After a disappointing 2022/23 Belgian Pro League campaign, Zulte-Waregem were relegated to the Challenger Pro League, starting life back in the second division for the first time in 18 years. After starting this season with Frederik D’Hollander in charge, he was replaced only a few matches into the season, being replaced by former RWDM boss Vincent Euvrard.
The Belgian had been in charge of RWDM since 2020, and after guiding them to promotion last season by winning the Challenger Pro League, he was sacked by the club only a week before the start of this current Belgian Pro League season. Zulte-Waregem astutely looked to appoint him, and the early results under the Belgian look promising. Though he has only managed the club for four matches, Zulte have won three of them, with a distinct style of play reminiscent of his time at RWDM beginning to show.
This tactical analysis and scout report will look at the early returns of Vincent Euvrard’s time at Zulte-Waregem, as well as how his team look to play in each phase of play. This analysis will also briefly examine some similarities between his time at RWDM and what he is currently looking to implement at his new club.
Attacking phase
Regarding the attacking phase of play for Zulte-Waregem under Vincent Euvrard, the last couple of domestic matches have started to paint a clearer picture of what is expected. In the most recent matches, Euvrard has set Zulte up in his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation, which he used consistently during last season’s Challenger Pro League-winning campaign with RWDM. This tactic attacks with width, as the wing-backs are primarily told to stay wide and stretch the opposition’s backline.
This has happened frequently in the previous two matches for Zulte-Waregem, allowing Zulte to be more expansive in attacking phases of play. This has enabled Euvrard’s side to utilise the wide channels often and to great effect, with many chances coming from the wide midfielders/wing-backs holding the width along with the attacking midfielders drifting wide into these areas.
The data viz graphic above shows the ball progression of Vincent Euvrard’s side since his appointment at the beginning of September, looking at progressive runs as well as successful and unsuccessful dribbles during this period. As we can see from the graphic, most of these successful actions have occurred in the wide channels in the final third, again highlighting the more expansive attacking shape Euvrard wants his side to have, intending to stretch opposition defences.
The image above shows an example of Zulte-Waregem’s attacking shape, along with the quick passing sequences and combination play they look to use in these wide channels. In this phase of play above from a recent match against SK Beveren, Zulte are in possession and begin their attacking move from their right-sided central defender, Rubin Seigers. The 25-year-old Belgian gathers possession and scans for advanced options, finding long-time Club Brugge midfielder Ruud Vormer dropping into a pocket of space in midfield.
Vormer is able to turn towards the touchline and find Robbe Decostere, the Zulte wing-back, dropping back to open up a gap for the 35-year-old midfielder. After receiving possession, the 25-year-old Belgian defender is able to find Zinho Gano, with the 30-year-old Guinea-Bissau international forward dropping off the Beveren backline to become an option for the wing-back. His ensuing pass is then played into the space behind the Beveren backline, with Decostere unable to reach it before it rolls out of play.
The most intriguing thing about this attacking move for Zulte-Waregem is that it was rather incisive, with only four passes and one or two touch passes resulting in Zulte going from the defensive half of the pitch to almost the attacking third. This helps to demonstrate what Vincent Euvrard wants his side to be able to do: use quick, incisive passing combinations to unlock the opposition’s defensive shapes.
The image above shows another example of the attacking phase of play for Zulte-Waregem under Vincent Euvrard. In this phase of play above against Club Brugge II, the ball is in possession of the wing-back, Decostere, on the far touchline. Ruud Vormer is advanced of him, with outside forward Jelle Vossen dropping deep and operating in almost a wing-back position.
Preceding this image, Vossen dropped into a pocket of space centrally, splitting the difference between Vormer and Decostere. After receiving possession, the 34-year-old Belgian forward played a two-touch pass into the feet of Decostere, with the wing-back then playing a ball into the space in front of the backline for Vormer to run onto. Vormer can then drop the ball back to Vossen, who plays a first-time ball behind the Club Brugge II defence, allowing Decostere to run at the backline and get a chance on goal.
As this section has shown, the attacking side of Vincent Euvrard’s Zulte-Waregem side looks to be reliant on playing expansive and quick one-to-two touch football out in the wide channels. Whether it is positional rotations or the creation of passing triangles to pull opposition defenders out of position, this attacking style of play has shown to be successful for Euvrard at one stop already, and he is already having early success at Zulte-Waregem, with the Belgian side currently sitting top of the Challenger Pro League.
Defensive style of play
When discussing the defensive style of play that is starting to form at Zulte-Waregem under Vincent Euvrard, the Belgian side have looked to be aggressive from a defensive standpoint. When talking about aggressiveness, it is not only from a pressing perspective, though Zulte have been relatively front-footed defensively since Euvrard’s appointment at the beginning of September.
The data viz graphic above shows the high regains of Zulte-Waregem during Vincent Euvrard’s matches in charge. As we can see, they have gathered 57 high regains and 91 counterpressing recoveries while also managing 22 dangerous recoveries, meaning they managed a shot after turning over possession in an advanced pitch area.
The image above shows the typical defensive shape that Zulte-Waregem will set up in when the opposition are looking to build out from the back. As we can see from the image, Euvrard’s side are in a 5-2-3 shape, with the three forwards looking to man-mark against the opposition centre-backs. They are looking to lock the ball to one side, with the left-sided wide forward looking to engage the right-sided central defender as the ball is played to him.
At the same time, the left wing-back detaches from the back five, putting pressure on the highest Beveren player on the far touchline to eliminate him as a possible passing option. This aggressiveness forces the Beveren defender to play back centrally, allowing the Zulte defence to step up and put pressure on any advanced options the defenders could look to play short. This aggressive defensive style looks to force the opposition to play long and into the strength of this Zulte-Waregem side.
Another thing to point out would be the high line that Zulte looks to play, with the Belgian side implementing this style since the appointment of Euvrard. Most times, Zulte will at least have a back four shape, with only one wing-back looking to detach at all times, with this typically being the strong side player. It allows the Belgian side to almost always have a numerical advantage against opposition attacks, giving them the upper hand when opposition sides do look to eventually play it long when they force them to go that route.
The image above shows another example of the defensive style of play that Vincent Euvrard has looked to implement with this Zulte-Waregem side. In this phase of play above against Club Brugge II, the Belgian side are again playing with a 5-2-3 defensive shape. The front three are pressed really high on the opposition’s backline, with the two midfielders behind also playing really advanced, looking to force the Club Brugge II defenders into an errant pass that the Zulte forwards can jump onto.
Another thing to note is how advanced the wing-backs for Zulte are, with them starting in higher and wider positions, looking to put immediate pressure on the opposition wide players if they are to receive possession from the centre-backs.
This aggressive defensive setup looks to force the opposition sides to play long, though, in this specific phase of play, Club Brugge II can play through the pressure, which is a potential liability for Zulte defensively, with the intense pressure from the forward, and the high defensive line could be exposed by sides that are technical enough and good enough in possession to play through the pressure.
However, as this section has illustrated, Zulte-Waregem have become a very aggressive defensive side under Vincent Euvrard. The Belgian side have opted for a defend from the front approach, something that has been able to work really well thus far, with the fact that they are one of the better teams in the Challenger Pro League helping them to consistently be able to put this type of pressure on opposition defenders for the majority of matches.
Three potential crucial players for Zulte under Euvrard
This final section will look at what transfer business Zulte-Waregem accomplished this summer and how this has played a part in how Euvrard has wanted to play since his appointment almost two months ago. This summer, the Belgian side brought in a decent amount of new signings after dropping down to the second division of Belgian football. However, the most significant loss was likely that of Alieu Fadera, with the Gambian forward being sold to Genk in the summer for a sizable transfer fee.
One player featured in the last few games under Euvrard is 20-year-old Ivorian forward Abdoulaye Traoré, who arrived from Bulgarian side Botev Plovdiv this summer. He was their most expensive arrival in the summer transfer window, and a return of one goal and three assists has been really good for the Belgian side.
The image above shows the heat map of Abdoulaye Traoré since his arrival in Belgium. The 20-year-old forward has been deployed in a multitude of positions by Vincent Euvrard; he has generally played on the left side of the attack but also has the ability to play as a central striker, on the right side of attack, or even as a left wing-back, a position that Euvrard has deployed him in during a recent match.
Another player who has started to become a key player for Vincent Euvrard is Guinea-Bissau international forward Zinho Gano. In Euvrard’s 3-4-1-2 formation, Gano has been deployed as one of the central strikers, and the early returns have been promising. As the pizza chart above shows, Gano ranks near the top of the Challenger Pro League in both opposition penalty area touches per 90 minutes and shots per 90 minutes. While he does not get involved much in build-up play, he is also outstanding in the air and will likely be a key player for Euvrard this season.
The final player that we will take a quick look at that may be critical for Vincent Euvrard this season is 35-year-old midfielder Ruud Vormer. The midfielder has been vital since he moved to the club from Club Brugge a couple of seasons ago. Vormer has also been heavily involved in the attacking side of play, as well as playing a large part in the build-up of Zulte as well. Regarding both the possession and attacking side of the game, Ruud Vormer also looks to play a vital part in what Euvrard hopes will be a promotion campaign for Zulte-Waregem this season.
Conclusion
As this tactical analysis and scout report has shown, Vincent Euvrard has been an outstanding appointment since joining Zulte-Waregem at the beginning of September. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to keep the side flying like they currently are. Still, as of right now, they sit top of the Challenger Pro League and are looking to bounce straight back up to the Belgian Pro League while also giving Vincent Euvrard his first shot at managing in the top flight of Belgian football.
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