Al Wasl coach Rodolfo tells team to forget records
Focusing on figures will see league position slip fears Argentine
Al Wasl coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena has told his Arabian Gulf League leaders to forget about records heading into their home tie with third from bottom Ajman on Thursday.
The Cheetahs are currently on a run of 23-game unbeaten across all competitions with their last defeat being a 3-2 league loss at home to Al Jazira in January, to whom they finished second in the league last season.
Al Jazira went on a domestic run of 25 unbeaten — 30 if you include their Asian Champions League matches — between March 2009 and January 2010.
“If we focus on getting close to breaking Al Jazira’s number of 25 games without loss, it will make us lose focus,” said the Argentine, who was part of Boca Junior’s 40-game unbeaten run between 1998 and 1999 as a player.
“We may commit many mistakes, and take care of other things that may distance ourselves from our primary goal of topping the league.
“I always remind the players of the great effort we have made to get this far and encourage them to do more because the journey is still long.”
Meanwhile, Ajman coach Ayman Al Rammadi, has said losing foreigners Azizbek Haydarov and Bakari Kone through injury and suspension, won’t affect his team.
Great work
“It’s not a problem for us because we have alternatives. We are not a one-star team. I’m confident those on the pitch and on the bench are level. We don’t have a basic player, everyone is the same.
“During Arabian Gulf Cup matches we pushed another group of players who we will rely on in the league for such circumstances, and everyone is ready.
“We respect Al Wasl and appreciate the great work they are doing as current league leaders, but we will play with courage because we respect ourselves and trust our capabilities.”
Elsewhere today, second — placed Al Ain are away to eighthplaced Dibba. And Al Ain coach Zoran Mamic said his team were fighting to get back to the top of the league by the halfway stage of the season after last week’s 2-2 home draw with Al Jazira.