JPL drudgery, Europa fumbling: What’s wrong with your gene? “Many similarities with the van den Broome period” | European league

Dramatic finale last night at Genk Olympiacos: the Greeks equalized in extra time and thus put themselves at the expense of vice-champions Belgium in the final qualifying round of the Europa League.

“It’s less difficult than defeating Servette,” says Steve Winants. “With the win, the group stage of the Europa League was already certain. But now they are receiving the second blow in a short time. That will come for sure.”

“I recognize many of Genk’s signs from two years ago. After an excellent season under John van den Broome, where they became vice-champions and won the Belgian Cup, they started the new season with the same team. They didn’t make any transfers, because they absolutely wanted the title.”

“We all know how that ended in the end. The problem was that with all those defeats there wasn’t really a leader. I notice it a little bit now. Because of Heinen’s injury, they have a problem there. Hrosovsky is not a leader, Alkhanos is still very young.”

However, there are also differences with 2021. “The circumstances in recent months have always been different. They lost to Antwerp after a great shot, and there was nothing you could do about it.”

“Against Servette they go out after penalties, and it’s always a bit of a lottery. In Athens, the centre-back loses after 23 seconds and you start with a lead. Then yesterday the stupid red card was the basis for disqualification.”

“All the data is very different, so it is not easy to come to a conclusion. What is clear is that Genk cannot make a European match. They have only won one of their last 20 European matches. Picture.”

A theme that has been playing out in Genk since January is the lack of a deep striker who can get them through at a difficult moment. “They don’t have that at the moment. Tolo is only half decent, Sur is not the typical number 9 of Genk’s system with two wingers.”

“Then comes the oft-heard criticism again: Genk isn’t a great team if they let Onuachu go. But Genk didn’t want to deny him his chance in the Premier League.”

“The Onuachu file is now back on the table, but you can’t just bring back 18m strikers. In Belgium the transfer market opens a week longer than in England. If Southampton don’t sell Onuachu by August 31st, then the price will drop.”

Of course, there could also be some movement on the outgoing side. “Mike Tresor, last year’s assist king, is still on the bench. I suspect he’ll leave, but I don’t know when. I wonder why it’s taking so long.”

Josef Paintsil also said before the match against Olympiacos that he would “stay for sure”. I feel good. “But then you don’t react that way by kicking. Then you don’t really take the team’s interest into account.”

“Whatever happens, it’s now all or nothing against Adana Demirspor. They still had something up their sleeve in the past preliminary rounds, but now they’re playing with a knife to their throat.”

“There is now pressure again in the competition. The win against Cercle Brugge was important for confidence, Sunday’s game against Charleroi is just as important.”