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Cup winners Geylang on course to rebuild
Tam Cheong Yan
info@sleague.com
Geylang United are keen to strengthen their squad as they look to a busy 2010 – although coach Mike Wong played down suggestions of an upsurge in the club’s fortunes.
Wong’s remarks came in the wake of his side’s victory in the RHB Singapore Cup final on Sunday evening, which saw them lift the trophy for the first time.
Success in the tournament also seals the Eagles’ second appearance in the AFC Cup next season, six years after they had participated in the inaugural edition of the continental competition.
That marks a significant improvement in how the club has fared in the last six years, as they struggled to move beyond mid-table finishes in the S.League.
They responded by changing half their senior roster for the 2009 campaign, and while they finished sixth in the league for the third year running, winning the Cup reacquainted them with the sweet taste of success.
And Wong is keen not to see all the hard work put into assembling this squad put to waste, as he begins to plot for next season.
“As I said even before this season started, we must try to keep as many of the core players as possible,” he told sleague.com.
“I am still talking to the club to see how many players we can keep. To move forward, we also need to bring in some new faces to strengthen the team.
“Everybody plays a part, regardless of whether he’s in the first eleven, the 18 or the 22. Even the Prime League players, they play a part.
“Masnashzreen (Masturi) and Yasir (Hanapi) went into the Cup final and did a few good things I didn’t expect them to do. So long as these players can help the team, I think the club must believe in the players and keep them here.”
Geylang’s determination to retain some of their bigger names is expected to face some stern tests, particularly from established major players in the scene.
Already there has been talk of Masnashzreen’s elder brother Masrezwan being approached by another local club, while stellar performances from Yazid Yasin and Jonathan Xu in the Cup final could also bring them to the attention of potential suitors.
One man almost certain to go is former J-League regular Haruki Seto, who has fallen out of favour in recent weeks and is understood to be eyeing a move to Australia’s A-League.
The possibility of seeing more names joining Seto in heading for the exit door could prove disruptive to Wong’s plans, yet he appeared placid about facing such a scenario.
“It’s normal for the bigger clubs to want to take my players,” he said.
“But then, I’m also taking some of their players! The good thing is that we have now qualified for the AFC Cup, so hopefully we can get some better players in.
“With due respect to the current players, we still need some more experience in our reserves. We need more big-game players like Noor Ali; we can’t just keep putting untried youngsters into a Cup final or an AFC Cup game and expect miracles to happen.
“I have some targets, but we will wait until the clubs’ release list is out before we start talking. But I will try to convince them to come, because at least we can to travel to places further than Brunei!”
While the list of players to be released by all S.League clubs will only be published on 13 November, speculation is already rife on a number of potentially Bedok-bound players.
Among the names mentioned are Home United’s Singaporean winger Itimi Dickson and SAFFC goalkeeper Toh Guo’an, while former Eagles midfielder Syed Fadhil is another likely prospect after spending the last two years with PN Sivaji’s Protectors.
There has even been talk of Aleksandar Duric making a sensational return to Geylang, a rumour backed up by the 39-year-old’s claim on Monday that he will be playing for a club in eastern Singapore.
Wong was coy on the transfer chatter, although he hinted that the club would probably not be making significant changes in terms of the financial outlay for 2010.
“The S.League’s budget cap is at about S$85,000, I think,” he said.
“But then, we have always been spending much less than that figure. We can’t break the bank, so we’re not going to be working on a very big budget, even next year.
“We’ll probably be looking at about four to five good buys. We just want players who can come out of the dressing room, game in, game out, giving 100% to this team.
“Of course, the players must be good; if the player’s no good, we cannot just put a clown there and watch him run. But if the players we get are good, and we all work hard, we will see results.”
The former national women’s coach however cautioned against having unrealistic expectations of Geylang, believing it too early to speak of a sustained resurgence.
The Eagles were the dominant force in Singapore football prior to the formation of the S.League, when they operated under the name Geylang International and won six consecutive FAS Premier League titles between 1988 and 1993.
While they went on to become the champions in the S.League’s inaugural season in 1996 and won a second title in 2001, they have not been placed in the top three since 2003.
In that time they have been eclipsed by a number of other clubs, none more so than SAFFC, who have established themselves as the kingpins of Singapore football today with eight S.League championships in 14 years.
Getting anywhere near that new standard set by the Warriors, according to Wong, will demand plenty of effort from his side.
“It’s a long way for any club to go if you want to be the next SAFFC,” he admitted.
“I’ll be honest, we’ve got to be real and just take it one step at a time. Every game we play, there must be improvement, whether the aspect be defensive, attacking or even goalkeeping.
“If there is improvement, we will eventually match the top two or three teams in this country. We will do that, one day, I don’t know when, but we will keep working at it.” |
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