Jazira’s first-half blues
Catastrophic might seem like a harsh word, but that is how coach Eric Gerets described Al Jazira’s performance in the first 45 minutes of their match against Ajman. The disappointing hosts were a goal down at the break and had to be jolted out of their slumber by a half-time tongue lashing from their coach.
“I told the players that if you want to lose this match, you can continue like this,” Gerets said. “But if you want to win, you must fight and be serious.”
Those words clearly made an impression on the players and they came back to take charge, score three goals and keep their place at the top of the standings. However, as Gerets warned, if Jazira keep playing like they did in the first half, they might not keep top spot for long and the players better heed those words.
Ahli’s new boys impress
The defending champions’ two big-name winter recruits have hit the ground running, and the Rashid Stadium was a happy place after the 2-0 win over Sharjah.
Starting the game, Oussama Assaidi kept the Sharjah defence busy right through his 89-minute stay on the pitch and played a big part in Ahli’s opening goal scored by the other newcomer, Everton Ribeiro.
The Brazilian, though he has had only two training sessions with the team, looked in complete sync with his teammates and the foreign quartet (the other two being Carlos Munoz and Luis Jimenez) seemed to be really enjoying playing together – finding each other with deft back-heels and blind passes, selling dummies and generally toying with defenders.
So, while the departed Grafite and injured Ciel have not been forgotten, they are probably not going to be missed. But could the same be said about veteran defender Basheer Saeed, who has signed for Jazira? We will find out in the coming weeks.
Abdulrahman’s injury concerns
Did Zlatko Dalic really push his luck by playing an exhausted Omar Abdulrahman against Al Shabab on Wednesday night and then persisting with him until the hour mark despite the repeated knocks he took?
Fans and pundits certainly seem to think so. According to them, Dalic should have rested the UAE star, who has a history of ankle injuries and had not played for his club for more than three months.
“I realise it is a big risk,” Dalic said after the game. “But you need to understand I am missing a number of players due to bookings and the national service, and we desperately needed to win this match.”
Hopefully, the decision will not come back to haunt the coach. Post-match, Abdulrahman dismissed any injury concerns and said he had only suffered a muscle spasm. Dalic can breathe easy then.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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