As a coach who emphasises the collective over the individual at every juncture, this piece could make difficult reading for Arabian Gulf League-title winner Zlatko Dalic.
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Nearly every press conference since he took over an Al Ain in disarray during March 2014 has been coloured by variations of the phrase, “I believe in my team”.
Those words have helped rejuvenate a talented side, carrying them to this season’s championship with three games remaining courtesy of second-placed Al Jazira’s thumping defeat against Bani Yas on Friday, the 2014 AFC Champions League semi-finals and last year’s President’s Cup.
Champions, Mabrook Ainawi!!! pic.twitter.com/VUpmOPCD6F
— Zlatko Dalic (@DalicZlatko) April 17, 2015
Yet this work has often seemed unappreciated in certain quarters. Dalic has felt the heat during a first-leg ACL thrashing to Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal last autumn and March’s long-delayed Arabian Gulf Super Cup loss to Al Ahli.
But to focus on such moments is to ignore outstanding work from the sharpest operator in the AGL. It might seem like it was all handed on a purple-and-white coloured platter to the 48-year-old but this could not be farther from the truth.
Ingenuity and resourcefulness have been behind a crushing top-flight campaign which sees the Boss as highest scorers with 60, lowest conceders with 18 and the only outfit without a home defeat.
In contrast, a disintegrating double-title-winning roster burned by the controversial summer defection of Cosmin Olaroiu to Ahli had sunk down to sixth when he was first brought in.
Congratulations to the team and fans of Al Ain – 2014/15 Arabian Gulf League Champions @alainfcae
— Arabian Gulf League (@AGLeague) April 17, 2015
Al Ain should have been robbed of their lustre by a series of niggling injuries to superstar pair Omar Abdulrahman and Asmoah Gyan which has seen them start together just four times in 23 AGL matches. Instead, a remodelled squad boosted by improved pace and depth have carried the burden with aplomb.
The Croatian has not tried to reinvent the wheel at Al Ain. Clarity of vision has been the byword. The tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1 formation has remained. But it has been given a modern, high-octane take – the first promising signs coming in August’s ACL quarterfinal humbling of Saudi Arabian giants Al Ittihad.
Forward Jires Kembo Ekoko was unloved and forgotten while loaned to Qatar’s El Jaish when Dalic took over. The recalled ex-France Under-21 international has repaid his boss’ faith in full, regularly standing in successfully for Gyan and helping himself to 11 often-vital goals.
New boys Slovakia flyer Miroslav Stoch and outstanding South Korea tyro Lee Myung-joo added necessary vigour to a handful of youthful summer additions.
Dalic has also transformed Mohanad Salem from reserve centre-back to one of the finest defenders in Asia, while coaxing UAE partner Ismail Ahmed out of a lull. This has been done while battling on several fronts.
The run to the ACL semi-finals saw Al Ain playing catch up for the first half of the campaign, while their involvement in this year’s edition should have provided a domestic disadvantage to alreadyeliminated closest challengers Jazira.
Expert management has seen the Boss pick up momentum at the business end of the season, while their nearest rivals have slumped.
Dalic’s name does not yet carry the weight of Middle Eastern giants Olaroiu and Jazira’s Eric Gerets. After a year of unqualified success, it should.
