The Belgian squad has been under fire from media outlets, with some papers branding top stars 'has-beens' after a shaky start to their World Cup campaign. But Rudi Garcia isn't having it – the manager's fired back at critics, insisting his team is on track for success despite a mixed bag of performances so far.
The Belgian boss was responding to criticism that followed a less-than-impressive display against Iran, where key players like Kevin De Bruyne seemed off-colour. But a resounding 5-1 victory over New Zealand has seemingly silenced the naysayers – for now, at least! Two goals from Leandro Trossard and strikes from De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Charles De Ketelaere have sparked hopes that Belgium's attacking prowess is back on track.
As the team gears up to face Senegal in their next match, Garcia remains focused on the task at hand – deflecting questions about whether the big win over New Zealand has taken the heat off his players. "Yesterday showed us that being favourites or not doesn't matter," noted De Ketelaere, echoing a pragmatic approach that acknowledges the unpredictable nature of knockout football.
Despite an undercurrent of negativity from some quarters, Belgium boasts an impressive record – 16 months without defeat since Garcia took the reins (although their initial World Cup performances were described as 'underwhelming' before the New Zealand match). The squad's fitness is also on the up, with Jérémy Doku, De Ketelaere, and Lukaku all improving their form, while Zeno Debast has recovered from a leg injury.
Belgium's manager acknowledges that Senegal are no pushover – "If you want to go far in a World Cup you have to defeat good and excellent teams: Senegal is here and we want to progress," Garcia declared. The team will be looking to make the most of their time at their Seattle training base, although Garcia downplayed any advantage this might give them over their opponents.