DUBAI // It is a match that pits the Arabian Gulf League's newest coach against the manager who seemed most likely to be the season's first casualty.
At Al Wasl and Baniyas, a campaign still only a month old has been characteristically capricious: Gabriel Calderon in at the former, last week succeeding Jorginho, while at the latter, Luis Garcia was supposedly close to clearing his desk.
The Baniyas board, not known for their patience, have yet to wield the axe.
Even at this early juncture, Friday’s victory against Al Shabab felt not only redemptive, but essential, too. Defeat there, stretching Baniyas’ winless streak under Garcia to the league’s first six rounds, and the Spaniard could well have become the ninth managerial change in the past four years.
His reign, which started in the summer, could have been over before it had really begun.
However, an Ahmed Ali double has lifted the mood.
Now Baniyas need to build.
“This win was important for the fans and the club and, of course, the mentality of the players,” Garcia said.
“Obviously, we want to add to this success and take this momentum forward.”
That makes the trip to Wasl just as important.
Take a step back, revert to recent type, and the gripes surrounding Garcia will resurface.
It seems almost futile to say it – given the short lifespan of managers in the UAE – but he requires patience and support.
Garcia touched down at Baniyas in July and had to wait until last week to field a side that left him feeling completely content.
Denis Stracqualursi, a regrettably late addition, did enough on debut to suggest that his new manager was right to push for a towering striker.
Inadvertently, he assisted Ali’s opening goal on Friday.
Now settled, Baniyas must seek to stride forward.
Wasl’s current situation can help or hinder.
The Dubai club have not yet found their rhythm, which seemed an inevitability after what transpired over the past few months.
But Calderon’s appointment should galvanise, substantiated in small part by Saturday’s 2-2 draw at table-topping Al Wahda.
The restorative effects of a new coach are well-known, although, much like Baniyas, Wasl must use their last performance as a platform to progress.
Their traditionally demanding support will expect it. Baniyas will be viewed as a likely victory.
So Thursday’s encounter at the Zabeel Stadium is a crucial step for both coaches – the league’s latest arrival against the manager still presumably on shaky ground.
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