The situation around Anouar Ait El Hadj at the Union raises questions. The 22-year-old midfielder started promisingly with six consecutive league starts but didn’t really convince.
Aït El-Hadj then remained on the bench during the matches against Standard, Fenerbahçe and Bodo/Glimt, and was not even selected for the matches against Kortrijk and Club Brugge. A surprising turnaround for the player who was recruited as Union’s potential playmaker following the departure of Cameron Puertas.
Behind the scenes, it is rumored that Anouar Aït El Hadj has difficulty giving his all physically, both during training and during matches. This may not have been a big problem during his training at Neerpede, the youth academy of RSC Anderlecht.
But at Union Saint-Gilloise, where discipline and determination are crucial elements of coach Sébastien Pocognoli’s vision of the game, this has become an important factor. This lack of full commitment led Pocognoli to recently cut him out of his plans, although the relationship between the two remains good.
Pocognoli appreciates Ait El Hadj’s qualities and is delighted with his progress in playing without the ball. However, the coach expects greater involvement and more impact from the young midfielder when in possession of the ball.
However, the USG is not giving up. Despite his absence in recent matches, there is no doubt about Ait El Hadj’s return to the field in the long term. Pocognoli continues to have confidence in his potential. We expect to see him again probably in the next match against La Gantoise.
