August 27, 2024

Oh dear… Oh dear… Oh dear… With the main man off exploring Jordan as the Women’s Team embark on their AFC Women’s Champions League debut, I’ve taken on the unfortunate task of reliving this match over and over again to bring you some post-match thoughts. If you read Eddy’s preview, you’d know we weren’t expecting another 7-1 hammering in our favour. But surely, most of us still thought we’d come away with a hard-fought win, or at most a draw. After all, Albirex have not been firing on all cylinders this season. Well, Eddy was right about it being anything but straightforward, and his 3-1 score prediction was spot on—just for the wrong team. Ouch. Squad Depth? We knew there’d be some rotation, and sure enough, Bailey Wright and Rui Pires made way for Hariss Harun and the returning Obren Kjlajic. Shawal also came in for Song, meaning we had a few changes from the side that started against Borneo FC Samarinda on Thursday night. But from the off, it didn’t look promising. The Sailors seemed all at sea in transition, giving Albirex far too much room and causing a few heart-in-mouth moments in our box. The team looked disjointed, with players having some rather animated discussions about who should be doing what defensively. Attacking-wise, no movement, no creativity—just flat. The team looked knackered, while Albirex came close to scoring several times. Obren, who was clearly struggling with fitness, had to be subbed off after just 30 minutes. He didn’t look his usual lively self as he headed back to the bench. Was this sub purely because of fitness? Tactical? We’ll never know. The fans were getting a bit antsy, and I can’t say I blame them. It’s been a tough week, and this performance felt like the result of weeks of minimal rotation and our first taste of fixture congestion in what’s turning into a marathon season. Some fans I spoke to reckon our squad depth might not be as deep as we thought. Chances Go Begging – A Familiar Tale The second half started more brightly. The movement was better, but we were still missing that creative spark. We came close to taking the lead—an Albirex goal-line clearance and a brilliant save from Hassan Sunny kept us out. But, as they say, football’s a game of fine margins—right before Albirex’s opener, it could have easily been 2-0 to us. In the post-match interview, Coach Ranko said it plainly: when you get those chances, you HAVE to put them away. We didn’t, and Albirex punished us, catching us on the break to go 1-0 up. The match stats surprised me, to be honest—despite the result, both sides were pretty evenly matched in possession, attempts, and shots on target. According to Sofascore, we posted an impressive 3.42 xG, a full point higher than Albirex’s. While that may make it sound like we did quite alright, obviously it’s the result that matters most – we just couldn’t finish our dinner on a night where we had the chance to go top of the table. Insult to Injury – Or Injury to Insult? As if the night couldn’t get any worse, Toni Datkovic took a nasty knock to the ribs after colliding with Hassan. Losing a key player like Sicario with important fixtures ahead is far from ideal. Here’s hoping Toni bounces back soon—we’re all rooting for you, Sicario! What Next? I’ve seen some fans and the usual suspects on social media throwing around some rather outlandish comments. There’s the usual, sack this coach, sack X player, etc. But surely it’s onwards and upwards from here, right? As fans, our job is to rally behind the team and give them the support they need to get back on track. The title race is far from over, so it’s definitely not all doom and gloom. (Shoutout to Eddy for that one!) This is the first time the lads have lost two games on the trot in over a year (back-to-back 3-1 defeats to DPMM and Albirex last season). But they’ve shown time and again that when they’re down, they’re never out. The team’s got work to do, and we fans can do better too. If we want to bring the domestic treble back to Bishan, we’ve got to do it together. Conclusion This wasn’t the easiest piece to write, but if there’s one positive to take from that disappointing night in Jurong, it’s the fans. What a turnout from The Crew for an away trip to the West—singing their hearts out right to the bitter end! So, 3-1 to Albirex—a familiar disappointment at Jurong East Stadium and probably a fair result. Credit to Albirex, who’ve found new life under their new management. But we’ll bounce back. Next up, it’s Geylang at home as we return to Bishan—and, hopefully, to winning ways. Friday can’t come soon enough! I’ve got faith in the players and the coaching staff to iron out the creases and bring this club back to where it belongs. With a string of continental fixtures on the horizon, it’s now or never to turn this season around. COME ON YOU SAILORS! Written by Calum Lim If you’d like to support the work we do here at SailorFanTalk, you may want to visit https://ko-fi.com/sailorfantalk and leave us a tip!