Robert Martinez states that Belgium was
Although Belgium is still in the World Cup, their shocking loss to Morocco on Sunday raised fresh concerns about their aging squad. Even the manager, Roberto Martinez, acknowledged that there are significant issues.For starters, two members of their renowned "golden generation" are only playing minor roles in Qatar, while Kevin de Bruyne is not only having trouble with his form, but also seems to have given up hope of his team winning the championship. Eden Hazard could only play for an hour here before being replaced because he didn't want to put himself in what Martinez refers to as the "red zone" of running the risk of suffering yet another injury while De Bruyne toils. Romelu Lukaku, a crucial striker and Belgium's all-time leading goal scorer, is likewise only fit for cameo appearances due to a chronic thigh ailment.
Although a win over Croatia on Thursday will still advance them to the round of 16, Martinez acknowledged that his team is now acting more like they are "afraid to lose" than like they are "ready to win."
"That is challenging to comprehend because, over the past six years, our squad has consistently looked for scoring opportunities. We had scored goals in over 50 straight games prior to this one, but we were unable to do it here, and it cost us. "On the ball, I don't see the players enjoying themselves because they work so hard for each other off the ball. This is something we need to improve. We must be authentic.
We most likely no longer have anything to lose [against Croatia] at this point. "It's something you want to win. It would be a wonderful start for us at this World Cup since we have the skill and our goal-scoring ability has always been one of our team's strengths.
"I observed the team's language [against Morocco] to be incredibly concentrated, really healthy within one another, and working really hard. "Belgium hasn't yet been at its best; I think it's fair to say that we weren't at our best against Morocco. "We never lost our sense of competition or our willingness to use our experience to get the job done, but when it comes to playing the game, we haven't been ourselves. "The entire team is carrying too much weight on their shoulders. We must reclaim our freedom and our ability for expression.