How did I end up here?

[binny]

I’m still trying to work it out to be honest with you.

I had been having a wonderful holiday in Indonesia and Malaysia, and as I started to think about getting back to London, and perhaps getting myself a job, I ended up watching a game of footy in Kuala Lumpur.

The next few days were a bit surreal, and the next thing I knew, I was appointed manager of the Kuala Lumpur football club. To say my knowledge of Malaysian football is poor would be a compliment. I do recall Gary Lineker scoring four goals against them sometime in the early 1990s, but other than that I couldn’t tell you a thing.

I spent my first few days getting to know the structure of the Malaysian leagues, and took a look at some of the players at my disposal. To say they were bad would be kind, and I started to regret getting myself into this mess. I’m going to have to improve the squad if we’re going to do anything on the field this season.

The ground (known as Bolasepak Kuala Lumpur in the town of Cheras) can, reputedly, hold up to 18000 people, although there is seating for only 3000 people. Somehow, I can’t see us even getting close to that sort of figure this or any other season. The club is supposed to be a professional outfit, and to the extent that the players don’t have any other job, that is true. But, the training facilities leave a lot to be desired, a very lot. The training ground is literally a piece of greenery in the middle of an industrial estate, but I don’t have much choice; at least not in the short term.

According to the chairman of the club, Adnan Tengku Mansor, the club will compete in the Premier League this season. I got excited at first, but he then explained to me that the top division in Malaysia is known as the Super League. The second tier is the Premier League, and there are two parallel groups, and we’ll be playing in group B. There are only 9 teams in the division, and we’ll play each of the other sides three times each over the season. Should we finish bottom of the pile we’ll be relegated, but if we finish top we’ll face a playoff with the group A winners to get into the Super League.

Right, that’s enough of an introduction – time to get to work on the training field and the transfer market.

Technical stuff: FM2005, version 5.0.2. Leagues running: Malaysia and Indonesia (all leagues)

[binny]

I’m still trying to work it out to be honest with you.

I had been having a wonderful holiday in Indonesia and Malaysia, and as I started to think about getting back to London, and perhaps getting myself a job, I ended up watching a game of footy in Kuala Lumpur.

The next few days were a bit surreal, and the next thing I knew, I was appointed manager of the Kuala Lumpur football club. To say my knowledge of Malaysian football is poor would be a compliment. I do recall Gary Lineker scoring four goals against them sometime in the early 1990s, but other than that I couldn’t tell you a thing.

I spent my first few days getting to know the structure of the Malaysian leagues, and took a look at some of the players at my disposal. To say they were bad would be kind, and I started to regret getting myself into this mess. I’m going to have to improve the squad if we’re going to do anything on the field this season.

The ground (known as Bolasepak Kuala Lumpur in the town of Cheras) can, reputedly, hold up to 18000 people, although there is seating for only 3000 people. Somehow, I can’t see us even getting close to that sort of figure this or any other season. The club is supposed to be a professional outfit, and to the extent that the players don’t have any other job, that is true. But, the training facilities leave a lot to be desired, a very lot. The training ground is literally a piece of greenery in the middle of an industrial estate, but I don’t have much choice; at least not in the short term.

According to the chairman of the club, Adnan Tengku Mansor, the club will compete in the Premier League this season. I got excited at first, but he then explained to me that the top division in Malaysia is known as the Super League. The second tier is the Premier League, and there are two parallel groups, and we’ll be playing in group B. There are only 9 teams in the division, and we’ll play each of the other sides three times each over the season. Should we finish bottom of the pile we’ll be relegated, but if we finish top we’ll face a playoff with the group A winners to get into the Super League.

Right, that’s enough of an introduction – time to get to work on the training field and the transfer market.

Technical stuff: FM2005, version 5.0.2. Leagues running: Malaysia and Indonesia (all leagues)

[bartley_m]

Good luck with this

[binny]

Thanks bartley_m, I think I'm going to need it

The last two months or so have been a bit hectic, as I’ve completely rehashed the squad in a bid to bring some quality. It seems that players don’t view there to be such a great gap between the Super and Premier Leagues, and that has allowed me to plunder a few Super League rejects. I was also grateful to get rid of a number of the players whom I felt would just not cut it at the club, even at this club.

The outwards transfers have also helped me to balance the books a little as money isn’t great here, but at least I do have a little in the transfer kitty available to me. I didn’t really know very much about the players I was getting rid of (except that they were pretty poor), so here is a quick summary (all finances are in £s – I still work in my native currency).

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Date Person To Fee

3.12.2004 Alang Endut, Mohd Faizal Sabah £0

4.12.2004 Mohd Yusoff, Mohd Ivan Pahang £3K

21.12.2004 Sali, Mohd Safee Johor £3K

22.12.2004 Othman, Hishamuddin Sarawak £0

24.12.2004 Saravanan, Subramaniam N. Sembilan £0

4.1.2005 Abdul Malek, Azwan Melaka Telekom £0

4.1.2005 Shariful Hisham Perlis £2K

6.1.2005 Lai Weng Hun Sabah £1K

27.1.2005 Zakri, M. Z. Affendi Selangor MPPJ £2K

29.1.2005 Yunus, Norzul Azuan Perlis £1K

1.2.2005 Sudar, Saiful Amar Melaka Telekom £0

</pre>

The restriction on foreigners in Malaysia is that the squad can only have a maximum of four foreigners in the squad; three of whom could be named in any match day squad. And with there already being three Brazilians at the club when I arrived, I was limited mostly to looking at the domestic front for some new and fresh faces.

We played a handful of pre-season friendlies, but with players coming in at regular intervals, there wasn’t a settled feel to these games. If anything, they served the purpose of building up match fitness amongst the players who happened to be around at the time. Most of my information was gleaned from watching and taking training, as well as speaking to my backroom staff. Incidentally, they are as follows:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Job Name Nat

Chairman Adnan Tengku Mansor MAS

Gen Mgr Mohd Hilmi Ismail MAS

Asst Mgr Shamsuddin Ismail MAS

Coach Harum Osman MAS

Physio Khidir Abdul Al Karim Alfadi Ali MAS

Scout Rob Campkin ENG

Scout Mohd Nizam Abdul Hamid MAS

</pre>

So, with the season on the verge of commencing, here is a run down of the first team squad that I have built around me (Malaysian unless otherwise stated):

GOALKEEPERS

Muniandy Chandran – a decent goalkeeper who I found at the club when I arrived. He looks like he’s up to the job at this level, and I’m confident that he will do a good job for us this season.

Razi Effendi Suhit – Razi was also here when I got here, and it’s the only position that I haven’t changed. He’s not of the same quality as Chandran, but I feel that he is a decent enough backup. I may have to revise that if I ever have to use him though.

DEFENDERS

Nazrulerwan Makmor – a £1k signing from Sabah, and he’s also an international. That though isn’t saying too much. He looks like a strong defender, and should be an important player for us this season.

Abdul Ghani Malik – Abdul came on a free transfer from Pahang, and he will also walk straight into the starting line-up.

Rafael Rodrigues (Brazilian) – The youngster still has a lot to learn, but he has a lot of potential. He’s going to be sitting on the bench for the start of the season, but depending on injuries and suspensions he’ll get his chance to shine and show exactly what he can do in the heat of the moment.

Cheah Kean Seng – The left back was one of the decent players at the club when I first arrived. But a horrific injury during a friendly will see him on the surgeon’s table and then in recuperation, and he’s unlikely to see much action this season unfortunately.

Azralan Amzi – He’ll be filling in at left back for the moment as I try to find another player to cover this position. He should though be able to do a decent enough job.

Subri Sulong – Subri has only just joined the club for £2k from Pahang, but such is his quality that he’ll be claiming the right back spot immediately.

Shanmuganathan Nanthakumar – Another signing from Penang, this time for £1k, he’s got a decent right foot on him, and he will be challenging for the right back spot. He’s got to work hard though to displace Sulong.

MIDFIELDERS

Luis Rodrigo (Brazilian) – Another of the Samba contingent at the club, and he’ll probably be a regular in the side this season. He can break up the opposition possession, but he can also get attacks going, and he will be an important cog in our midfield this season.

Nordin Kamis – A £1k signing from Penang offers us a decent defensive option in midfield. He’s not so keen on getting forward, but he could play an important role against some of the teams who present a real threat going forward.

Gopalan Muthu – A free transfer from Melaka Telekom, Gopalan knows how to get forward and create goals. He’s going to play an important role for us this season provided that he can keep himself free of injury.

Rufin Oba (DR Congo) – I paid a major fee of £8,000 for Rufin from Brunei (the Malaysian club side – not the nation [think Monaco with a national side]), and it’s clear to see why. He can play up front, but I currently see him as an attacking midfielder, creating problems for defences from deep. He’s also got a very good set piece on him, and he’s going to be one of the first names on the team sheet every time.

Krishnan Kumaran – He’s a decent player, but with so many better players ahead of him in central midfield, he’s going to struggle to get much playing time.

Ng Kok Heng – A left-winger who has also just joined the club (£1k from Penang), he’ll come into the side straight away and is going to be first choice for the foreseeable future.

Rizal Sukiman – A free transfer from Johor FC, Rizal is a decent left-winger as well, and will fill in adequately when Heng is not available.

Rashid Mamud – Came in for £1k from Selangor PB, and will hold down the right wing role. He’s probably the weakest link in the first team, but I’ve struggled to find anyone else.

Mohd Fazil Abdul Rahaman – The youngster has come in for £1k from Perak TKN, and although he’s still very young and inexperienced, he certainly has the potential to make the right wing spot his own.

STRIKERS

Marcelo Padilha da Rocha (Brazilian) – Probably our most potent striker, but he had a bit of a disappointing start to preseason. He looked a lot sharper later on, and I’m going to stick with him for the start of the season.

Eddy Helmi Abdul Manan – The other international at the club came in for £1k from Johor FC, and he’s got a good eye for goal. My assistant is a bit sceptical as to whether or not he should be starting, but I think I’m going to go with him, at least for the start of the season.

Zaykiel Leong – Came in for £2k from Sabah, and he’s primarily a striker. He’ll start his career at the club on the bench, but he can certainly push for a starting spot if he keeps his head up. He can also play on the right, and that might be very useful as the season goes on.

R. Sunder Selver – He’s going to be fourth choice striker at the club, and he can’t really complain about it. But with seven substitutes allowed in league games, he can be almost certain of a place on the bench.

[binny]

The season kicked off with a home tie against Selangor MPPJ, who had actually won group B last season. I didn’t really know that to expect, and I just hoped that we would produce a decent performance. I knew that we had the players; it was just a case of how quickly they could gel together. We were without the suspended duo of Oba and Luis Rodrigues who had both been sent off during the preseason.

It was a disappointing crowd for my first game in charge; less than 500 people bothered to turn up. We didn’t help ourselves either as we struggled to get into any sort of stride, and after surviving a few scares at the back, we were broken and fell behind. Two minutes later though Padilha da Rocha equalised, and we were level at the break.

Fifteen minutes into the second half Muthu had us ahead, and seven minutes later Rashid Mamud scored a lovely strike to put us in control. Sukiman came off the bench to score a fourth, and although we conceded in the final minutes, it was no more than a consolation for Selangor.

I had been trying to get another left back for cover in that position, and although the deal for Bahtiar Othman had been completed before the kick-off against Selangor MPPJ, his £1k move from Johor FC didn’t go through until the evening.

[binny]

Three days later we had another game, and the midweek fixture brought out the fans as just under 3000 turned up to see us play Kelantan. Again we started slowly, and allowed the visitors to come onto us, but Chandran did fantastically well in goal to keep the ball out of our net. We were helped when Kelantan’s Thai midfielder was sent off, but although we could get forward a bit more, we just couldn’t get near the target.

The official stats at the end of the match said that we managed just one effort on target in the entire ninety minutes, and that was despite playing against ten men for most of the game. And just to underline how poorly we played, Chandran, our goalkeeper, was given the Man of the Match award as we ended goalless.

[OMDave]

This should be interesting, as the less-travelled paths have a charm all of their own. Look forward to more

[binny]

Thanks OMDave - I seem to be getting a reputation for the "new league" story person. Wonder why?

My first game on the road took us to Johor, and with this being the third game inside the first week of the season, a few of our players were looking a little jaded. Still, we had a decent team out on the field, although for the third consecutive game we started poorly.

Johor were kept out by Chandran more than a few times before their Aussie striker Daniel Watkins managed to get a header into the net to give the home side the lead. That sparked us into action, and we started to pummel the Johor goal. We missed a few good chances to get an equaliser, but just before the break we did finally get it as Malik powered home a header from a corner.

The second half was a poor affair, and we weren’t helped when Luis Rodrigo was sent off for a second booking, awarded for needless dissent. We actually looked dangerous on the break after that, but we couldn’t score. Neither could Johor though, and we were quite happy to take home a point.

[binny]

The final game of the month was away at Terrengganu, the first of four games against them inside the next few weeks. It wasn’t a great game as both sets of strikers struggled against the defences, and yet again we had our goalkeeper to thank for keeping the opposition out.

Late in the second half though he conceded a penalty, but then redeemed himself by saving from Azmi Che Ngah. Three minutes later the home side headed home what turned out to be a winner, and I had suffered my first loss as a professional manager.

[binny]

SUMMARY – February 2005

Kuala Lumpur 4 (Marcelo Padilha da Rocha 41, Gopalan Muthu 60, Rashid Mamud 67, Rizal Sukiman 72)

Selangor MPPJ 2 (Faizal Zainal 39, Juan Manuel Aróstegui 90)

Attendance: 474

Kuala Lumpur 0

Kelanta 0 (Tongchai Ackarapang s/o 24)

Attendance: 2966

Johor 1 (Daniel Watkins 20)

Kuala Lumpur 1 (Abdul Ghani Malik 45, Luis Rodrigo s/o 68)

Attendance: 3702

Terrengganu 1 (Mohd Abu Hassan 77, Azmi Che Ngah m/pen 74)

Kuala Lumpur 0

Attendance: 4764

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

1st Selangor MPPJ 4 2 1 1 8 6 +2 7

2nd N. Sembilan 4 2 1 1 3 1 +2 7

3rd Terengganu 4 1 3 0 2 1 +1 6

4th Kelantan 3 1 2 0 4 2 +2 5

5th Kuala Lumpur 4 1 2 1 5 4 +1 5

6th Johor 4 1 1 2 4 5 -1 4

7th Selangor MK Land 3 0 2 1 3 4 -1 2

8th Melaka 3 0 2 1 3 6 -3 2

9th Kelantan SKMK 3 0 2 1 3 6 -3 2

</pre>

[binny]

We needed to get back to winning ways as March entered, and we had a home tie against Selangor MK Land to try and do it. Yet again we started poorly, and with nineteen minutes gone St. Vincent striker Marlon James fired in past Chandran. But just as it has done in previous matches, falling behind sparked us into action.

We took our time getting back into the game, and we really laboured our efforts. On the hour though Marcelo Padilha da Rocha headed in an equaliser, and although the game seemed destined for a draw, Eddy Helmi Abdul Manan hit his first goal for the club to win the game for us with five minutes to go.

It was by no means pretty, but it was a decent enough performance and we got the points. At the end of the day, that’s all you can ask for from your players.

[binny]

I managed to pull off a major scoop just before the next match as former French international Emmanuel Petit joined our backroom staff. Still only 34, Petit will instantly command the respect of the squad and hopefully he can help our players to improve themselves.

First though, we were at Melaka, and for once we were the better side during the early exchanges. We weren’t helped though when Luis Rodrigo was taken off injured, but his bruised head should clear up in time for next week’s tie. Clear-cut goalmouth chances were at a premium, but we did manage to eek out a few chances of our own.

We didn’t get into our stride in the second half, and after surviving a few chances Melaka took the lead midway through the second period. We regrouped after that, and a couple of substitutions saw us look more lively. With five minutes to go Abdul Ghani Malik hooked in from a throw-in and we had earned ourselves a decent draw.

[binny]

I made another signing just before the next game as another promising right back joined our ranks. Afani Zamzan will compete with Subri Sulong for the right back spot following his £1k move from Johor.

Afani was on the bench as N. Sembilan came to visit, and I was glad to see a decent crowd turn up to the game; the official gate topped 3000! The game itself wasn’t much to behold, and we weren’t helped when Marcelho Padilha da Rocha was sent off before the half hour mark for a reckless second challenge.

The visitors made things difficult for us; in fact they had only conceded one goal in the league before today’s game. Just before half time though an Abdul Hanan free kick took a wicked deflection into the net, and our ten men were ahead. The visitors struggled to get past our hard work in the second half, and a neat counter-attacking move late on ended with Abdul Hanan grabbing his second of the afternoon.

There was some bad news after the game as Rashid Mamud, our right-winger, had picked up a calf strain, and would be out for a fortnight.

[binny]

We only had three days to prepare for our first leg FA Cup match at home to Terengganu, who are leading our division. Injuries and suspensions forced my hand somewhat, and I also decided to rest some of my better players as well; we do have to concentrate on the league after all.

We started well enough, but really struggled to make anything count in the final third. Chandran, our goalie, kept up his great form with a string of saves to keep the scores at 0-0.

Just after half time though the visitors broke through to score, and we really struggled to get back into the game. Legs tired as the game wore on, and we’re going to face a mammoth task in four weeks’ time in order to make it through to the next round.

[binny]

March ended with a trip to Kelantan SKMK who were still winless coming into the game. We started brightly enough, but an injury to Luis Rodrigo with just quarter of an hour gone seemed to disrupt our pattern of play.

The home side sensed our unease, and after a few attempts on our goal, they finally broke through to take the lead ten minutes before half time. We had two chances to equalise before half time, but our finishing let us down, and we were still behind at the break.

The second half was an even bigger disappointment as we hardly created anything, and we crashed to a second successive 1-0 defeat.

[binny]

SUMMARY – March 2005

Kuala Lumpur 2 (Marcelo Padilha da Rocha 61, Eddy Helmi Abdul Hanan 85)

Selangor MK Land 1 (Marlon James 19)

Attendance: 320

Melaka 1 (Norizam Ali Hassan 68)

Kuala Lumpur 1 (Abdul Ghani Malik 85)

Attendance: 7174

Kuala Lumpur 2 (Eddy Helmi Abdul Hanan 44, 81, Marcelho Padilha da Rocha s/o 28)

N. Sembilan 0

Attendance: 3050

Kuala Lumpur 0

Terengganu 1 (Ahmed Tahrin Yusuf 49)

Attendance: 423

FA Cup Second Round, First Leg

Kelantan SKMK 1 (Kaveepen Taveebut 35)

Kuala Lumpur 0

Attendance: 2590

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

1st Selangor MPPJ 7 4 1 2 14 9 +5 13

2nd Terengganu 7 3 4 0 6 2 +4 13

3rd Kelantan 7 3 3 1 11 8 +3 12

4th Kuala Lumpur 8 3 3 2 10 7 +3 12

5th N. Sembilan 7 2 3 2 4 4 0 9

6th Kelantan SKMK 7 1 4 2 5 9 -4 7

7th Selangor MK Land 7 1 2 4 7 9 -2 5

8th Melaka 6 0 5 1 5 8 -3 5

9th Johor 6 1 1 4 4 10 -6 4

</pre>

[binny]

We didn’t have a match in the first week of April as it was our turn to have the round off. We’re now a third of the way through the season, and although we’re only two points off the top of the table, we’re going to have to improve our form, or rather get some form, if we’re going to have any chance of winning the division.

With the squad getting quite big, I was more than happy to offload reserve defender Patrick Maria Mariasingaraya to Johor FC for a nominal fee. But as we headed towards our next match, a training ground accident has seen Zaykiel Leong ruled out for two months with a broken shoulder.

A first away win of the season appeared to still be elusive as we fell behind at Kelantan after just eleven minutes. We were making things difficult for ourselves with giving the ball away a big feature of our play early on. But as the half wore on we shaped up, and although we tried for an equaliser using the tried and trusted methods, it took a surging and brilliant run from our Brazilian forward to get us back on level terms five minutes before the break.

The equaliser gave us confidence, and in the second half we started to show what we were made of. Chances were difficult to carve out though, but twelve minutes from time we eventually broke through, and Abdul Manan’s strike gave us a first away league victory.

[binny]

Feelings were buoyant in the club after breaking our away form hoodoo, but one player not destined to stay at the club was winger Azizal Mohd Idrus. He moved to Johor on a free transfer, and guess who we were up against next!

That’s right, Johor were coming to town, and we were fully expecting to beat the club that were bottom of the pile. We attacked from the kick-off, and with twelve minutes gone Luis Rodrigo gave us the lead with his first strike of the season. Johor almost equalised with a counter-attack, but soon we were back into our stride, and Abdul Manan scored his 5th goal of the season to put us in control.

We could have been into double figures at full time. Players from all over the field were lining up to take efforts at the Johor goal, and on the hour Rufin Oba finally scored his first goal for the club. Rashid Mamud added a fourth with a wonderful far-post volley, and a fifth was scored nine minutes from time by substitute Nordin Kamis from just outside the box.

A 5-0 win is just what we needed to get our spirits up, and results elsewhere have actually seen us jump to the top of the table on goal difference.

[binny]

Midweek saw a trip to Terengganu for our second leg cup match. I decided that this was definitely going to play second fiddle to our league campaign, and only three first-teamers were in the starting line-up.

And we didn’t help ourselves early on, when Marcelho Padilha da Rocha’s mouth got himself sent off. And two minutes later a dodgy penalty awarded to the home side had then in front on the night, and in control of the tie as well.

We battled well, but with ten men, it was hard going for us, and the last thing we needed was Nordin Kamis mouthing off to the referee ten minutes before half time to receive his marching orders. The nine men left on the field battled well, and somehow, R. Sunder Selver equalised on the counter-attack just after half time.

Three minutes later though the home sides’ Togolese striker, Alfa Potowabawi, hit us where it hurt with another goal, and he grabbed a third late on to knock us right out of the cup.

[binny]

We were a little short on staff due to suspension for the top-of-the-table visit to Selangor MPPJ, but the side that I put out was still more than capable of getting a result.

We got the break that we needed thirteen minutes in as we were awarded a penalty, and R. Sunder Selver netted his second in as many games. With the confidence knocked out of the home side, we pushed forward in search of a second, and just before the half hour mark Abdul Manan doubled our advantage. As if that wasn’t enough, Rashid Mamud grabbed a third on the stroke of half time with a powerful header.

The game changed though early in the second half when Nazrulerwan Makmor went in dangerously on an opponent. He was lucky to only get a booking, but it was his second of the game, and he was off. We held the home side at bay for a while, but with still twenty minutes to go they pulled a goal back, and the comeback was on. We defended well, but with ten minutes to go they got a second goal back, and we were going to be in for a tough last ten minutes.

Indeed we were holding on when they hit an equaliser four minutes from time, but just as we looked to be heading for a draw, their striker fired in from 25 yards out to win the game in the fifth minute of injury time.

It was a bad day all round. Not only did we let slip a three-goal lead, but for our next game we’re going to be very short on options as half our side will be suspended for having picked up too many bookings during the season so far. And just to make matters even worse, Malik fractured his cheekbone during training, and he’ll be out for a few weeks as a result.

[binny]

SUMMARY – April 2005

Kelantan 1 (Roslan Kamaruddin 11)

Kuala Lumpur 2 (Marcelo Padilha da Rocha 40, Eddy Helmi Abdul Manan 78)

Attendance: 5804

Kuala Lumpur 5 (Luis Rodrigo 12, Eddy Helmi Abdul Manan 26, Rufin Oba 61, Rashid Mamud 73, Nordin Kamis 81)

Johor 0

Attendance: 2650

Terengganu 3 (Azmi Che Ngah pen 14, Alfa Potowabawi 57, 88)

Kuala Lumpur 1 (R. Sunder Selver 54, Marcelho Padilha da Rocha s/o 12, Nordin Kamis s/o 35)

Attendance: 477

FA Cup Second Round, Second Leg (Terengganu win 4-1 on aggregate)

Selangor MPPJ 4 (Abdul Rahman Bakar 68, Kamarulzaman Yub Abdul Majid 80, 90, Harizal Izwan Radzi 86)

Kuala Lumpur 3 (R. Sunder Selver pen 13, Eddy Helmi Abdul Manan 29, Rashid Mamud 45, Nazrulerwan Makmor s/o 47)

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

1st Selangor MPPJ 11 6 3 2 23 15 +8 21

2nd Kuala Lumpur 11 5 3 3 20 12 +8 18

3rd Terengganu 11 3 7 1 7 6 +1 16

4th Kelantan 10 3 4 3 12 12 0 13

5th N. Sembilan 11 2 7 2 7 7 0 13

6th Selangor MK Land 10 3 3 4 13 11 +2 12

7th Melaka 11 1 8 2 10 13 -3 11

8th Kelantan SKMK 10 1 7 2 6 10 -4 10

9th Johor 11 1 4 6 5 17 -12 7

</pre>

[binny]

We’ve already lost three times against Terengganu this season, but we must win today to put our title challenge back on track. Otherwise we risk allowing Selangor MPPJ to run away with the top spot. We will though have to do without no fewer than five players through suspension, and I’ve had to call up some of the reserves to fill in the numbers.

We made a good start, but only really looked dangerous from set pieces. Indeed, that was how we took the lead after quarter of an hour with reserve centre back Mohd Fahmi Mohd Hatta heading home from a corner kick. It was a tight game, and both sides struggled to create anything on target.

Terengganu hit the crossbar in the second half as we held on to keep our lead, and despite having to defend against their sporadic, but decent, attacking force, we were still ahead going into the final few minutes. At that stage R. Sunder Selver was bundled over in the box, and he got up to take, and score, the penalty himself and give us a very important win.

[binny]

A trip to Selangor MK Land is what awaits us as we begin the second half of the league campaign still three points behind the league leaders. We do though have a number of players back from suspension, and the side looks a lot stronger from that which won last weekend.

Indeed, we got off to the best start possible as Abdul Manan netted inside 16 seconds. We weren’t going to settle for that, and kept pushing forward. And with twenty minutes gone we had a penalty. With R. Sunder Selver on the bench, Rufin Oba stepped up to take it. He sent the kick straight at the goalkeeper, but thankfully Padilha da Rocha was on hand to fire home the rebound.

We continued to dominate the proceedings for the rest of the first half, but we couldn’t add to score. That didn’t seem to matter though as the home side weren’t doing very much either. That changed in the second half, and we had to defend deeply to keep them out.

Midway through the second period the home side pushed relentlessly, and they pulled a goal back with a 25-yard screamer through a crowded penalty box. It set up a somewhat nervous finale, but we held on to claim victory, and with Selangor MPPJ only managing a draw, we’re back to within a point of the top of the league.

[binny]

A home tie against Melaka was one that I was banking on us to get a victory, but we were put under pressure right from the start by our visitors. It wasn’t pretty stuff, but we somehow kept our composure and started to get forward ourselves.

We still didn’t look all that good, but were pushing Melaka back. But then we were caught out when a free kick was deflected in, and we found ourselves behind at the break.

We laboured our way to creating a few chances in the second half to equalise, but nothing was forthcoming, and we were getting increasingly frustrated. Five minutes from time we failed to deal with a simple cross, and their substitute striker got enough of a flick to head in a second and condemn us to defeat.

[binny]

We ended the month with an away trip to N. Sembilan, and due to a combination of suspensions and injuries, I was forced to play Nordin Kamis at centre-back. He looked good in that position all afternoon, and it’s good to know that I can rely on him in an emergency.

Further up the field we again disappointed. We struggled to create chances, and although we hit the target when we did get a chance, their goalkeeper was in fine form to keep us out.

We also had our goalkeeper to thank for denying the home side, and the game fizzled out into a 0-0 draw.

We’ve now got two weeks off before our next match, and that should be enough time for just about everyone in the squad to recover from injury. The poor results of late have allowed Kelantan to close to within a point of us, and it’s now starting to look like a three-horse race to claim the “B†division.

[binny]

SUMMARY – May 2005

Kuala Lumpur 2 (Mohd Fahmi Mohd Hatta 15, R. Sunder Selver pen 82)

Terengganu 0

Attendance: 2979

Selangor MK Land 1 (Ndubuisi Agu 66)

Kuala Lumpur 2 (Eddy Helmi Abdul Manan 1, Marcelo Padilha da Rocha 19, Rufin Oba s/o 19)

Attendance: 911

Kuala Lumpur 0

Melaka 2 (Norizam Ali Hassan 27, Halim Jontan 85)

Attendance: 3093

N. Sembilan 0

Kuala Lumpur 0

Attendance: 4355

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

1st Selangor MPPJ 15 8 4 3 30 18 +12 28

2nd Kuala Lumpur 15 7 4 4 24 15 +9 25

3rd Kelantan 15 6 6 3 22 19 +3 24

4th Terengganu 16 4 8 4 11 13 -2 20

5th N. Sembilan 15 3 9 3 10 9 +1 18

6th Melaka 15 3 9 3 16 17 -1 18

7th Kelantan SKMK 15 3 9 3 10 14 -4 18

8th Selangor MK Land 15 4 3 8 18 21 -3 15

9th Johor 15 2 4 9 9 24 -15 10

</pre>

[binny]

We had a full and fit squad to choose from as Kelantan SKMK came to visit, and that meant that influential defender Abdul Ghani Malik was back and starting for us.

Given our form in the last two games, it was no surprise that the play was a little scrappy, but we did control much of the proceedings. Creating and taking chances was proving more difficult that I’d have liked though, and we were a little frustrated to be at 0-0 come half time.

It was never going to be pretty, and the only goal of the game was far from that as Rufin Oba saw a shot deflected in to give us the lead. The visitors look a little dangerous after that, but they were hampered late on when they had a player sent off for a second bookable offence.

Results elsewhere also went our way, and the victory took us to the top of the table, albeit only on goal difference.

[binny]

We began the last third of the league campaign with a home match against Kelantan who had lost their decent unbeaten run the previous weekend. It was to be a critical game now that Kelantan had got into the promotion race, and we suffered a blow in training in the week when Eddy Helmi Abdul Manan was ruled out for the game with an injury, meaning a start for the just-recovered Zaykiel Leong.

We didn’t start particularly well as we backed off their striker, and he cracked home an effort from 25 yards out to leave us reeling. Thankfully, we had plenty of time to get back into the game, and after a few prodding moments, Padilha da Rocha saw an effort turned in by a defender. The Malaysian FA decided that it was an own goal, but I feel that it was a little harsh on our Brazilian.

We failed to build on that equaliser though, and by half time we were behind again to another strike as we failed to defend properly.

We were much better in the second half, and after a minute or so of incessant pressure, Zaykiel Leong finally broke his duck for the club as he turned in a loose ball at the far post to equalise again. We had our chances to win the game in the final minutes, but we had to settle for a draw, and I was quite happy with that.

[binny]

A trip to bottom-of-the-table Johor beckoned for us, and the only change in the team was on the left wing where Sukiman was in for the suspended Ng Kok Heng.

It should have been a match that we dominated, but such was the play that you would have thought the home side were challenging for the title and us, the visitors, were fighting for relegation. We were under pressure right from the start, and it was inevitable that we would be behind soon enough. The goal came before the half hour mark through Daniel Watkins, and before half time we had conceded another as poor defending let us down.

We were much improved in the second half, but to be honest, that wasn’t hard. We did create a few chances to score, but we never looked likely, and this form, or lack of it, could end up costing us a promotion playoff at the end of the season.

[binny]

The visit of Selangor MPPJ was going to be crucial to deciding who would be contesting a promotion playoff. It seemed though that the fans weren’t too keen on seeing two out-of-form sides tackle each other as only 613 bothered to turn up. That despite the tie being played on a Sunday evening!

If the fans weren’t up for it, the players most certainly were, as we won all the tackles early on and got to the ball first. We could then start to create chances, and we did so a number of times during the game, only to be denied by some good defending and some excellent goalkeeping. Padilha da Rocha was also denied by the woodwork.

The visitors tried to use their pace to hit us on the break, but on the whole we dealt with them quite well, and they only ended up with one shot on-target throughout the entire game.

Our failure to score was starting to get to us, and with only a few minutes to go we were down to ten men when Makmor was given his marching orders. I would have settled for a draw there and then, but Zaykiel Leong had other ideas, and in injury time he powered his way through the Selangor midfield and defence and put the ball away to earn us a deserved, but also lucky, victory.

[binny]

SUMMARY – June 2005

Kuala Lumpur 1 (Rufin Oba 63)

Kelantan SKMK 0 (Mohd Amri Mohd Ramli s/o 87)

Attendance: 1407

Kuala Lumpur 2 (Mohd Halian Napi (og) 17, Zaykiel Leong 64)

Kelantan 2 (Mohd Zaidi Zaing 4, 33)

Attendance: 2972

Johor 2 (Daniel Watkins 27, Mustaza Maah Mustafa 38)

Kuala Lumpur 0

Attendance: 3230

Kuala Lumpur 1 (Zaykiel Leong 90, Nazrulerwan Makmor s/o 87)

Selangor MPPJ 0

Attendance: 613

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

1st Kuala Lumpur 19 9 5 5 28 19 +9 32

2nd Selangor MPPJ 19 8 5 6 32 27 +5 29

3rd Kelantan 18 7 7 4 26 25 +1 28

4th N. Sembilan 19 5 11 3 16 11 +5 26

5th Terengganu 19 5 9 5 13 15 -2 24

6th Melaka 19 4 11 4 21 21 0 23

7th Selangor MK Land 18 6 3 9 25 24 +1 21

8th Kelantan SKMK 18 3 10 5 12 18 -6 19

9th Johor 19 3 7 9 13 26 -13 16

</pre>

[binny]

A trip to Terengganu was next up for us, and as well as Makmor, Luis Rodrigo was also ruled out due to suspension. It wasn’t the best build up to the match, but the side still looked strong.

The game was a tight, midfield battle, and the referee was also a little card-happy, booking no fewer than nine players over the course of the ninety minutes. Chances at both ends were few and far between, with both sides taking turns to miss opportunities.

We were further hampered when Eddy Helmi Abdul Manan was taken off injured, but thankfully it was nothing too serious, and he’ll be available for next week again.

The second half opened up a little with a few more chances on view, but neither side seemed capable of scoring. That was until two minutes from time when Marcelo Padilha da Rocha forced his way through the home defence, and slotted the ball into the net to grant us a very welcome victory.

[binny]

Our penultimate home game was against Selangor MK Land, and the yellow card count was mounting up to deprive us of yet more players for the match; this time Rashid Mamud and Rufin Oba were forced to sit out the game.

We didn’t start off well though as a neat free kick move ended with the opening goal for the visitors, after just six minutes. We survived a few nervy minutes after that, but within ten minutes we were level as Abdul Manan headed in an equaliser at the far post.

We failed to build on that though, and we found ourselves rocking as the visitors pummelled our goal. Somehow, we kept them out until half time, but just as the second half was getting under way Chandran spilled an effort, and with a lot of confusion in the box, Selangor were able to retake the lead as a shot blasted into an empty net.

We couldn’t get going after that, and we slumped to yet another defeat to leave the title race still wide open with just three games to go.

[binny]

The trip to Melaka was a must-win game for us, and we were at virtually full strength for the tie.

The game started well for us as well as Abdul Manan ended a neat build-up move with a good finish. The game though was very even, and chances went begging at both ends of the pitch. We seemed to be holding out quite well, but just before half time their Bosnian striker capitalised on a poor defensive clearance to equalise for the home side.

It didn’t get much better early in the second half as we gave away a somewhat harsh penalty and we found ourselves behind. We didn’t know how to react to the bad news, and even when we did get forward, we ran straight into the Melaka defenders.

To add insult to injury, Melaka hit a third with a 30-yard screamer, and that effectively consigns us to the Premier League for another season.

[binny]

We still have a very slim chance of promotion, but in order to achieve that, we’ll have to win both of our remaining games, starting with the home tie against N. Sembilan. Even then it may not be enough, and we have a couple of players who are just too tired to take the field today.

We started brightly, and early on Rizal Sukiman headed us into the lead from a corner. But we failed to concentrate straight after scoring, and within two minutes the visitors were level as their striker outpaced our defence and passed the ball into the net.

It was a very tight match, with much of the play taking place in the centre of the field. It was going to take a mistake to find the next goal, and unfortunately that mistake was made by ourselves and we were behind once more.

It got even worse just before half time when their striker glanced home from a speculative cross, and he completed his hatrick to have us trailing by two goals.

We had absolutely no response in the second half as the season seemed to be catching up with us, and we’ll have to try again next season.

[binny]

SUMMARY – July 2005

Terengganu 0

Kuala Lumpur 1 (Marcelo Padilha da Rocha 88)

Attendance: 4614

Kuala Lumpur 1 (Eddy Helmi Abdul Manan 17)

Selangor MK Land 2 (Pachayan Madurai 6, Suhaimi Jusoh 49)

Attendance: 637

Melaka 3 (Emir Dzafic 42, pen 50, Mohd feldaus Hamid 78)

Kuala Lumpur 1 (Eddy Helmi Abdul Manan 11)

Attendance: 7328

Kuala Lumpur 1 (Rizal Sukiman 13)

N. Semblian 3 (Efendi Abdul Malek 15, 38, 43)

Attendance: 2969

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

1st P Selangor MPPJ 23 12 5 6 38 28 +10 41

2nd Kelantan 23 10 7 6 35 34 +1 37

3rd Kuala Lumpur 23 10 5 8 32 27 +5 35

4th N. Sembilan 23 7 11 5 23 17 +6 32

5th Melaka 23 7 11 5 30 25 +5 32

6th Selangor MK Land 23 8 4 11 31 30 +1 28

7th Terengganu 24 6 10 8 15 20 -5 28

8th Kelantan SKMK 23 4 12 7 15 23 -8 24

9th R Johor 23 4 7 12 16 31 -15 19

</pre>

[binny]

The league season may be drawing to a close, but we still have the Malaysian Cup to play. Given that the players need to pick themselves up, I’m minded to play a strong line-up for the group stage.

Two players who won’t be featuring until next season though are Rizal Sukiman and Bahtiar Othman. Both have had surgery following training-ground injuries; Sukiman suffering a slipped disc and Othman injuring his hip. Neither is expected back until the turn of the year at the earliest.

The last game of the league campaign was away at Kelantan SKMK and although we edged the first half, we fell behind just before half time as we were left to rue yet another defensive mistake.

Abdul Manan did get an equaliser early in the second half with his 10th strike of the season, and although we should have won it, it was nice to end our run of three straight losses with a final-day draw.

[binny]

The season isn’t quite over, as the Malaysian Cup starts straight away. 16 sides are split into four groups of four, and after home and away ties against each other team in your group, the top two qualify for the quarterfinals. We’ve been placed in Group C alongside Johor FC, Penang and Perlis.

The first game of the competition took us to Perlis and despite attacking from the start, we couldn’t find the net, and were made to pay for it after twenty minutes when the Super League side took the lead. Eight minutes later a goalmouth melee led to a second goal for the home side, and we were struggling to stay in touch.

But early in the second half we were assisted when the home side were reduced to ten men, and we knew that we had a chance. Perlis though kept coming at us, and it was only in the last few minutes that we could finally push forward. In the final minute Rashid Mamud did get one back, but it was too little too late.

[binny]

Next up for us was another of the Super League sides, in the form of Penang. It was a cracking game early on, but we were far too dirty for our own good, and no fewer than five players found themselves in the referee’s book. It was only a matter of time before someone found themselves sent off, and that dishonour went to Rufin Oba with two minutes to go before the break.

In terms of the play, we had been doing alright, but in first half injury time Penang got the ball towards goal, and Rashid Mamud, trying to clear the ball, turned it into his own net.

It was a tough pill for us to swallow, and with only ten men, we knew we were up against it. We did try to get back into the game, but we just ran out of ideas and the legs weren’t holding out, as we fell to another defeat.

[binny]

A trip to Johor FC represents the halfway mark of the group stage, and with our central midfield pairing both suspended, the duty of marshalling the midfield was given to Gopalan Muthu and Nordin Kamis.

Yet again we began brightly, only to fall behind to a Walter Silva goal after fifteen minutes. We regrouped well though, and on the half hour Eddy Helmi Abdul Manan equalised with a fantastic free kick that flew in from 30 yards.

It got even better for us four minutes later as the home side were reduced to ten men, and we could sense a victory.

Chances though were difficult to create, but with seventeen minutes to go we were awarded a penalty. But Padilha da Rocha’s poor form continued as the goalkeeper made a good save, and we were still only level.

Five minutes from time we were also reduced to ten men when Nazrulerwan Makmor was sent off for the third time this season, and we had to settle for a point that leaves us in a precarious position as we try to make the quarterfinals.

[binny]

SUMMARY – August 2005

Kelantan SKMK 1 (Abdul Latif Jusoh 43)

Kuala Lumpur 1 (Eddy Helmi Abdul Manan 54)

Attendance: 2724

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

1st P Selangor MPPJ 24 13 5 6 42 29 +13 44

2nd Kelantan 24 11 7 6 37 34 +3 40

3rd Kuala Lumpur 24 10 6 8 33 28 +5 36

4th N. Sembilan 24 7 11 6 23 19 +4 32

5th Melaka 24 7 11 6 30 27 +3 32

6th Selangor MK Land 24 8 4 12 32 34 -2 28

7th Terengganu 24 6 10 8 15 20 -5 28

8th Kelantan SKMK 24 4 13 7 16 24 -8 25

9th R Johor 24 5 7 12 18 31 -13 22

</pre>

Perlis 2 (Tengku Hazman Raja Hassan 19, Mohd Faizal Marjus 27, Adrien Jurad Chamrong s/o 51)

Kuala Lumpur 1 (Rashid Mamud 90)

Attendance: 716

Malaysian Cup, Group C

Kuala Lumpur 0 (Rufin Oba s/o 43)

Penang 1 (Rashid Mamud (og) 45)

Attendance: 191

Malaysian Cup, Group C

Johor FC 1 (Walter Silva 15, Mohd Khaidir Dom s/o 33)

Kuala Lumpur 1 (Eddy Helmi Abdul Manan 29, Marcelho Padilha da Rocha m/pen 73, Nazrulerwan Makmor s/o 85)

Attendance: 417

Malaysian Cup, Group C

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

1st Perlis 2 2 0 0 4 1 +3 6

2nd Johor FC 3 1 1 1 3 4 -1 4

3rd Penang 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 3

4th Kuala Lumpur 3 0 1 2 2 4 -2 1

</pre>

[binny]

With the main season over, thoughts were already turning to next season, and the transfer merry-go-round was starting to get into swing.

The two weeks before our next game saw no fewer than five transfers; two in and three out.

Abdul Alif hadn’t made it into the first team at all during the season and was delighted to join Perak for £2,000. Nordin Kamis was on his way to Sarawak for £5,000 and promising winger Mohd Fazil Abdul Rahaman going to Perlis on a performance-fee basis.

One thing that has disappointed me this season is the lack of goals, and so I was delighted to complete the £1,000 signing of Perak’s frontman Mohd Nizaruddin Yusof. And replacing Kamis was Rezuan Khan, who cost us just £1,000.

[Excelsior]

Iim Malaysian, and actually follow the local league and I can tell you that Nizaruddin Yusof is class IRL (relatively of course). I think he got capped recently

My hometown club is Sarawak. How did they do?

Hope it went better than in real life, ( we got relegated...)

[Excelsior]

wait a minute, binny; you didn't play the FA cup?

there are THREE competitions in Malaysia, the Super/Premier league, Malaysia cup, and FA cup.

Did SI cut the last one out???

[Excelsior]

oh sorry

you got knocked out so quickly I didn't notice the FA cup posts

How dare you treat the FA cup with disrespect

It's the oldest club competition in Malaysia- from way back during British rule...

oh btw, Kelantan REALLY suck IRL.

they got relegated from the proffessional leagues this season- even had the cheek to try to appeal the relegation (on the grounds that they were a "big club")

they got laughed off thankfully.

To top it off, Kelantan SKMK got relegated the season before, so now they are the only state without a team in the pro leagues...

just some background

[binny]

Excelsior - thanks for the info. I'm pretty sure that Sarawak stayed up. Also didn't realise how important the FA Cup was - there's always next season

A return trip to Penang was next up on the agenda, and we got off to a fantastic start when Abdul Manan cracked home a 30-yard free kick after just six minutes.

The goal though just sparked the Super League into action, and although we defended well, Penang were level with twenty minutes gone, and just before half time they were ahead.

Having only conceded two goals in the first half barrage, we knew that we might still be able to nick an equaliser, and sure enough we got one before the hour mark; Ng Kok Heng scoring his first for the club with a header from a corner.

Nine minutes later though Penang’s Argentinean striker put them back in front on the break, and we had it all to do again. We did get a helping hand nine minutes from time when one of their substitutes was sent off, but we just couldn’t find an equaliser, and we cannot now qualify for the last eight.

[Excelsior]

tough

look on the bright side, Malaysia Cup champions get paltry prize money (IIR, I remember a discussion on wanting to hugely increase M'sia cup prize money)

so that's my consolation for you

you may want to check the details yourself though...

oh well, on to the next season!

[binny]

That was what I was thinking as well

Two more sales during the week saw us reduce the squad size further. Subri Sulong was disappointed to have lost his right-back spot and he was on his way to Kedah for £5,000. Luis Rodrigo has bags of talent, but he just hasn’t performed this season, and I felt it was best for both parties that he return back to Brazil as he joined Vila Nova (GO) for £6,000.

The home tie with Johor FC was meaningless from our point of view, but we still wanted to put in a decent performance, and perhaps break our non-winning streak. We were without the injured Rufin Oba though; he’d twisted his ankle and wouldn’t feature again until next season.

To say we were poor would be an understatement. We fell behind to a sloppy goal early on, and even the normally dependable Abdul Manan had an off day; sending a penalty straight into the arms of the goalkeeper.

Walter Silva hit another two goals for the visitors in the second half to complete his hatrick and leave us completely deflated.

A replacement for Luis Rodrigo was found soon after the tie, as veteran and former Australian international Matthew Bingley joined from Pahang for just £1,000. He can also play in defence, and hopefully his experience will be invaluable to us for next season.

[binny]

The last game of the season was a home tie with Perlis, and the fans turned up to say thank-you for the major part of the season; when we actually played well.

There was a lot of huffing and puffing from both sides in the first half, and it was perhaps inevitable that we would fall behind towards the end of the period to a scorcher from just outside the box.

We started well in the second half, but our good build-up play never led to anything that looked like turning into a goal. Just before the hour mark we were made to play as our former winger Mohd Fazil Abdul Rahaman paid us back by scoring a second for the visitors, and five minutes later we were three down as Chandran failed to clear, and Argentine striker Bobby Gonzales tapped in.

We did pull one back through Padilha da Rocha, but we never looked like getting a second. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway as we had already been knocked out of the competition, and our season limped to a disappointing end.

[binny]

SUMMARY – September 2005

Penang 3 (Mohd Nazrie Akui 19, 45, José Ramírez Barreto 66, Zulhissyam Jamaludin s/o 81)

Kuala Lumpur 2 (Eddy Helmi Abdul Manan 6, Ng Kok Heng 57)

Attendance: 3021

Malaysian Cup, Group C

Kuala Lumpur 0 (Eddy Helmi Abdul Manan m/pen 37)

Johor FC 3 (Walter Silva 15, 50, 90)

Attendance: 696

Malaysian Cup, Group C

Kuala Lumpur 1 (Marcelo Padilha da Rocha 68)

Perlis 3 (Phillimon Chipata 38, Mohd Fazil Abdul Rahaman 59, Bobby Gonzales 64)

Attendance: 2613

Malaysia Cup, Group C

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts

1st Q Johor FC 6 4 1 1 10 4 +6 13

2nd Q Penang 6 3 1 2 11 9 +2 10

3rd Perlis 6 3 1 2 10 10 0 10

4th Kuala Lumpur 6 0 1 5 5 13 -8 1

</pre>