It can’t go on like this can it? Dender staring down the barrel as double digit winless run continues | OneFootball

Dender look almost certain to finish bottom of the Belgian Pro League this season. After match week 13 the side remain the only team in the Belgian top flight still chasing their first win of the season. Vincent Euvrard was able to escape the sinking ship by joining Standard Liege a few weeks into the season. His replacement, Hayk Milkon, is a young and up and coming coach. However, he has picked up just two points from a possible 21 so far in the league.

Yet relegation is not a foregone conclusion for Dender, even if they finish bottom. The expansion of the Pro League to 18 teams next season means that the side that finishes bottom after the play-offs will have a second shot at redemption. They will face off against the side that wins the play-offs in the Challenger Pro League. Historically, this fixture has favored the top flight team. However, with Dender being as poor as they have been so far, this year may be different.

How Milkon can turn this around is anyone’s guess. Bruny Nsimba currently leads the team in goals with just two, highlighting the major problem the side faces. Aurellien Scheidler’s departure has hit the side hard, and their measly six goals in 13 games reflects that. At the other end they have shipped 21, the same amount as Gent and one less than the leagues worse defence in Westerlo.

However, the side doesn’t appear to have given up just yet. Despite their poor start to the season, they only lost 2-1 against one of the title favourites in Club Brugge last weekend. They also picked up a point the weekend before against Westerlo and won in the cup against Olympic Charleroi. Ironically, their cup opponents are having a similarly terrible season with no wins from 11 games in the second tier.

With one of the smallest budgets in the top flight, Dender’s sporting team have a big decision to make in January. Do they spend beyond their means to try and maintain their top flight status, or do they hedge their bets and begin building a side that could bounce back up from the second tier. The latter option seems the most sensible avenue to pursue, as it could also give them a chance of winning the relegation play-off they are odds on to be part of.

Dender’s abject season will likely spare a few blushes for other sides in the Pro League. Big names like Antwerp are currently in the bottom four, while Cercle Brugge are struggling for consistency. Neither head coach may survive the season, but Dender being odds on to finish bottom means they can at least plan ahead for another year in the Pro League next season.

Next up for Dender is a trip to Zulte Waregem, a side that has done well since their promotion to the Pro League last season. After that, a battle with Antwerp awaits in what looks set to be an unlikely relegation six pointer.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson