When Quique Sanchez Flores’ strained six-month tryst with Al Ain finally broke down at the beginning of March, few were surprised. Zlatko Dalic had been installed in a less than crystal clear role as technical supervisor just days earlier, and the Spaniard was clearly being pressured into leaving.
The big question at the time, though, was why? Sanchez Flores had encountered problems in the Garden City but he possessed a CV that demanded he be given time.
Croatian Dalic, by contrast, was largely unknown outside of his home country and Saudi Arabia. A household name he might not have been, but in the last two months Dalic has proven himself to be an astute tactician as the Boss have lost just two of 13 games with him in charge.
Following Tuesday night’s 2-1 defeat of Al Jazira at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium they are now unbeaten in nine and have a real chance of finishing a season that looked doomed for much of it, in the last eight of the AFC Champions League and cradling a sixth President’s Cup.
For the first 45 minutes at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium the Boss played with verve and their hosts just could not live with it. Playmaker Omar Abdulrahman and brother Mohamed cut through the Jazira defence almost at will.
The team’s confidence was highlighted shortly into the second half as Omar lofted a free-kick from wide on the left over to the right edge of the box, where Mohamed sent a first-time volley into the foot of the far post.
It is hard to remember the last time Al Ain played with such freedom. Much of the credit for that must obviously go to the coach.
Dalic inherited a side that appeared to be playing with the weight of the world on their shoulders at the start of the year.
But winning breeds confidence and the Croatian has instilled a hardened mentality in his players. When they took to the field on Tuesday night they didn’t sit back, they knew they could impose themselves.
The problem for Dalic ahead of the second-leg is that his side still appear to lack a degree of fitness.
Extricate that extra ounce over the next 10 days though and whether he stays in the hotseat or not beyond this summer, no-one in the Garden City will forget his name.
