Our system detected that your browser is blocking advertisements on our site. Please help support FoxesTalk by disabling any kind of ad blocker while browsing this site. Thank you.
Jump to content
 Share
Stinkenzo

The OH Leuven Thread

By Stinkenzo, in Leicester City Forum

Recommended Posts

Lizhang

Lizhang

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, Bonanza said:

The biggest difference (in my opinion) is the fact that we have a clear gameplan now. In offense we move the ball a lot faster and there is a lot of movement without the ball, which results in more created chances and goals. Our defense has been much better as well. I believe this is the result of the formation our new manager(s) have applied.

 

Under Pearson we played in a 4-3-3 formation. This didn't work, as we barely created chances and conceded too many goals. In the 25 games under Pearson this season we scored 32 times, but conceded 46. On average this means 1.28 goals scored per game and 1.84 goals conceded per game. We only had 3 clean sheets under Pearson this season.

 

Under Euvrard and Vercauteren we play in a 5-4-1 formation with attacking wing backs (same formation the Belgian national team plays). In 10 games under their management we scored 20 times and conceded only 8 times. On average this means 2 scored goals per game and only 0.8 goals conceded. We also had 5 clean sheets since they took over.

 

If we want to compete for promotion we need to give Eurard and Vercauteren a contract extention. Top has said in his latest blog (published last Saterday) the club will start negotiations with them next week, so hopefully they stay for the next couple of seasons. We also need better players. This season we had 30 squad players, which is way too much for the Belgian 2nd division. To add insult to injury, most of those players just weren't good enough to make a difference in this league. Luckily, 15 of those players are out of contract for next season (this includes the guys that we had in on loan), so we can start with a clean slate. Our best players are still under contract for next year.

 

These are the players that are still under contract for next season (the players in red are the ones that were usually in the starting 11 and will most likely be in the starting 11 next season):

 

Goalkeepers:

 

Laurent Henkinet (BEL), Kawin Thamsatchanan (THA)

 

Right backs:

 

Frédéric Duplus (FRA), Olivier Myny (BEL)

 

Central defenders:

 

Sasha Kotysch (GER), Kenneth Schuermans (BEL)

 

Left backs:

 

Derrick Tshimanga (BEL), Jenthe Mertens (BEL)

 

Central midfielders:

 

Radouane Kerrouche (FRA), Jarno Libert (BEL), Mathieu Maertens (BEL)

 

Right wingers:

 

/

 

Left wingers:

 

Samy Kehli (FRA), Jo Gilis (BEL)

 

Strikers:

 

Sam Hendriks (NLD), Thomas Henry (FRA), George Hirst (ENG), Daan Vekemans (BEL)

 

 

The following is purely my own opinion. I don't see myself as a guy with a ton of football intellect (although I'm a badass on Football Manager :D), so these opinions might not refect the opinions of the other OH Leuven fans:

 

Of the guys that are out of contract I would give a new contract to Yanick Aguamon (right winger, FRA). He had a poor season under Pearson, but was superb under the new manager(s). Yanis Mbombo (left winger, BEL) also did quite good under them, so he might also get a new deal. I would also like to get back Aboubakar Keita (central midfielder, CIV) who was on loan from Copenhagen, either permanently or on loan. Elliot Moore, who was dreadful under Pearson but did better under the new manager(s), is a bit of a conundrum. Maybe we should bring him back or maybe it's better for him to go on loan in England. All the rest of our players that are out of contract can leave. I would also try to get rid of (sell or send out on loan) Radouane Kerrouche and George Hirst who were not good enough and replace them with better players.

 

In goal we will be ok for next season. Kawin used to be the 1st choice under Pearson and when he got injured Nigel played Nick Gillekens (out of contact for next season). Laurent Henkinet has always been our best goalie on paper and under the new manager(s) he has always been the undisputed starting goalkeeper. He isn't worldclass, but he will suffice for next season. Kawin is an OK backup and we have 2 talented young guys in our under 23 team who can compete for the 3th spot.

 

Our defense was terrible this season. Luckily we brought in Sascha Kotysch in January. His leadership has been very important in our battle against relegation. In my opinion, we need 2 new central defenders to play alongside him. Kenneth Schuermans can be a backup player. We could also use a backup for Tshimanga at left back.

 

With Mathieu Maertens we still have the motor of our team of next season. He has been elected "player of the season" for the second time in a row. Hopefully we can bring back Keita to play alongside him as this combination clearly worked for us. Nevertheless, I would bring in another central midfielder (2 if Keita doesn't return) with some creativity on offense. Leicester has found that player in Youri Tielemans, so I hope we can find a player who can do the same for us.

 

We also need some new wingers. Like I said before, we could bring back Aguemon and Mbombo but even if they get an extention, I would bring in at least 1 other winger (so 3 if they don't come back).

 

For the first time in 6 years we have a good striker. Thomas Henry has been crucial in our fight against relegation. Our targetman has been a part in 90% of our goals since he's been here. He's very strong and even quite fast for his height (1m91 or 6'3). I would definitely bring in another targetman who can compete with Henry and give us some options in case of injuries, suspensions or bad form. Sam Hendriks, who was send on loan to Cambuur (Dutch 2nd division) will return to Leuven with a severe injury (torn ACL). We brought him in at the beginning of this season as a pure finisher, but he never delivered. In my opinion this was because he had to play as a sole striker under Pearson, a role that didn't suit him at all. In Cambuur he played alongside a big targetman and scored 8 goals in 14 games, so he clearly has some potential. Since he is out until January, we should look out for another finisher to boost our attack.

Mertens isn't a leftback, he's a (central) midfielder who has been used all over the place. He was used as a stopgap leftback because last year Tshimanga was injured a long time in the beginning of the season. I think he might be better off going on loan to a good amateur league club, he's still young and will obviously not play a lot.

 

As far as i know, Aguemon has a clause in his contract that allows OHL to unilaterally extend it. He was one of the most exciting players last year, and the past few weeks, he was again one of the driving forces behind our strong offensive games.

 

I've heard there are first division teams hunting for Maertens... which was to be expected. Hopefully the club makes a statement. He's by far our most important player, because he's strong, he's smart, he runs a marathon during a game, he infiltrates and scores. Never has OHL had a better box-to-box player that i can remember.

 

Imho, we already have 5 starters for next year: Maertens, Tshimanga, Kotysch, Aguemon, Henry. That's half of the fieldplayers. Those 5 should definitely stay imho.

We need to get rid of: Kehli, Dequevy, Persoons, DieDhiou, Hirst (maybe on loan to Leicester mwuhaha), Myny, Touba, Van Landschoot, Gorius, Kapustka.
Haven't seen enough of Sowah, Kerrouche, Hendriks and even Mbombo to decide either way (for me personally). I'd try to give Gilis some game time. He made a good impression last year and he's still only 18 or 19. If we're going after Keita, we should have some backups, because he'll get plenty of cards. I have no issues with Hubert and Libert staying. It wouldn't kill me to see Duplus leave and Daeseleire reinstated. But i doubt that's going to happen. I don't expect Moore to stay (though he's welcome as far as i'm concerned, he clearly got his modjo back under the new managers) because it would basically be like issueing a statement that he has given up on ever playing for LCF or at a higher level than Belgian 1st div.

 

With all the "excess" removed, there should be plenty of space for both young guys from our (back to back) league winning youth team (Gilis, Kyere, Laes...). As well as some actual reinforcements for the starting XI.

 

2 hours ago, baker11 said:

Your club badge is on Thai flags around the ground, not sure if you knew?

There are quite a few Thai flags, but i can't remember seeing one with the club emblem on it.

Edited by Lizhang
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bonanza

Bonanza

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, Lizhang said:

Mertens isn't a leftback, he's a (central) midfielder who has been used all over the place. He was used as a stopgap leftback because last year Tshimanga was injured a long time in the beginning of the season. I think he might be better off going on loan to a good amateur league club, he's still young and will obviously not play a lot.

I put him down as a left-back because he played the majority of his games at that position. Same goes for Olivier Myny. He's a right winger by nature, but under Euvrard/Vercauteren he plays as a right-back.

 

I agree that we should send Mertens on loan to a good team in the amateur league. At his age it's crucial to play games, which won't happen at OHL. Maybe we should do the same thing with Jarno Libert.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lizhang

Lizhang

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Bonanza said:

I put him down as a left-back because he played the majority of his games at that position. Same goes for Olivier Myny. He's a right winger by nature, but under Euvrard/Vercauteren he plays as a right-back.

 

I agree that we should send Mertens on loan to a good team in the amateur league. At his age it's crucial to play games, which won't happen at OHL. Maybe we should do the same thing with Jarno Libert.

I don't know about Libert. While i don't think he is good enough to be a starter in a team that tries to win the league, i think he's shown to be good enough to be on the bench and get his fair share of gametime. Not every game he played was good, but he was never bad, and often among the more steady performers. If you want to send him on loan, it should be to a team that is playing for promotion in the amateur league, but even then i think he's better off to stay, not to mention, we might regret it if he leaves as well. Assuming Gorius, Kerrouche, Mertens, Persoons... leave, if we keep Maertens & Hubert, bring in Keita... then you still need at the very least one extra central midfielder to cope with injuries and suspensions. We know what he's capable of. If you bring in a new player to be 4th or 5th in the pecking order you will not find a player that is better as well as willing to accept his place in the hierarchy. And, since bringing in a new player is always a gamble (see Kerrouche), it might not work out either, a new player might just as well be a worse performer. Libert is a smart kid (he's still persuing an academic carreer, university level), he's had his development at OHL, he's at home here, he knows the league, the club's DNA...

Basically, the options are limited, if you want to send him to a team below OHL, still good enough to improve. And we might regret letting him go at one point in the near future.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bonanza

Bonanza

Posted
Posted
36 minutes ago, Lizhang said:

I don't know about Libert. While i don't think he is good enough to be a starter in a team that tries to win the league, i think he's shown to be good enough to be on the bench and get his fair share of gametime. Not every game he played was good, but he was never bad, and often among the more steady performers. If you want to send him on loan, it should be to a team that is playing for promotion in the amateur league, but even then i think he's better off to stay, not to mention, we might regret it if he leaves as well. Assuming Gorius, Kerrouche, Mertens, Persoons... leave, if we keep Maertens & Hubert, bring in Keita... then you still need at the very least one extra central midfielder to cope with injuries and suspensions. We know what he's capable of. If you bring in a new player to be 4th or 5th in the pecking order you will not find a player that is better as well as willing to accept his place in the hierarchy. And, since bringing in a new player is always a gamble (see Kerrouche), it might not work out either, a new player might just as well be a worse performer. Libert is a smart kid (he's still persuing an academic carreer, university level), he's had his development at OHL, he's at home here, he knows the league, the club's DNA...

Basically, the options are limited, if you want to send him to a team below OHL, still good enough to improve. And we might regret letting him go at one point in the near future.

Good point.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
  • Popular Post
Bonanza

Bonanza

Posted
  • Popular Post
Posted (edited)

First incoming transfer for next season! 21-year-old Aboubakar Keita (defensive midfielder, CIV), who came in on loan from Copenhagen in January, has just signed a 3-year deal.

 

Quite happy with this signing!

 

 

Edited by Bonanza
  • Like 11
Link to comment
Share on other sites
leuven

leuven

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, UniFox21 said:

Nice to see OHL moving to Adidas as well! Surely a move related to ourselves being sponsored by Adidas?

no doubt in my mind, otherwise adidas would not be sponsoring a small club in our second division. Anyway OH Leuven is the only belgian team now that is sponsored by Adidas. Anderlecht is replacing Adidas with Joma :-)

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
UniFox21

UniFox21

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, leuven said:

no doubt in my mind, otherwise adidas would not be sponsoring a small club in our second division. Anyway OH Leuven is the only belgian team now that is sponsored by Adidas. Anderlecht is replacing Adidas with Joma :-)

Not too bad at all! For some of the annoyance you've had since king power took over, some of the things like this must surely make up for it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
LinekersApples

LinekersApples

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, Bonanza said:

Yes we are

Thanks.  I was drunk when i asked.  There must have been a reason although it now escapes me. :dunno:

 

I imagine I thought "Their English is better than my Belgian" and then I remembered that there is no such language.  Ignore me. :whistle:

Edited by LinekersApples
  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lizhang

Lizhang

Posted
Posted

So... there is still no clarity regarding the managers, and if they will stick around another season. Vercauteren is an opportunist and he has the resumé that makes him sought after, and he knows it.

 

On 11/05/2019 at 12:36, LinekersApples said:

Thanks.  I was drunk when i asked.  There must have been a reason although it now escapes me. :dunno:

 

I imagine I thought "Their English is better than my Belgian" and then I remembered that there is no such language.  Ignore me. :whistle:

Indeed there is no such language, but we used to be part of "de Nederlanden" (the Netherlands) in centuries past, so in our part of the country (Flanders), we speak Dutch. In the other part of the country (Wallonia), they speak French. Most people know that, but just in case.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
LinekersApples

LinekersApples

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Lizhang said:

So... there is still no clarity regarding the managers, and if they will stick around another season. Vercauteren is an opportunist and he has the resumé that makes him sought after, and he knows it.

 

Indeed there is no such language, but we used to be part of "de Nederlanden" (the Netherlands) in centuries past, so in our part of the country (Flanders), we speak Dutch. In the other part of the country (Wallonia), they speak French. Most people know that, but just in case.

I was drunk not lobotomised

 

(I imagine more than 50% of people on here didn’t know that to be fair)  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bonanza

Bonanza

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, Foxes1 said:

Leicester City fans in Leuven v Roselare. Can't ever see the Leicester Mercury doing a report like this. (Apologies if this has already been posted before).

 

2ufwmyh.jpg

I had the absolute pleasure meeting and talking to these guys!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
bald reynard

bald reynard

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Bonanza said:

I had the absolute pleasure meeting and talking to these guys!

Hi Bonanza, do you know / have you heard, if OHL are going to introduce an English version of their website this summer ?  I emailed the Club a couple of years ago to ask that and they replied to say they would, "in the near future".  I've lost their email and so don't know who it was that sent it.  Do you know - or can you find out from someone at the Club ?

 

Update: I posted this on the site rather than messaged Bonanza, in case others in Belgium (perhaps Leuven or Lizhang ?) might know, or could find out. 

Edited by bald reynard
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bonanza

Bonanza

Posted
Posted
48 minutes ago, bald reynard said:

Hi Bonanza, do you know / have you heard, if OHL are going to introduce an English version of their website this summer ?  I emailed the Club a couple of years ago to ask that and they replied to say they would, "in the near future".  I've lost their email and so don't know who it was that sent it.  Do you know - or can you find out from someone at the Club ?

 

Update: I posted this on the site rather than messaged Bonanza, in case others in Belgium (perhaps Leuven or Lizhang ?) might know, or could find out. 

I have no idea when or if the club will do this. It actually surprises me that we don't have an English version yet, given our connection with Leicester, King Power and even Thailand.

 

If you emailed the club a couple of years ago, chances are the person that replied no longer works for the club. King Power has made a lot of changes in the last 2 years, letting people who worked for years for the club on a voluntary basis go, replacing them with professionals. Maybe you should give it another try.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Popular Post
Bonanza

Bonanza

Posted
  • Popular Post
Posted

It took a while, but both Vincent Euvrard and Franky Vercauteren just signed a new contract. They will be part of the club for the next 3 years.

 

Very happy with this deal!!!

 

 

 

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Popular Post
The_Rorab

The_Rorab

Posted
  • Popular Post
Posted
35 minutes ago, TeamRocket said:

Can we send Nacho here just to restart or summit

I don't think that'd be the right move for anyone. He seems to have confidence issues here, so I can't imagine how a loan in the 2nd tier of Belgian football would do for his confidence - nor do I think he would be motivated enough for Leuven themselves and I don't think they deserve someone not hungry to prove themselves. That may be speculation on my part as to Nacho's motivation levels, but I don't think he'd be giving it his all for Leuven so I don't think it'd be good for either team.

 

I'd say either he needs full confidence from Rodgers and to come good with a decent start to next season, or he needs a completely new club where he can re-invent himself and get his confidence back.

  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Foxxed

Foxxed

Posted
Posted
28 minutes ago, The_Rorab said:

I don't think that'd be the right move for anyone. He seems to have confidence issues here, so I can't imagine how a loan in the 2nd tier of Belgian football would do for his confidence - nor do I think he would be motivated enough for Leuven themselves and I don't think they deserve someone not hungry to prove themselves. That may be speculation on my part as to Nacho's motivation levels, but I don't think he'd be giving it his all for Leuven so I don't think it'd be good for either team.

 

I'd say either he needs full confidence from Rodgers and to come good with a decent start to next season, or he needs a completely new club where he can re-invent himself and get his confidence back.

Absolutely

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TeamRocket

TeamRocket

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, The_Rorab said:

I don't think that'd be the right move for anyone. He seems to have confidence issues here, so I can't imagine how a loan in the 2nd tier of Belgian football would do for his confidence - nor do I think he would be motivated enough for Leuven themselves and I don't think they deserve someone not hungry to prove themselves. That may be speculation on my part as to Nacho's motivation levels, but I don't think he'd be giving it his all for Leuven so I don't think it'd be good for either team.

 

I'd say either he needs full confidence from Rodgers and to come good with a decent start to next season, or he needs a completely new club where he can re-invent himself and get his confidence back.

I agree but if he starts playing again and probably scoring goals for them wouldn't that help  with his confidence. Plus this way if he comes good hes still ours? Maybe am wrong but hate how some players turn out epic for  other teams n not us

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...