Ahead of his side's opening Arabian Gulf League (AGL) fixture at Ajman on Monday night (September, 15, kick-off 8:30pm), Al Jazira manager Eric Gerets has promised his side will play an attacking, yet patient style of football this coming season.
Jazira, who finished third in the AGL last season, have strenghtened their squad with the arrivals of Mirko Vucinic, Manuel Lanzini and Jonathan Pitroipa and Gerets is convinced his side have the mentality to launch an assault on the league title this year.
Speaking ahead of their first match of the new season, Gerets said his team were raring to go for the new league campaign following an intense two-month pre-season.
“I’ve watched all Ajman’s friendly matches over the past few weeks and also seen recordings of our last game with them last season, so I have a good idea about their team, and of course my players also know them well,” said the Belgian at his pre-match press conference. “We will play aggressively and in an attacking manner, but we must not rush. We are going into the game fully focused, just as we intend to do every game this season."
Gerets' Ajman counterpart, Fathi Al Jabal, meanwhile is hoping that his players can catch Jazira off guard and is grateful to be playing them before they have a chance to establish a good run of form.
“It’s a positive to play against a top team at the very beginning of the season because often the big sides don’t get into their stride and reach their potential until the 4th or 5th round. We want to start well and keep our morale high,” said the Tunisian.
Al Jabal was keen to highlight the increasing standard of football in the AGL, something he attributes to the national team's success on the pitch in recent years.
He added: “I am fully aware of the strength of the Arabian Gulf League and the fierce competition between all teams. The success of the UAE national team is also a reflection of the level of the League.”
