Ashley stays defiant

Penang coach will not quit despite fans’ uproar

GEORGE TOWN: Penang coach Ashley Westwood (pic) will not bow to supporters’ demand for him to quit.

The Panthers created unwanted history after the 6-1 thrashing by Pahang in Kuantan on Saturday.

Westwood’s side became the first team to suffer five straight defeats at the start of the season since the Super League began in 2004.

There is a strong backlash from the Penang supporters on social media, with most of the ire aimed at Westwood and new Football Association of Penang (FAP) president Zairil Khir Johari.

At their last home match – against Sarawak at the State Stadium in Batu Kawan on Feb 11 – fans rioted after the game and police had to fire tear gas and make arrests to defuse the situation.

Despite the outpouring of anger from the supporters, Westwood remained defiant.

“If we are still in this situation after 10-11 games, I will be the first to admit things are not working and I will quit,” said the former Bengaluru FC coach.

“But I won’t walk away after just five games. This is a long-term project that we’re working on and we believe in what we are doing.

“If my players turn around and say they are unhappy or that I’m not the right man for the job, I will walk away immediately.

“I took a 50% wage cut from my previous job in India to come here because I believed in the project. I am the first person to be upset with our five defeats.

“Fans who want to boycott Penang’s home matches can stay away. There will be less pressure on my players. I feel that the fans should back us now and support the team when we are doing badly.”

Prior to the drubbing in Kuantan, Penang had gone down to Selangor (2-0), Perak (1-0), T-Team (1-0) and Sarawak (1-0).

The 41-year-old Englishman attempted to paint his team in a positive light and insisted it is just a matter of time before results start improving.

“Except for the heavy defeat against Pahang, we held our own in the other four matches. We enjoyed good possession and had more shots on goal in three games,” said the coach.

The Panthers’ next assignment is a northern derby against unbeaten league leaders Kedah in Alor Setar today.