You’ve all heard about the so-called ‘Manager of the Month curse’.
But, after a defeat which will go down in history for all the wrong reasons, KV Oostende boss Alexander Blessin would be forgiven for wondering if his ‘Coach of the Year’ award has been infected with some particularly nasty voodoo.
“We have given away many beautiful gifts,” Blessin sighed after his Oostende side, fifth in the Jupiler League last season, were thumped 7-1 at home by Union Saint-Gilloise on Sunday afternoon (HLN).
“This defeat – and the result – are justified. That’s hard to admit. I will need a few nights to recover from this. We can’t keep talking about the difference in quality from last year.
“We suffered way too much and lost the ball way too fast.”
As Belgian-based publication Voetbal Krant pointed out this morning, the autopsy underway, Blessin should not be forced to shoulder the blame alone.
The Oostende board certainly has some questions to answer after cashing in on Fashion Sakala, Jack Hendry, Arthur Theate and Jelle Bataille, the stars of last season’s impressive fifth-place finish.
Sakala joined Scottish Premiership champions Rangers on a free transfer.
And, according to the Daily Record, 47-year-old Blessin might have joined him at Ibrox, the former RB Leipzig youth coach emerging as a potential Steven Gerrard replacement prior to the appointment of Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Has Blessin, who was also denied the chance to take over at Sheffield United earlier in the year due to Brexit issues, taken Oostende as far as is humanly possible?
Dropping to 13th in the table following a seven-goal hammering in front of their own supporters, a repeat of last term’s coupon-busting brilliance looks highly unlikely.
Unfortunately for Blessin – and perhaps for Sakala too – the Rangers job is now merely a dot on the horizon. This particular ship has sailed.
And unless he can turn things around at in West Flanders, an opportunity as good as this this might not come around again for a while.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
