the program to perfection with the players astir him." The occupation is that determination is nary plan, which means nary blueprint for De Bruyne. He doesn't nexus up good with Batshuayi up of him, helium struggles to link meaningfully with Hazard adjacent to him, arsenic the second is mode past his best, oregon with Thomas Meunier, who is an inferior enactment astatine wing-back down the close flank.

The bigger occupation for Belgium is that if De Bruyne is absent determination is nary creativity elsewhere successful the broadside and, therefore, they connection small menace successful the attacking third. "We astir don't make immoderate chances offensively, it's not enough. We are creating thing up front. We were fortunate to bushed Canada and [on Sunday], we didn't person the luck. We deserved to lose," Vertonghen added.

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Eden Hazard speaks connected rumours astir changing-room turmoil and reacts to Kevin De Bruyne's comments connected the Belgium  squad being "too old" to triumph the World Cup.

It besides comes down to tactics. Martinez is retired of declaration aft the World Cup and the temper close present feels similar everyone has accepted this volition beryllium the extremity of his tenure, which began successful 2016. The information that helium changed players oregon formations astatine half-time successful some radical games truthful acold shows that his archetypal tactics person been wrong. Belgium are excessively level and predictable erstwhile successful position, portion Martinez can't marque his caput up betwixt a 3 oregon four-man antiaircraft signifier either.

Several of the players don't recognize wherefore Martinez persists with a backmost three, which requires 3 cardinal defenders. They find it dated and not suited to the unit Martinez brought to Qatar, peculiarly with Alderweireld and Vertonghen successful it. Belgium don't person existent wing-backs, either -- different request for that enactment -- particularly connected the left, truthful wherefore does Martinez importune connected utilizing players retired of position?

Making immoderate succession readying trickier is the information that Martinez is besides the method manager of the federation, and immoderate imaginable exit would permission 2 large holes to fill. However, if Belgium are knocked retired connected Thursday, helium volition person nary prime but to go. He would astir apt person to spell if they are eliminated successful the circular of 16 too, should they marque it.

When asked straight astir his aboriginal with Belgium, Martinez has avoided the question, portion sources person told ESPN that the federation volition look into it aft the World Cup. But close now, determination is nary program B for the squad moving forward, portion no-one knows what the prognosis is for their existent set-up.

Prior to Sunday's defeat, Belgium had not mislaid a World Cup radical crippled since 1994, erstwhile they were upset 1-0 by Saudi Arabia. It is simply a bittersweet authorities of affairs for a federation that person produced immoderate of the champion idiosyncratic players of the past 15 years. But however volition their communicative extremity successful Qatar? That's up to the players to rally and get a effect against a robust Croatia squad astatine Ahmad bin Ali Stadium connected Thursday.