Again though, if this was your last, best chance to compete at a World Cup, and you were still in top form, it isn’t about having “world class” players… he is playing with people that have been shipped back to places like Antwerp and the Portuguese league for retirement, or don’t get to play at all (like Eden).
But that didn’t have to be the case. It is t like they didn’t have players like Trossard available. Martinez and Belgium made the active choice to go with players that are past it by a mile.
Specifically, one player in particular.
Make no mistake, 98% of his comment was related specifically to Hazard. I didn’t fancy Belgium’s chances anyway, but playing with Eden is like volunteering to play a man down. And I’m gonna guess KDB is not the only Belgium player that feels this way
But again… who is he supposed to pass to?
They are essentially playing a man down every time Eden is on the field. The coach and the other Belgian players know this, but no one seems to care. That has to be deflating to any attempt at morale.
My reason for Harping on this is that KDB’s comments have been used as a shield to divert from the conversation of “what was the Belgian FA and Roberto Martinez thinking??”
A generational player, who is still playing top level for a top club, this is his last WC… and they chose to surround him with players who are essentially retired.