Paqueta appeals for patience after mauling

Al Shabab boss Marcos Paqueta has appealed for patience and time to turn things around after his side were embarrassed 5-1 by arch rivals Al Ahli in the Etisalat Pro-League.

By Alex Leach

  • Follow us on
  • google-news
  • whatsapp
  • telegram

Published: Tue 23 Oct 2012, 11:38 PM

Last updated: Tue 7 Apr 2015, 2:10 PM

Shabab’s season plunged to a new low on Sunday evening as a Grafite hat-trick and solitary strikes from Luis Jimenez and Achille Emana consigned Paqueta’s men to a heavy defeat at Rashid Stadium.

However, the former Libya coach believes he needs two priceless commodities in football in order to instigate a reversal in Shabab’s fortunes while he beds down his managerial philosophy and integrates some new and young players overall.

“We’ve made changes from last season to this one,” Paqueta said. “There are so many players who need time to adapt to my strategies and we’re working on it.

“The team of last year is not the same one this time around. We’ve made so many changes and other teams in the Etisalat Pro-League have the financial clout – above that of our own – to attract very highly skilled and expensive players.

“For us this year, we have too many players that are in a phase of adaptation with the team and a lot of young players that need a bit of experience.

“Things are not going to be solved very quickly. It needs time.”

Paqueta also blamed absences and poor passing for his team’s latest loss, adding: “It was very difficult for us.

“We were affected by so my absences, but what really affected us the most was the wrong passes by the players and we had to play an open game, which resulted in such a big score. We’re all very disappointed with the result.”

But, he diplomatically dodged a question as to his own future at the club at this early stage of the 2012/13 campaign.

“This is not in my hands,” Paqueta explained. “It’s up to the administration of the club to take such decisions. Such questions should also be asked directly to them, not to me.”

alex@khaleejtimes.com


More news from