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·18 September 2024
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·18 September 2024
Anderlecht suffered their first defeat of the season this week with a 2-0 loss at home to Genk. Anyone looking on from the outside would then be surprised to hear that head coach Brian Riemer is coming under increasing pressure. The former Brentford assistant has seen the fans call for him to go after a number of dissapointing performances to start the season. Anderlecht may have been unbeaten up until they faced Genk, yet the performances have left a lot to be desired.
For many Anderlecht fans, the defeat to Genk has been a long time coming. The side have looked uninspired in wins over Sint-Truiden and Dinamo Minsk, while then struggling to overcome sides like OH Leuven and Westerlo at home. How much of this is down to Riemer? While his tactics may not be to everyone’s liking, he has not seen an influx of players this summer. The side started with no fit central defenders, with midfielders such as Mats Rits and Theo Leoni having to fill in at the back.
Yet players that are there have not been utilised as well as they should be. Young Mario Stroeykens has spent time on the bench when, in truth, he is one of the sides best players. The 19-tear-old grabbed six goals and six assists from midfield last season and already has two in each category to start this campaign.
As the summer window closed, the side did eventually bring some players in, but this only increases the pressure on Riemer. At the end of the day, the former Brentford man can point to the results so far this season, and the fact they have only lost once, as to why he should remain in charge. Yet football is entertainment, and that is what Anderlecht fans want to see. They desire to see young players from the academy given a chance, something that has been the backbone of the sides success in the past.
Riemer will hope that he can put the defeat to Genk behind him with a strong performances against Charleroi at home this weekend. Another poor display and dropped points could see him in even greater peril.