Crisis-hit Al Ahli should keep faith in “very special coach” Cosmin Olaroiu and resist the pressure to dispense with the treble winner’s services, according to former captain Grafite.
The Red Knights’ season to forget has hit a new low in their last two top-flight matches with back-to-back defeats leaving them a lowly seventh.
This led to chants of “Cosmin out” reverberating around the Rashid Stadium during last Friday’s 4-0 humiliation against Al Wasl.
Chairman Abdullah Al Naboodah has insisted no immediate change is afoot however, and this message has been echoed by recently
departed club legend Grafite.
Speaking after his new side Al Sadd’s epic AFC Champions League qualifying victory against Al Wahda on Tuesday, the former Brazil
striker explained that several factors are behind Ahli’s awful season.
“There are many things going wrong, I cannot specifically say one thing,” said Grafite, who won five trophies in three-and-a-half years before exiting earlier this month. “The season did not start well.
“I was injured in pre-season, we lost Ciel to injury, Hugo Viana left and the team does not connect the same as last year.
“There are many things inside Al Ahli I cannot talk about, because it is hard for me. I hope they can find a good way to make first place.
“When something does not go well in football, it is easier to change one coach rather than 25 players. Everybody expects more after (winning the treble) last year.
“The league is very hard, they still have a chance in the President’s Cup. Now, a change of manager is not so good for the team.
“Cosmin is a very special coach, a very good coach – nobody can question his quality. Sometimes in football you need to change a bit, but if I was the management I would not change Cosmin.”
The 35-year-old endured a difficult winter and was eventually let go as Ahli reshuffled their foreign-player quota.
“It was very hard, everyone knew about my situation – I did not want to leave. They decided I had to leave,” added Grafite.
“I am very grateful to Al Sadd for opening the doors of the club to me. I think I can do good work here. That time it was me, tomorrow it was Carlos Munoz [the Chile striker who has been deregistered by Ahli].
“Football passes so quickly, one day you are the hero and the next you are not.”
Today Ahli have the perfect opportunity to get back on track with a trip to relegation-haunted Ajman. Olaroiu held clear the air talks with his players this week and insisted at his pre-match press conference that “Ahli will be back.”
Ajman were demolished 7-1 by Al Ain in their last game and their coach Manuel Cajuda admits his players have been deeply scarred by that monstrous trouncing.
“We have a difficult task to try and boost the players’ physical and mental conditions after the big loss last round,” said the Portuguese coach.
Domestic matters first, Asia second for Boss
Al Ain coach Zlatko Dalic has warned the Boss must take care of Arabian Gulf League business before they can concentrate on next week’s AFC Champions League tie against Saudi Arabia’s Al Shabab.
The joint league leaders travel north to Fujairah in buoyant mood today after a resounding 7-1 thrashing of second bottom Ajman on Friday. Fujairah, however, have risen to 10th after a run of just one defeat in four league games.
Dalic said: “Our goal is to prepare the team to collect the three points and achieve an important victory.
“A motive is required before entering the Asian challenge next week.”
Striker Asamoah Gyan, who is Al Ain’s joint leading scorer with eight league goals, is likely to return to the line-up after his heroics with Ghana, beaten finalists at the Africa Cup of Nations.
The visitors are still missing playmaker Omar Abdulrahman and defender Mohammed Fawzi, who remain sidelined by injury.
Emirati trio Fares Juma, Khaled Abdulrahman and Fawzi Fayez are also way on national service.
“Most important for us now are Fujairah, and all our focus is on three points and achieving a strong result that can be an important driver for the team before facing Al Shabab,” said Dalic.
“There are no easy games in football, and all the games require good concentration and respect for the opponent.”
Meanwhile, Fujairah head coach Ivan Hasek says his side is well prepared and won’t go the same way as Ajman when faced with the Boss’ considerable firepower.
Instead he challenged his players to showcase their recent improvements against a side he feels will take some stopping in the AGL title race.
The Czech coach said: “We respect Al Ain a lot but we will not be in awe of them after their big win against Ajman.
“That result gives us more incentive to show our strength and do our best against one of the strongest teams in our League – a definite contender for the championship title.”
Wasl and Nasr set for derby action
Both Al Wasl and Al Nasr go into their clash at the Zabeel Stadium on Friday in confident mood – the hosts more so perhaps after a triumphant 4-0 thrashing of champions Al Ahli.
Gabriel Calderon’s side had been playing better than their post winter break results had suggested and they will go into their second Dubai derby on the spin in high spirits.
Wasl’s Brazilian duo of Fabio Lima and Caio scored three of the four Wasl goals with Lima netting a brace.
Nasr are on a decent run, however, unbeaten in three domestically, although they were beaten 2-1 by Manama in the GCC Club Cup in midweek.
Banis Yas, meanwhile, will be looking to banish the memory of their derby defeat to Al Wahda last time out as they welcome Emirates to Abu Dhabi on Friday.
Luis Garcia’s men lost 3-1 at the Al Nahyan Stadium last Thursday, with the Clarets showing no weakness despite the sacking of former coach Jose Peseiro days before the game.
Argentine Denis Stracqualursi netted a consolation for Garcia’s team, taking his tally to an impressive nine goals in 16 games since signing for the club.
The Sky Blues had kept three clean sheets in a row prior to Wahda’s win, while Emirates will have at the back of their mind a 3-2 win in the reverse fixture back in September.
