Penang have not had the best of starts in the Malaysia Super League this year, but Football Association of Penang (FAP) president Zairil Khir Johari believes that it’s unfair for fans to pin the blame on his newly-constructed leadership set-up.
The former Penang team manager was voted in as FAP’s new president earlier this month, after the resignation of Datuk Nazir Ariff in January. But in such a short space of time, his stint has already been marred by Penang’s poor form, violent protests at the Batu Kawan Stadium as well as vicious attacks on FAP’s headquarters, which occurred yesterday.
While Zairil understands and appreciates the concern shown by fans, he believes it’s unjustified for them to turn against him at such a premature stage in the season.
“I took over as Penang FA president with unanimous support during the EGM, which is good because every delegate showed support for the direction we intend to take Penang football towards,” he told FourthOfficial.com
“Unfortunately, there are sections of fans who are not very happy with the team’s results in the Malaysia Super League and the chose to vent their frustrations at me, even before I was given the opportunity to start my job.”
Despite hiring ex-Bengaluru boss Ashley Westwood to spearhead their campaign, Penang have incurred four consecutive defeats in the Super League thus far, which puts them right at the bottom of the MSL table. More importantly, the Panthers haven’t been able to find the back of the net – which has visibly left fans completely enraged.
However, Zairil claims there are two ways to look at the situations. Firstly, he thinks there’s more to this squad than meets the eye. But at the same time, the Bukit Bendera MP has urged fans to manage expectations until the next transfer window – claiming that the current squad was inherited from the previous management.
“Fans have been venting their frustrations and we completely understand that. But we need to also look at things objectively. Out of the four games we’ve lost, we dominated possession and launched more attacks in three of them. For example, Sarawak had 11 shots against us. We had 23 shots against them in that match,” Zairil explained.
“The reason for our struggle is simple. We’re a developmental team. Look at our line-up against Sarawak – we had Kumaahran, Jafri, Faizat, Syamer, and Zul. These boys are all 22 years-old or younger. It’s a very young team, but they will be great in the future!
“But fans also need to know that players are not picked by the management, tactics are not set by the management. This is where people might not entirely know what the division of labor is like. The bulk of the current team was what we inherited from the previous management, and due to budgetary constraints, we are doing what we can within our means. We were never going to be the team with the most amount of quality anyway,” he added.
The Panthers were able to notch their first win of the year last night, as they clinched a 1-0 win over MPKB-BRI U-Bes in the FA Cup. The win undoubtedly eases the pressure on Ashley Westwood’s shoulders, but the ex-Man Utd trainee will have to immediately switch his attention back to the MSL, where an away bout against Pahang awaits his men this weekend. As far as Zairil is concerned though, he has complete faith in Ashley’s ability to help the team grow as a unit.
“Ashley was brought in to create systems, professionalize the club and establish a new football culture. I think he’s doing a good job at that. Yes, results have not been positive. But that’s football. Has he made mistakes? Perhaps, but only he can answer that.
“But is he in the right direction? Given that our young team has controlled possession in the 3 out of the 4 games we’ve played in the MSL this year; things are definitely heading in the right direction. At the end of the day, the coach can’t step onto the field and score goals for the team. The players have to do it themselves,” he concluded.
Penang fans, what are your thoughts on the Panthers’ performances this year? Is Ashley Westwood the right man for the job? Do you agree with Zairil Khir Johari’s thoughts? Let us know by commenting below!
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