We miss the sight of red & yellow wave of SELANGOR FANS

Traditionally known as the most supported side in Malaysian top flight football, passionate and colourful atmosphere guaranted whenever they play especially at home ground...from the day of nostalgic Merdeka Stadium untill to the modern phase of current home ground in world class theatre Shah Alam Stadium. 

Supporters from rivals club would definately feel ecstatic if their side could beat Selangor on their own home soil. The collections of past triumph displayed in the trophy cabinet as proof of endorsement on how big success was build around this football institution.

But today, even after the country's return to the region supremacy in football, the traditionally 'Merah Kuning' Selangor fans has distance themself from the terrace. Even winning the super league tittle in 2008, 2009 & 2010 could do little to attract the stay away fans from returning to the stadium. 

Some says it is due to Selangor's lack of flair in their performance, and some say failure in Malaysia cup also contribute the decline of supporters to come to the ground. The situation getting worse by this season, where the average attandence is around 5k during match day.

The FAS and Selangor supporter's club should re organize their structure. The FAS should and must to re consider the engagement between themself and the core supporters, especially the official fans club. It must be a two way relationship between FA and the supporters. A relationship that can bolster the team performance on and off the pitch.

Truly, i am not a Selangor supporter, but for the sake of Malaysian football, i want to see improvement or shall i say, the return of the passionate Merah Kuning supporter in supposedly massive number on the terrace again. 

The role of domestic football league

Many of us have big dreams with our national team. We always hoping our national team can inspire the entire country with a world class performance.  We always expect the best from what we thought as the best eleven in the country.

But i would like to share with my humble opinion, what are the factors that contributing to a very competitive national team. First, competitive domestic leagues, second - Comprehensive and continuos youth development (Academy or sometimes called centre of excellence), and third - Number of export players.

I would like to emphasize on the first factor, which is the high level of competitive domestic league. In any country, the main reason for establishing a local league is non other than to unearth talented players and also to supply these players to the national team set up. THESE ARE THE MAIN REASON FOR HAVING A DOMESTIC LEAGUE.

No matter how big is the money invested or no matter how popular it is, the football league' role is remain as the main factory for any national team. A very competitive domestic league such as Serie A in Italy and La Liga in Spain as a good example on how the league itself was carefully design in order to support the national team set up.

In some other leagues in the world, they keep on producing outstanding talented young players. These leagues attracted top scouts and constantly monitored by them. Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A in Brazil, Primera Division in Argentina, ligue 1 in France and J league in Japan are some of the leagues that considered as not so glamorous but rich with footballing technicalities. These lesser leagues keep producing and exporting players to a bigger clubs. In long term, the national team will get the benefits as exporting players earn valuable experience in playing abroad.

This is to show how important it is a domestic league for any national team. A succesfull national team is a mirror on a succesfull domestic league. with this factor, i always highlight the importance of a very competitive domestic league that can meet the requirement needed for any national team set up.

Learning on 'Total Voetball'

As a staunch supporter for Malaysian football, i always wanted to see improvement in our own brand of local football industry. Since the colonial days, then the independence and then the nation was born, we used to play the beautiful game in the english way. Yes, hit the ball long upfield looking for the hardworking but little brainer poor centre forward.

But today we can no longer play like that. The game has change rapidly in term of public demand, public expectation, commercialization off the pitch, more discovery in sports science, team formation, team preparation, players ability enhancement, the level of game inteligence has increased and etc.

The fact that the more you hold the ball, the more chances for you to win the game. Mathematically at least. Coaches need to be updated on this, especialy in term of team ability to keep on the ball possesion. The kids must be exposed to the technical side of this new philosophy of the game. No more wasted pass, no more pedestrian mode movement, no more aimless long ball. We need to adapt to a more short, on the floor, off the ball movement and fluid flowing attack type of football. Flair, entertaining and glorious football.

But to achieve this level of efficiency, we have to be more realistic and it may require some time before we can really harvest the result. Total football require players total commitment and supported by technical gifted coaches. Total football also require players to adopt the style as early as 6 or 7 years old.

Just look at the current world champions Spain, who succesfully adopting to the said system. They won the under age tournament of under 17 & under 20 world cup with Total football. So for us in Malaysia, if we want to change our football philosophy, we might need to invest and wait for several years before we can see our senior national team playing under the influence of Total Voetball.

HARIMAU MALAYA RETURN TO BLISTERING FORM

The players responded well after being criticised with their previous friendlies series against Philipines in Shah alam and Singapore in Jalan Besar Stadium. The fans including me demanded instant improvement and the boys finished off the friendlies series with magnificent all round performance.

K Gurusamy for me was the man of the match with his tireless work in the middle of the pitch. His attitude was a first class as i could saw him covering every inch of the pitch with great determination. Guru has justified his selection ahead of Shakir Shaari and Amar Rohidan.

Nor Shahrul Idlan Talaha bring added spice in attack, tormenting Baihaki Khaizan with his trickery and dazzling dribiling skills. His impressive link up game with rookie striker Shakir Ali proved that we doesn't miss Safee Sali at all. The first goal of the night came after a neat work done by 'Mat Yo' on the left side of the field. Managed to turned around his marker, he delivered an excuisite cross for the Negeri Sembilan's marksmen. Shakir Ali met the ball with pleasure and headed the ball in for a sublime lead in the 19th minute.

While Fadhli Shas has been restricted to be a 'defensive left back' as he was not involve with any overlaping duty, Bunyamin Omar developed into a more adventurous right fullbacks. Not to forget the spirited performance by Pahang's Azamudin Akil on the right wing, Datuk K Rajagobal has discovered an interesting options in attack.

I dont have to comment more on S kunanlan. The highly charged winger always gave his best, with top level consistency. Datuk always opted for him to play as he can be so reliable in attack and also during defensive duty as well. Beside K Gurusamy, S kunanlan is now an obvious first choice winger for our Harimau Malaya squad.

In my personal request, i hope those ATM trios in Aidil, Azmi Muslim and Amirridzwan will move to a bigger clubs next season to enhance their career, as well as their competitiveness.

The players deserved to celebrate this morale boosting victory, but i have to remind the national team set up, there are lot of work need to be done to retain the AFF cup. Dont get easily satisfied with our performance, they must maintain the winning mentality and focus on how to keep the cup on our soil.

Tanah Tumpahnya Darahku

Datuk K Rajagobal still can't beat the old serbian tactition

1. Many blames the referee for that questionable in the box free kick, but if we look the entire game from a different view, we might have to think again.

2. We allowed the singaporeans to play and pressured us for the last 10 minutes. We gave away the ball unnecessarily, we should have keep the ball in possesion, We couldn't deal well with the high balls, and we allowed Qui li left unmarked just outside of our box.

3. He scored the equaliser with such an accurate stunner,and left us disspointed for not able to seal the game off. I am dissapointed as well. But from my observation, i think once again DKRG failed to deliver the much desired consistency in our team. He can't deliver the positive result after 2 years. And the hope for progress to another level (asian level) is now considered as impossible.

4. We are not playing like an ASEAN champions, DKRG opted to play 3 second division players in an A class international fixtures is something can be regarded as moving backwards. He is running out of ideas, as exposed during Qui Li's equaliser. He should have instructed one of his players to track down Qui Li Instead of rally his entire troops in our own box.

5. I cant wait for the return leg in Shah Alam on the 12th, but so far i can see DKRG limited know how to bring Harimau Malaya to the next stage is almost obvious. He still defending his method and the fact that he still cant beat the old serbian tactition is very sickening!

KLFA Crisis: Its time for privatisation in football

1. Once well known for football factory of Malaysia, constant supplier for top sides in top flight Malaysian football, also winning cups for fun in the late 80's, Kuala lumpur can be considered as a very respectable team competing in our Super league.

2. Based in the klang valley, the most populous province in the country, kuala lumpur or also known as K.L for locals, always producing young and exciting talents for decades. Rashid Hassan (GK), Subadron Aziz, Shahrin Majid, Azrul Amri Borhan, Azman Adnan, Lim Teong Kim and a lot more.

3. But recent financial crisis revealed by the current KLFA president is very shocking, saddening and very hard to believe. But i have in the past, talking about this issue and i thought that we need to change the way we run our football clubs, on and off the pitch.

4. Please no more to over reliance to the state government or in this case over dependant on the city hall's funding. For us to move into profesionalism, clubs or FAs must have a corporate structure designed to obtain financial profitablity in the long run. Clubs must portray themself as a company, earning revenue from ticket sales, merchandising business, commercial ads, as well as corporate ventures with main sponsors so that they can sustain,operationaly at least.

5. To achieve this kind of mentality, clubs or FAs must amend their institution to make way for privatisation to take charge. Clubs to be owned by a corporation, a private limited company. An ambitious corporation will place a very comprehensive corporate planning for the football club, and this will lead to proper budget with the target solely be on achieving financial profit and football glory on the pitch.

6. There are more to be disscused on this privatisation idea, but this KLFA crisis could be a blessing in disguise. I Hope a passionate football investor will come forward and offer himself/themself to take over the KLFA. We need this changes, it has started with JOHOR CORPORATION FC or also known as JOHOR FC in the south. But in greater picture, we need all teams to be privatized.

What was in Datuk K Rajagobal's head?

1. I rushed home from office in KL to make sure i could reach Shah Alam in time for the Malaysia Philipines friendly. Due to some reasons, i was only managed to reach stadium Shah Alam a few minutes prior to the second half kick off.

2. The score board remain 0-0 when i came in. the mood was good due to some pre match build up suggesting this Philipine side is completely different and much stronger than the one we knew for the last 10 years.

3. I was informed by my friend that the first half was a dissapointing perfomance by our beloved Harimau Malaya. He could only recall one clear chance fell to Negeri sembilan's Shahurain Abu Samah. The game continue with not so many eye catching display by both side. With the game approaching to the 70th minutes, i discovered this Malaysian side is getting more predictable, too flat with no real sense of urgency and lack of flair.

4. With limited match winner player in this side, DKRG looked running out of ideas on how to break the much superior physical Azkal's defence. Safiq Rahim, who are almost an automatic starter for the coach despite his long off form performance in the super league, keep on losing possesion of the ball in midfield and never looked promising whenever he started the move from deep. The dynamicsm was totally absent.

5. Safee sali was also not playing at his best, man marked closely by the azkal's defender left the Pelita Jaya front man frustrated. Norshahrul Idlan Talaha return to the national duty was a bit relieve, as he was the one who created much of the creative forward run and trickery.

6. Both wingers were not brave enough to take on the Azkals full backs. Malaysian full backs in Bunyamin omar looked statics and don't have that penetrative pass when venturing forward. He and Shahurain looked disjointed in several occasions.

7. When DKRG introduced Mahali Jasuli on as a leftback, it was unbelivable and shocking move by the head coach. Mahali looked not so comfortable with that out of position task. What was in DKRG's head? with so many second divison ATM players in his line up, i thought that he might not interested with other top super league center backs, or perhaps he just don' t have that trust in them. Or maybe he opted for his former under 19 loyal rear guard instead of other top super leagues defenders? Players who play regularly in AFC Cup like Muslims Ahmad, Faizal Muhd, Subramaniam, Rizal Fahmi?

7. The national team failed to earn points to help them climb faster in the FIFA rank, and the  football patern is showing towards declining trend. Tonight the team was not performing with the right attitude, no sense of urgency and the tactics was awfull. What was in DKRG's head?