We gathered reactions from Vanaken, Skov Olsen and coach Deila after the 1-4 victory against Charleroi.
Hans Vanaken: “We still have to do better"
The numerous fans who travelled along with the team saw how Club brought their first away game of the 2024 calendar year at Mambourg to a successful end. This satisfied captain Hans Vanaken. "We started the match extremely well. Not unimportant, as we knew beforehand that Charleroi were under pressure and would therefore fight hard. But Brandon's early goal made it immediately tough for them and systematically we managed to further increase that lead before halftime," said the two-time Golden Boot winner. "We controlled the match for the full 90 minutes. You make it much easier for yourself if you manage to score early. But apart from the result, I thought we were very good on the ball and managed to create numerous chances. With a better turf, we could probably have scored a few more goals."
When being asked why the Blues are now performing so much better, the captain immediately replied : "It is true that our results were less in the months of October and November. Consequently, we put our heads together and we went 'back to basics'. Our results went up again and we are now again playing with the necessary confidence. Although we realise very well that there are still a number of working points, so we can and must still improve."
Vanaken also had his vision about Thiago: "He is an absolute added value for this team and week after week he answers his critics. A few months ago it still seemed as if he was completely worthless and now he scores with his eyes closed. This clearly shows you should never write anyone off prematurely. It was clear that our Brazilian goalgetter needed an adjustment period, but his progress is huge. It's up to him, but also to the whole team to keep confirming now." (MV)
Andreas Skov Olsen: “We played well for 70 minutes”
Club continued the positive line of the last couple of weeks as it went on to win 1-4 at Charleroi. Skov Olsen did not score this time, but with an assist for Thiago he was also happy afterwards.
"I think we played good soccer for 70 minutes," said Skov Olsen afterwards. "Until then we actually played a perfect game. We already scored three goals in the first half and after that we never really got into trouble, so I think we deserved to win this match. The result is not always what it seems, but tonight I think 1-4 is an accurate representation of the match. In the first half we were able to put a lot of pressure, which meant Charleroi could hardly threaten. We for our part created a lot of chances and we might have scored more goals if the pitch would have been better."
"We knew Charleroi would immediately try to create danger, which they did, but we were able to make very good use of the space on the flanks. Then we were able to show that we are currently in a good flow and that was translated into two goals after about 15 minutes of play. Of course we hope we can still increase our level a bit more, because if we want to compete for the title later on, we will definitely have to do that. Tonight I am very satisfied with our team performance and we are already looking forward to our next home game against KV Kortrijk." (FDC)
Ronny Deila: “We have the momentum now and that gives confidence"
After the smooth victory on the pitch of Charleroi, coach Ronny Deila was obviously a satisfied man. He praised the team performance and hopes to keep the momentum going.
"I think the first 60 minutes were very good," started the coach. "I did get a bit disappointed in the last half-hour. I thought we gave them the ball a bit too much then and so that last goal was not necessary. However, as I said, this is not the easiest displacement and yet we controlled the match well. We created a lot of chances and we win, so I am very satisfied though. We kept the ball well in our own ranks and put good pressing. We found spaces between their defence, so overall it was a good performance. I wasn't concerned with the opponent and just focused on ourselves. We delivered a good performance today and they should just analyze their performance. We just have to build further on the past couple of games and then we are just a difficult team to contend with. We did that today by bringing that kind of energy into the match. Then it's always difficult to play against us anyway. So now we just have to keep going because it's a good momentum for us. We are making progress every game and we will try to show that again on Tuesday as well."
To conclude, the coach also praised Thiago. "He almost always scores now, so that's good. He has become really effective and can track the ball very well. He also puts pressure well, so at the moment he actually has everything. Of course, it also helps that he is well served by strong players around him. As I said, we just have to keep doing our tasks well and keep improving and then I am convinced we can end up with something nice. I think we have been playing at a high level for a long time, but you can always improve things and that is what we are trying to do. Obviously we have the momentum now and that gives confidence in every match," concluded a satisfied coach. (TM)