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Sengkang opt for youth
Sazali Abdul Aziz
info@sleague.com
Having seen an experienced squad littered with seasoned pros falter so dramatically in the recently-concluded season, Sengkang Punggol are ready to adopt a fresh approach for the 2010 S.League campaign.
Finishing second from bottom is nothing new to the Dolphins – they finished in the same position in 2007 and 2008 – but this season must be the most disappointing of all, considering the fanfare that surrounded the team in pre-season.
The capture of Singapore internationals Indra Sahdan Daud and Noh Rahman was the highlight of a busy pre-season, which also saw former Woodlands Wellington coach Jorg Steinebrunner take the reins amidst frenzied transfer activity.
Indra, however, became the embodiment of what went wrong for Sengkang as the season took its course.
The striker hit seven goals in his first 13 games for his new club, but failed to find the back of the net despite making a further 12 league appearances in the season, as the club became part of a nervous race to avoid the wooden spoon.
Both he and Noh Rahman are expected to leave during the close-season, and Sengkang coach Aide Iskandar – who took over from Steinebrunner midway through the season – almost confirmed as much when he hinted that the pair would not don the light blue of the team next season.
“Indra and Noh Rahman have been the best pros for Sengkang,” Aide said. “They are committed and have done a lot to guide the youngsters, and we wish them good luck.”
Either way, the duo did not even manage to make the matchday squad of eighteen for Sengkang’s final two fixtures of the season – against the Young Lions and Woodlands.
While Aide – who only took over as head coach in June – patiently explains that the omission of the two were a result of their exertions with the national team, it seems more likely that the club were already planning for next season.
In the final game against Woodlands, Prime League players Zul Nor Farahin, Raymond Kwa, Nurhidayat Kamarudin, Ashley Ow and Israel Tan all had playing time, and Aide said afterwards that “90 per cent of the team” that played would be at the club next season.
He added: “For next season, we will look to bring in a few senior players, a few young players and a couple of foreigners, but most of the team that played (Woodlands) will be here next season.”
The likes of Darrel Tan, Shane Neubronner, Raymond Kwa and Jaspar Seet – all Prime League players as well – have also made appearances in the second half of the season under Aide.
With the exception of Ow and fullback Tan, all the others had previously never appeared for the Sengkang first team.
“Without exposing the young players, they will not progress,” said Aide. “Hopefully, the exposure I have given them in the last two games has helped.”
The club’s new emphasis on youth points to a possible exodus of the more experienced players at Sengkang. Almost half of the Sengkang S.League roster are 30 years or older, and Aide, coincidentally, is part of that group.
When asked if he was finally going to hang up his number 5 jersey, Aide simply smiled and said: “It looks like it.”
The 34-year-old said that he already has “a verbal agreement” with the Sengkang management to continue as head coach for next season, and announced his confidence in his ability to do well in a full-time coaching role.
He said: “The club would like to put out a youthful team next year, and with a youthful coach. I can do it. I think it (coaching a young team in the S.League) will make me a better coach.”
“I’ve played long enough at the top level to know what it’s like to be the head coach,” he continued.
“Of course, in terms of coaching, I am still new. It is a new role for me, but I am picking up fast. I’m managing twenty players every training session – thirty actually with the Prime League boys.”
It seems Aide is already taking some of the experience from his playing days and using them in his coaching ideas.
The former Home United, Tampines Rovers and Geylang United defender is known to be one of the fittest players in the S.League despite his age, as evidenced by him breezing through the strenuous pre-season beep test on his first attempt.
This focus on individual fitness has been one of the things the former Singapore skipper has attempted to drill into his team.
“Since I took over, the fitness levels have improved tremendously,” he said. “I place an emphasis not only on the football, but also having the fitness to last 90 minutes.”
A record of wins in 18 matches though does not make for good reading, and Aide is determined to improve on it next season. He certainly means business, starting pre-season fairly early.
He said: “We have given the boys a two-week break, and then we will begin our pre-season in December.”
He is realistic though, and as the interview drew to a close and perhaps with the enormity of the task at hand suddenly dawning on him, he pensively looked down at his clasped hands and almost in a hushed tone said: “There is still a lot of work for me to do.” |
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