ATM goalkeeper Syed Adney believes that the departure of key individuals from the club could affect them significantly, though hopes of a revival purely depends on the remaining players.
The Armed Forces have been going through a little bit of a turmoil in recent times, with head coach B. Sathianathan being sacked recently. But four key players have also departed over the last one months, with Norshahrul signing for Terengganu, Christie Jayaseelan moving to Felda United, Fadzli Shaari returned to Sime Darby and Amiridzwan swapping KL for Kota Bharu earlier this week.
Adney conceded that the departures of these players does not bode in their favour, though he was quick to reiterate and maintain that the existing squad is capable of pushing new boundaries.
“Of course, it’s sad and disappointing that we’ve lost such a head coach that brought us so much of success in the past. But situations like this happen throughout the world of football and I’m sure Sathia will be back in management soon; he’s one of the best in Malaysia,” Adney told FourthOfficial.com
“Norshahrul’s departure is also a blow. He’s a talented player that would do well anywhere he goes. Then you have Christie, who brought a lot of pace and skill to our team. Fadzli Shaari moved back to Sime Darby and Amiridzwan Taj has left for Kelantan.
“So yes, it has been chaotic in terms of player movements. We’ve some lost really important players, but this is where the players who have not been playing much get their chance to step into their shoes and show that they can do the job too,” he added.
“Shahrin Majid is our new head coach and he’s trying to help us get back to our best. So it’s up to the players now; we need to push hard this season,” he added.
ATM are currently 11th on the league table, and while their form over the last two games has been convincing, the Gladiators will be facing league leaders PDRM this weekend. While Adney does acknowledge the superiority in their opposition for this weekend, he remains defiant of ATM’s ability to notch a win on Saturday.
“PDRM are on good form at the moment, so it will certainly be a tough match. But for us, every match is crucial at this stage. We are on a good run as well, unbeaten in our last two games.
“We just need to keep the momentum going, and strengthen our firepower to pick up three points this weekend. Now is the time for the players to show what they can do and get ourselves out of this scrap,” Adney concluded.
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