Leandro Trossard and Charles De Ketelaere had to take turns being close to Openda in the finishing zone. As is the Slovenian Benjamin Sesko at Red Bull. But the plan screwed up in ways that Tedesco did not imagine, even if he could not hope for a tactical miracle with a collective training session in Rome.
The Devils under the magnifying glass: From Cuyper the most dangerous, Trossard saves his match, another failure for Openda
Openda has still not scored under the German federal coach’s reign. And he still hasn’t given an embryo of hope that it could work. His credit as a center forward with the Devils is almost exhausted. Despite criticism of his package by choice, Romelu Lukaku scores points without being there. He remains, by far, the best we can have at the forefront of the attack.
Tedesco knows it: Lukaku’s future remains fragile. Because Big Rom’s large frame is less resistant to injury. And because the top scorer in the history of the national team has not yet clearly validated the rest of his international career after a complicated Euro where he preferred to remain silent in the many languages he masters.
In the ranking of the most expensive Belgian “nine”, there are amazing names like the Dender striker.
So, what do we do? The Devils need a solid plan B at number nine. Openda deserved his chance given his club statistics but he didn’t take it. In a normal team, he would have to wait before receiving an additional ride. But the Belgium of 2024 has an abnormally poor reservoir of advanced attackers.
There are very few young people who show up for this demanding position. Lucas Stassin is a real hope but his debut at Saint-Étienne shows that he is not yet ready for the A, despite his important contribution to the Espoirs on Friday evening in Scotland.
Red Devils – Tedesco will not field Doku right side against France: “I’m not that crazy”
In the top 10 of the most highly valued Belgian “nine” (according to Transfermarkt), we find boys like Hugo Cuypers and Yorbe Vertessen who do not have international stature. Or club reservists like Michy Batshuayi and Divock Origi. Another telling example: Bruno Nsimba, the Dender striker, is the 13th center forward in the ranking.
So would it be Openda or nothing behind Lukaku? Not sure. De Ketelaere started five games as a center forward at Atalanta. Without a goal and without an assist but serving as a support point thanks to his technique, his size and his intelligence of play. If Tedesco retains the more classic system of the second half in Italy (4-2-3-1), CDK could be a real solution. In any case, a solution which deserves to be tried this Monday against France in the laboratory of the League of Nations.
