The transfers will have to be great if AA Gent wants to be among the top six. The implosion that had already started before New Year – Larne, Union – continued somewhat. Agreed, a defeat was prevented after a solid second half, but AA Gent flirted with a tumble in the score.
It will be an exciting week, make or break, also because the choices in some positions look increasingly tight. In addition to just one striker, Ghent also only has one experienced goalkeeper, now that Tom Vandenberghe has been out of action for several weeks with a hamstring tear. Torunarigha also fell injured, as did Mitrovic after a major collision. And there may not be a fit left back next weekend: Brown was booked and suspended against OH Leuven. Lopes Da Silva, on the bench against Charleroi, as a depanneur?
Vrancken sick
The defeat at Charleroi in August was an early low point in the season, but five months later the Buffalos presented themselves at their most erratic again. Against wingless Zebras – Bernier and Guiagon were suspended – Ghent played football for half a half like a team without confidence. Even without a trainer. Wouter Vrancken turned out to be ill.
And if even two of the most reliable players make a mistake this season, what do you have to rely on? Watanabe, one of the best defenders in our league, missed his intervention. Strulic laid off, Mbenza scored: 0-1 after less than fifteen minutes. Then the best goalkeeper of the first round started fiddling, up to three times. So Ruff. Twice almost resulting in a goal. Missing on a high ball ultimately gave Heymans the opportunity to head towards the empty goal, but the ball fell on the roof. When he forgot Strulic in his back while playing football and had his pass intercepted, Heymans again had to put the ball in the empty goal. But he put the ball wide from just under 25 meters.
-What did AA Gent say in response? Almost nothing. On the left, Brown was mostly sleeping. Something happened on the right, but the last pass from Sonko or Samoise lacked any accuracy. And if Torunarigha wants to emerge as a playmaker with lost long balls, then it is clear how great the poverty of ideas was. A dropkick from a previously invisible Hjulsager just before half-time, from outside the sixteen, was the only ball between the posts. The whistling from the audience after the first half was obvious.
It took a long time for Ghent to gain momentum in the second half, but around the hour mark there was some danger, thanks to Hjulsager. First he pushed a ball just wide. Moments later he isolated Gudjohnsen with a deep ball. The Icelander’s control was not good enough to get past goalkeeper Koné. Assistant Milicevic replaced Gerkens and Hjulsager and not much later also Torunarigha and Gudjohnsen, who were groping for the groin. With Kums and Gandelman in the team, balls were mainly pumped into the box. Charleroi groaned and creaked. Sonko found the back line, Kums made a big score: 1-1. It will please him. The Planet Group arena breathed a sigh of relief and revived. But the chances of a winning goal failed to materialize. Roef even prevented Petris from scoring 1-2.
A point is enough for Ghent to stay on course for the Champions’ play-offs after this weekend, but they will have to do better. Ghent’s often substandard play does not go unpunished.
