To calculate all the things that are going to happen when the season starts is so difficult for any coach.
For Arabian Gulf League champions Al Ahli we saw the sad sight of Ciel, one of their best players, suffering a double fracture of his ankle during the 1-0 win at Sharjah. Al Nasr would not have thought their top scorer Ibrahima Toure would cause a problem by getting sent off for punching a Bani Yas defender in their 1-1 draw.
The loss of Ciel is very important, not only to Al Ahli, but the Arabian Gulf League. Ciel is a very nice player, and it is important that fans who watch the games get to see fantasy players
For my former team Al Nasr, they still have good organisation and physical balance. The issue is that they have had to replace two big players in Leo Lima and Habib Fardan. The system of the team is the same, though Toure has created a real problem as I think he will be suspended for a long time.
Why has one experienced and important player done this thing? Toure has to take his responsibility in front of the club, fans, management and players.
Al Wahda started like last year, thrashing newly-promoted Ittihad Kalba 5-0. Their best player is attacking midfielder Damian Diaz even though everyone thinks only about Sebastian Tagliabue – he is the soul of the team. Wahda are a serious candidate to win the league this year.
They kept the same players like Al Ahli.
This is a crucial point – you cannot change the player, coach, tactics, everything, every year.
Ahli and Wahda won their games without conceding goals. This is something my former club Al Jazira did not do in their 3-2 win at Ajman.
Long-term, it is difficult if you are conceding goals in games against such teams. But, I think they just need to work on the new concept laid out by coach Eric Gerets and the new foreign players. It is a question of time for them.
Kalba have to do something, as they did not compete for one minute against Wahda.
Their mentality needs to improve.
I remember being at Nasr and we played in my first season at Al Ain. We were 2-0 down after 15 minutes, then Ismael Bangoura received a red card in the second half. But the game finished 2-0, as the team had the mind to never give up.
It is so important for teams to have this mentality and not to collapse to heavy defeats.
Fellow new boys Fujairah lost 1-0 to Emirates, a team expected to struggle. Algeria centre-back Madjid Bougherra is a very impressive signing, but he cannot do it alone. The other players must raise their level.
Al Wasl went from 2-0 up to drawing 2-2 with Al Dhafra. The key for them is to bring back the excitement and pack out the stadium like they did when Diego Maradona was boss.
