Reactions after Gent - Club

Romeo Vermant: 'Scoring twice is massive'

Romeo Vermant played a huge part in Club's 0–5 win over KAA Gent and visibly relished the occasion: 'It was a crazy night. I was really surprised when I suddenly found out I was starting, but I adjusted straight away. I’m very happy with our performance. Beating Gent 0-5 and scoring twice myself is massive.'

Was Club simply too good or was AA Gent just poor tonight? Vermant doesn't beat around the bush: 'It's almost always a combination of both. We had to be good and they have to be below their standard level. But in the end, it's all down to us. We did an excellent job today.'

One thing everyone can agree on is that Club is on a great run with the maximum of the points after four games. 'We've done alright so far. But that doesn't mean anything today. We now have a huge double-header with Union coming up.'

Club leapfrogged Genk and Union to top the table, but that doens't change too much for Vermant. 'Being the hunter or being hunted, it doesn't matter to us because everyone wants to beat Club Brugge. We just have to prove ourselves every week and so far we're doing that.'

Nicky Hayen: 'I rate this performance very highly'

Blauw-Zwart registered an emphatic 0-5 win at Gent. Nicky Hayen was pleased with his team's performance: 'We played very well today with a very much deserved win at the end. To know we're on top now feels great. But we still don't have anything in our hands. In the end, whether you are on top from September until today or just today, it doens't mean a lot. There are still six games left and the margins are very little. It makes these Play-Offs intense again.'

The coach rates the performance very highly: 'I think the squad executed just about everything we asked of them today down to the smallest detail. It shows what you’re capable of when everyone plays to their strengths. If you play with confidence, stay sharp, and remain clinical, you can deliver performances like this.'

Blauw-Zwart are currently operating at a high level: 'Absolutely, and I’m really pleased about that! Of course, we’ll need to keep this up, because Thursday already brings another tough challenge at home against Union. They won at Genk today, so they’re full of confidence too and also have 12 out of 12. We just need to stay calm and not let ourselves be rattled, which we haven’t done at all during these play-offs. We’ve got to keep building on what we’ve already done.'

Both Mignolet and Nilsson picked up on an injury today, but it's still early to say something about the severity of the injury. 'Both will be going to the hospital for scans, so we'll just have to wait and see. Obviously, it's a blow, because we want to keep everyone involved. We'll have more news on them tomorrow.' 

Hans Vanaken: 'This was a complete team performance'

Vanaken marked his 500th appearance for Club with a 0-5 win over AA Gent and to go top of the league. 'This victory is a nice gift', the captain said after the final whistle. 'I’m really pleased with the result and with the team’s performance. At half-time, when we were 0–3 up, I’d already said we had to push for the fourth goal as soon as possible after the break and we managed to do that. We kept the pressure up and Gent never had a chance to get into the match. I think it’s fair to say this was a complete team performance. We stayed focused, kept doing our jobs, and continued our pressing in the second half. That’s how we overwhelmed them. We clearly learned from our mistake away at Antwerp, where we let them get back into the game. That’s something positive we take from this game, as well.'

Vanaken also addressed the wider title picture. 'We knew Genk had lost at home to Union, but that didn’t really change anything for us. We’re still approaching it match by match. The fact is, points are going to be taken off each other and today was the first example of that. We’re now two points clear at the top, but the gap is still minimal. So every game remains important. It’s nice to be top now, but after our two games against Union, things could look very different again next Sunday.'

'Our level of play is really good right now. We’re clearly in great form, and we want to stay in this flow for as long as possible. That’s why tonight’s 0–5 is so important for our confidence. Hopefully that carries through into our home game this Thursday night against Union.'