OTHER The curtain has fallen for Besnik Hasi. After the demoralising display at Standard and the consequent defeat, his dismissal was inevitable. Now the question arises: which coach can actually get this Anderlecht back on track? We don't know, but we'll take a little punt at his successor.
Just under ten and a half months. That was how long Hasi served as Anderlecht's head coach. That made him the longest-serving coach in the first division, second only to Frédéric Taquin of newly promoted La Louvière. It says a lot about how our clubs deal with their coaches — and how coaches deal with their clubs (think of Leko and De Mil, who midway through the season simply change teams). Anderlecht will therefore be looking for a new head coach in the coming days. No easy task. Do you see the ideal candidate to replace Hasi? We certainly don't. A coach with the right credentials, who is available and willing to throw himself into this risky venture? Let alone one who is affordable. Good luck, Olivier Renard.
Continue reading below the article
Continue reading No doubt Wouter Vrancken's name will be mentioned. His STVV is the only club this season combining good football with good results. But honestly: let Vrancken continue his fine story in Limburg. We're not fans of plucking a coach from another club in midseason, let alone from a rival. If I had to place a bet, it would be on an (unknown) coach who commands respect from Romelu Lukaku and/or Vincent Kompany. In recent weeks owner Marc Coucke and chairman Michael Verschueren have been swaggering proudly alongside Lukaku (Coucke) and Kompany (Verschueren). No coincidence: the club was in a sporting crisis, and the pair knew that aligning themselves with those figures would help deflect fans' criticism.
Coucke told Het Laatste Nieuws that he had sought Lukaku's advice frequently in recent months — perhaps also about this dismissal. In the same interview Lukaku said Anderlecht was fine with Hasi “because he has the Anderlecht DNA,” and Kompany and Hasi reportedly get on well. So who will succeed Hasi? Don't be surprised if we soon see a Simon Davies 2.0 at the gates of Neerpede. Want a name? Floribert Ngalulu wouldn't astonish us. He's been part of Kompany's staff at Anderlecht, Burnley and now Bayern. How ambitious is he to become a head coach? And will Kompany let him go, even if it's to his “own” Anderlecht? The coming days (or weeks) will bring clarity. Who do you see as the right coach to steer Anderlecht through the rest of the season? Join the discussion in the comments below.
