DUBAI // Edgar Bruno said Al Shabab’s late slip-up in last season’s Arabian Gulf League will serve as motivation this campaign as his side seek another top-four finish.
The Dubai club have begun 2014/15 well, winning four of their opening six league matches. Wednesday's 4-2 victory against Sharjah was particularly welcome, since it came off the back of successive defeats and lifted Shabab to third in the standings.
The Rashid bin Maktoum Stadium side may have fallen a spot after Thursday’s results – Al Jazira reclaimed second position with their win against Al Nasr – but they have a game in hand on several of their rivals.
The early season success marks a continuation of Shabab’s steady progression these past few years. Last term, they were Al Ahli’s closest challengers until Round 20, before a run of four victories and two draws in their final six fixtures led to a fourth-place finish.
Bruno, the club’s main striker, insisted that experience had made Shabab even more determined.
“We don’t want to do the same this season,” he said. “Last year, we stayed in second for so many matches and then went down too much. Now we have to continue, take it step-by-step, and be careful not to make the same mistakes as last time if we want to stay at the top of the table.
“We set ourselves objectives before the season and we must try to reach them. We have started the season well, but it’s only six games, even though we have played one less. So, for now, it’s OK, we’re where we aimed to be, in the top four positions.”
Shabab’s collapse last season prompted Marcos Paqueta, the coach, to resign in May. The Brazilian spent two years at the club – making him one of the league’s longest-serving managers – but was replaced in June by Caio Junior, his compatriot. Under Junior, Shabab have excelled despite a daunting schedule: they have already faced champions Ahli, a resurgent Al Nasr and top-of-the-table Al Wahda.
Apparently the transition from Paqueta to Junior has been relatively painless, though.
“All coaches have different characteristics and we understand we have to take some good things from one coach and some good from the other,” Bruno said. “At our club, they realise this because they have had Brazilian coaches for the past six or seven years.
“All the players understand the mentality of these coaches and, although the coach changed, we didn’t change the players too much. This is a strong point for the team.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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