Baniyas have felt like The Next Big Thing for much of the past decade. During that time they passed from "little" club to "big", in terms of ambition and spending, but, other than a half season under Mahdi Ali in 2010/11 that led to a second-place finish, they mostly have fallen short of expectations.
With the recruitment of two Spanish veterans and the return of Amer Abdulrahman in midfield, they rekindled hopes they could be a factor in the title chase, after limping home in ninth-place last season. Their Round 1 performance, at home to Al Nasr, did not suggest a team on the cusp of greatness.
It is unfair to expect Abdulrahman to return to his pre-injury form and he was certainly far from it against Al Nasr, disappearing for stretches. Of greater concern was the ineffectiveness of Joan Verdu, 31, who spent the previous eight seasons in the Spanish Primera Liga, and struggled with the heat and pace. His was not an auspicious debut. Baniyas had an extra man for the final 20 minutes, but seemed content to lob the ball to the Chilean forward Carlos Munoz, who at 1.73 metres is nearly helpless in the air.
The other Spaniard, Angel Dealbert, also 31 and recruited to play in the middle of the defence, was fine. But spending a precious expat slot on a central defender is a luxury in the AGL and suggests a dire need in the back line – when Baniyas's opening issues were in the attack, where little Haboush Saleh looked more dangerous than anyone.
Baniyas are away to Kalba on Sunday and anything less than emphatic victory will not diminish the notion that they remain a team of the future.
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