Tomorrow, Saturday 10 February, the Purple & White will play on the pitch of KV Oostende. Coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck analysed the game to come.
"The atmosphere is not bad at all in the group", Vanhaezebrouck explained. "Of course the atmosphere is always better when you’re winning, but no one is giving up. I talked about the more experienced players after the match against KV Mechelen, it is time for them to take their responsibility. I think that they got the message. That certain analysts are now saying that I refuse to take responsibility and was too hard on my players after KV Mechelen? It’s not because I think my players should take their responsibility, that I don’t take it myself. If you lose players because of that, then those are not the lads you need. When you shake things up one time, the analysts react, but I don’t mind that. I know what I do and how I work, that is all I think about."
Vanhaezebrouck does not want to see the recent results as too negative either. "We drew 2-2 at home against the last team on the league table, but we also drew 3-3 at Standard, where Club Brugge lost 4-1. Anything can happen in football. I don’t want to look back too much on the match against KV Mechelen, where we did not take our chance, because KV Oostende will become a different match. They will be motivated as they need the points, and it seems that they also get a double bonus if they win. We have to achieve the necessary results and continue the streak we started at the beginning of the year by winning in Genk and drawing at Standard."
The youth players were also discussed. Many youngsters were given the opportunity to show themselves in the Purple & White first team. "I have a lot of youngsters that are breaking through. They will not all be able to see this through, but that is a risk you have to take. Of course there is pressure involved in playing for RSCA, but they can’t be afraid to show what they can do. There have been a few lads who did this very well, and more await. More guys will make that move between the first team and the U-21, and the other way around. In the summer, we may have to get five players from abroad less because of this, because they can become fully-fledged first-team players."
