Former Watford and Brighton manager under pressure at Leicester City’s sister club OH Leuven

Former Watford and Brighton manager under pressure at Leicester City’s sister club OH Leuven

Oscar Garcia is beginning to feel the heat. Midway through the 2023–2024 season, the former manager of Brighton

and Watford took over as head coach of OH Leuven, and he dramatically retained the team in the Pro League.

However, the team is not playing up to expectations after only a few months of the season. The team that shares

ownership with Leicester City is now sitting in third place after ten games, having only managed two victories. Oscar

Garcia is beginning to feel the heat. Midway through the 2023–2024 season, the former manager of Brighton and

Watford took over as head coach of OH Leuven, and he dramatically retained the team in the Pro League. But after

only a few months

One of the sides biggest problems last season was the lack of options upfront. Their record signing, Jonatan Braut

Brunes, failed to impress, although he was afforded few opportunities to do so. He has since left, with the side

bringing in Mickael Biron and Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi. Neither have truly fired yet, but like Braut Brunes, have

been given little opportunity. Instead, Garcia has opted for winger Konan N’Dri or midfielder and captain Mathieu

Maertens as striking options. Maertens has, throughout his career, been much more effective playing in behind or

just off of another striker. It was clearly the wrong tactic during the sides 3-0 defeat to Gent.

While N’Dri has found the net a few times, he is still obviously better suited to playing out wide. Biron has remained

rooted to the bench and his frustration looks evident when he does get on the pitch. The 27-year-old is on loan from

RWDM, where he scored seven goals in 24 games. Neither he, nor Ikwuemesi have found the net this season, but

then they have hardly had many chances to do so.

Where the pressure is mounting on Garcia is that, elsewhere on the pitch, the side have talent. In the central areas

they have plenty of options, with Birger Verstraete, Siebe Schrijvers, Youssef Maziz, William Balikwisha and Ezechiel

Banzuzi all worthy of starting every week. Given that the club is struggling to score and thus win games, despite

having signed strikers, is where Garcia will be under the microscope. He has been provided with the tools, but if he

doesn’t use them and results remain the same, the blame will start with him.

The team will play a free-scoring Antwerp team this weekend. OH Leuven has lost the last two games while giving up

eight goals, and they haven’t won in four games. Additionally, throughout that period, they have only picked up one

point. This was played against Kortrijk, who had a lot of chances but couldn’t convert them. Should Garcia have

another subpar performance on Sunday, he could need to win against Charleroi in order to keep his job.

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