Of course, the expectations for Chelsea are much higher than they are for West Brom. Every performance will be scrutinized heavily by both the media and the Chelsea supporters. How he handles the pressure for Chelsea could say a lot about how he’ll handle the pressure of representing his country at the World Cup. At only 20, Lakaku still has plenty to learn as a player and it would be best for him and for Belgium to gain that experience playing games. He cannot get playing time at Chelsea, it is important to again go out on loan and find that playing time elsewhere.
Benteke could not have asked for a better debut season in the Premier League. He was a bright spot on an otherwise dismal season for Aston Villa, scoring 19 goals in 32 league appearances. His performance caught the eye of several teams across Europe and has become one of the most sought after transfer targets this summer. If he does move to a big club this summer, he’ll face many of the same pressures that could face Lakaku.
If the pair play for Champions (or Europa) League sides, they’ll also face longer campaigns. Chelsea played 61 competitive matches in 2012/13, not to mention a pair of friendly’s against Manchester City in the U.S. immediately after the season. Obviously, neither will be expected to play every single game, no matter who they end up playing for (nobody at Chelsea played more than 44 games last season), but fatigue could be a factor for the young players who are not used to playing so many games, especially at that high of a level.
This Belgium team has a lot of upside, but they’re not without their problems. They are weak at fullback. It’s likely that either Vermaelen or Vertonghen – both more comfortable at centre-back – will start at left back. This problem is hardly unique to Belgium. Right and left back are probably the thinnest positions in football. Even Germany have resorted to using centre-backs Holger Badstuber and Jerome Boateng to play opposite Phillip Lahm in recent tournaments.
The Red Devils currently sit atop Group A in World Cup qualifying, three points ahead of Croatia. Croatia, like Belgium, are a talented young team on the rise. They were even on points heading into this week’s qualifiers, but Scotland’s upset win over Croatia, put Belgium alone at the top after a win against Serbia. Winning their group still will not be easy and a head-to-head match in early October could go a long way in deciding which team will get the automatic World Cup berth. The two met in qualifying last September and while Belgium had more possession and shots, they could only manage a 1-1 draw.
Even with the stiff competition, it’s hard to bet against a side teeming with talent playing in some of Europe’s best leagues. Belgium is experiencing a new golden generation. It’s fitting that Wilmots, the man whose header was disallowed in 2002, is steering them back onto the international scene. The only thing sweeter would be a rematch.
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