Ronny Deila is under increasing pressure at Club Brugge, and La Dernière Heurejournalist Yves Taildeman suggests that Alexander Blessin would be the ideal candidate to get the club back on track.
Although bringing Blessin to Club Brugge currently seems practically impossible and is not a realistic option in Westkapelle at the moment, the German coach meets all the criteria expected of a Blue-Black coach.
Blessin stands out for its tactical strength and flexibility. He has the ability to build a solid team and has the right vision and philosophy for the club. Moreover, he is an excellent people manager and continues to develop as a coach, and Blessin does not shy away from reminding his players of their duties.
Deila will be presented with the bill
If the results and the quality of the game continue to disappoint, the Club Brugge board will inevitably have to take measures, with the result that Ronny Deila may have to pay the price.
Analyst Marc Degryse has recently expressed his concerns about the current situation at Club Brugge and fears that Deila faces a mission impossible in West Flanders. “It is insufficient and Deila continues to ignore that. If he continues to bury his head in the sand, sooner or later he will be presented with the bill.”
Moreover, there are some suitable alternatives available that can help Club Brugge get back on track. For example, journalist Yves Taildeman suggests the name of Alexander Blessin as a possible suitable replacement.
Blessin is currently doing excellent work at Union SG and has attracted the interest of Club Brugge several times in the recent past.
Taildeman emphasizes that if Bart Verhaeghe had chosen Blessin instead of Scott Parker last season, Club Brugge could potentially have won their fourth consecutive title and played in the Champions League right now, instead of hosting FC Lugano in the Conference League .
Blessin was a candidate trainer at Club Brugge twice
Two years ago, Club Brugge considered the then Trainer of the Year as a possible successor to Philippe Clement. The German coach was even considered the most important candidate in West Flanders for quite some time, as he himself confirmed in an interview with The newspapaer in March.
“Honestly? I also thought I would become a coach at Club Brugge,” he looked back on that period. Blessin went to watch the Champions League matches and he thinks Club Brugge is a great club. “When it became clear that Clement was going to Monaco, there were exploratory discussions,” Blessin also admitted.
But ultimately these conversations were limited to an exploratory round. “They suddenly doubted my style and appointed a different type of coach. Yes, I was disappointed,” said the German coach.
“I remain convinced that my philosophy could have worked very well at Bruges with those players. The audience just wants to see straight forward football there, but oh well….” Then Club Brugge chose to appoint Alfred Schreuder as coach.
Nevertheless, Blessin’s vision and methodology must have pleased Club Brugge’s management, as his name resurfaced at the end of last year as a possible successor to Carl Hoefkens.
But even then, Blessin was passed over again, as Club Brugge ultimately opted for Scott Parker, with all the consequences that entailed. Talk about a missed opportunity…
Blessin leads Union SG to first place in the Jupiler Pro League
After the departure of Karel Geraerts last summer, Union SG did not sit still and the club immediately started looking for a possible successor. Alexander Blessin and Yannick Euvrard were quickly mentioned as main candidates for the open position, while Miron Muslic (Cercle Brugge) was also considered.
In the end, the club board stayed true to one of their first choices and appointed Blessin as the new head coach.
The German, who had been without a club since December, had been linked in the months before with a possible move to both Club Brugge and Anderlecht, but both clubs did not think he was the right person for the position.
Blessin signed a two-season contract with Union, only two weeks after the collaboration with Geraerts ended.
The people of Brussels not only have an excellent transfer policy when it comes to attracting players, but they also do an excellent job in appointing their coaches.
Felice Mazzu and Karel Geraerts were previously very successful, and the choice of Alexander Blessin seems to have been perhaps the best move. It is impressive what the German has achieved at Union in a short time.
Despite the departure of many newcomers last summer and the fact that in a sense he had to start from scratch, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise is firmly at the top of the standings after thirteen match days.
Union has scored the most goals in the Jupiler Pro League, has made the most attempts and is in the top three when it comes to pressing and challenge intensity. The club is also doing well at European level.
Top coach Blessin continues to evolve tactically
Strongly influenced by the Red Bull philosophy, Alexander Blessin is an adept of Gegenpress football, evolving his team into a physical and intensive machine, with a strong focus on pressing the ball.
However, he always does this with a carefully devised plan, determining when, where and how the pressure should be applied. However, Blessin is smart enough to adapt his playing style to the available qualities in his group of players, and does not always let his team play the same way.
“I will never say, ‘I prefer to play with this system.’ For me it depends on who is available at the time, on what the players show in training,” he said this season.
In an interview with The last news Before this season, Blessin emphasized that he is no longer the same coach he was at KV Oostende three years ago. “As a coach you cannot stand still, you are constantly evolving. You have to see what makes you better. Be open to new things.”
Although he still strives to win the ball quickly and convert, he now also attaches great importance to creative solutions in attack. This is reflected in the fact that Union SG currently sends the most key passes in the Belgian league.
“I can only shower Union with compliments. One for Blessin: the whole picture is correct. How Blessin manages it is a mystery to me, but I tip my hat,” Marc Degryse said earlier in The last news.
Fiery people manager Blessin can create a group feeling
Even though the game is sometimes not pretty or good, the team compensates for this with tenacity, organization, physical strength, dueling power, high pressing and a high tempo. Union’s players go above and beyond for each other, and this is largely down to Blessin, who rotates at the right times to keep everyone involved.
Blessin is a coach who also encourages and motivates his players from the sidelines. If he doesn’t like the body language of certain players, he ostentatiously makes waves. He emphasizes continuity, recognisability and a focus on results, with the aim of creating a strong collective and a close-knit group feeling.
Blessin has strong communication skills and does not approach his players in a distant manner, and he does not put himself above the group. He has many one-on-one conversations to get to know his players and to clearly convey his tactical instructions. Blessin asks a lot of his players, but he also gives a lot in return.
