One wonders why the Malagasy international found himself in core B for more than four months. Watching his performance on Sunday doesn’t help answer the question, as the 28-year-old left winger was brilliant against the championship leader. In the time of one match, he found the level that we knew from him under Karel Geraerts and Felice Mazzù and which he displayed too little under Alexander Blessin, frustrated by a contractual situation that bore little relation to his level and a more cold with a coach who grew tired of his excesses, his deviations and his delays.
Lapoussin who delights, Sadiki who hits the mark, David who follows: the Unionists under the magnifying glass
But if the Union went on to sign its benchmark match and crush Genk 4-0 on Sunday, it is to Lapoussin that it owes it. Scorer in the fourth minute with a perfect long shot, the number 94 turned the match around in stoppage time in the first period with an action where he overflowed, dribbled, then crossed for the head of Promise David, to knock out Racing who were still in the match until then (45th + 1, 2-0).
A little earlier, he had already delivered a marvelous back pass for Ivanovic, who had not anticipated the blow, and which could already have been worth an assist. Even if he no longer made a decisive move in the second period, the former “banned” amazed everyone by keeping up the pace for ninety minutes, notably signing a defensive comeback after the eightieth or initiating counterattacks , when Genk couldn’t take it anymore. A successful performance which definitely marks his return through the front door.
“Loïc played a very good match, following on from the one against Mechelen. It’s his merit, because he worked in the U23explained Pocognoli. I would not have started him at Mechelen if I had not seen that he did not have the intensity necessary for training. He was not selected against Roma last Thursday, and there he has two possible options… and he worked like crazy, even on the day of this European match. I have a good relationship with him; I know how to motivate him.”
Freed, delivered
“I wanted to come back and prove that I had the qualities to play in this team”explains the main person concerned, before commenting on this gesture signed after his goal, where he pretended to break the chains which held his wrists. “Lapoussin is ‘liberta’, as we say here. It was to commune with the supporters and my family, who are in front of the television. I was keen to respond in my garden, and I knew how to do it.”
Sometimes behind in terms of goals and assists figures, he killed two birds with one stone, this time, scoring for the first time since February. “A new season is beginning: we must not look at the pasthe tempers. I am decisive twice in two matches. I know I’m criticized for not being strong enough, but people don’t necessarily realize my defensive efforts. That said, I was keen to be decisive here, at Parc Duden, after everything I have been through in recent months. The audience chanted my name; I knew he was waiting for me. And then, collectively, I wanted the team to win. It’s been a while since we were good at the content but we were harvesting in front of the goal. It’s a victory that feels good before the break.” Which is good for Lapoussin and his team, too. “Win-win”, that is.
