Tactics talk takes a hit

With less than two weeks before the season kicks off, we track the LionsXII’s efforts to defend their Malaysian Super League crown

He promised the same sort of attacking style which, in his playing days as a striker, made him the football hero of a nation.

But new LionsXII coach Fandi Ahmad has found himself on the back foot, even before a ball has been kicked in the Malaysian Super League (MSL) season.

With less than two weeks before the campaign starts, the 51-year-old is confronting a crippling nine-man injury list that includes key defenders Safuwan Baharudin and Shakir Hamzah.

“At the moment, the signs are not good,” he admitted. “We simply don’t have the numbers.”

His problems deepened last week after it was confirmed that Shahfiq Ghani will be out of action for a month with a spinal compression fracture suffered during last month’s SEA Games.

The attacking midfielder, 21, was instrumental in guiding the team to the MSL title last season, scoring five goals and providing good link-up play with the strikers.

Yesterday, Fandi saw his side fall 0-3 to Persis Solo, in the first of three friendlies they will play during a training tour of Yogyakarta in Indonesia.

The nine-day stint was put together for Fandi to see how his players are adapting to his preferred 4-3-3 formation.

But the injury problems, which extend to every department of the team, have left him flummoxed.

“Right now, I don’t know what formation we can play,” he said resignedly. “You tell me what formation we can play, and I’ll listen.”

His job has not been made any easier either by the loss of LionsXII mainstays Shahril Ishak, Hariss Harun and Baihakki Khaizan to clubs from across the Causeway.

“We lost key players in all three areas of the pitch,” centre-back Safuwan, who is struggling with a knee injury, pointed out.

But neither loss of former players nor injuries to current ones has dulled Fandi’s desire to keep the fans entertained.

“Definitely, we want to play attractive football,” he said. “After all, we have good attackers.”

Indeed, the players themselves have noticed a greater focus on offence in pre-season training.

“Attack-wise, we’ve learnt a lot,” said midfielder Raihan Rahman.

“It’s going to be very interesting for the fans who haven’t seen the LionsXII play much attacking football for the past two seasons.”

This was an oft-levelled criticism of the team under the more pragmatic approach of Fandi’s predecessor V. Sundramoorthy.

But more emphasis on attacking does not necessarily mean a gungho approach to every match.

“The coach wants the whole team to be disciplined,” newcomer Samuel Benjamin, 19, noted.

“The defenders can go up and join the attack but the attackers must also help out in defence; it’s all about keeping our shape.”

And for all his injury worries, Fandi can take heart from the fact that his players are buying into his coaching methods.

“His man-management skills are superb,” said Safuwan, 22, who will take on the role of vice-captain behind Isa Halim.

“We haven’t had many training sessions together but both he and coach Nazri (Nasir, Fandi’s assistant) have done well to squeeze as many things in as possible.”

With the backing of his players, it is no wonder that Fandi has not written off his side’s chances of ending the season with some silverware.

“It will be very difficult to emulate last year’s success,” he said of the LionsXII’s defence of their MSL crown.

“The league is about consistency and that is impossible to achieve when you don’t have the numbers.

“But we have three trophies to fight for and these boys will fight with all their lives. As long as there is some glory for them, it will be good for Singapore football.”

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