PETALING JAYA: New Kuala Lumpur coach Risto Vidakovic is taking a measured approach as he builds his squad for the upcoming Super League season, stressing that his focus is more on building chemistry and assessing players than early results.
The City Boys were held to a goalless draw by A1 Semi-Pro side Bunga Raya in their first pre-season friendly at the PKNS Training Centre in Kelana Jaya on Friday, but Vidakovic wasn’t too concerned with the outcome.
“It has been good. All the boys are working hard and adapting,” said the Bosnian.
“It’s not easy to build a team immediately, especially with new players.”
The game against Bunga Raya offered the coach a chance to evaluate his players in a match setting, but he admitted that the pitch conditions made it difficult to draw conclusions.
“I wanted to see something different. I didn’t care about the result, I was assessing the boys. But the pitch wasn’t great, practically unplayable. You cannot see good football if the field is bad.”
Despite the uninspiring scoreline, Vidakovic found positives in the team’s attitude and work rate.
“The desire and commitment is there. That’s a good sign. It’s just one week into pre-season, so the work continues.”
Kuala Lumpur have secured three loan signings from reigning champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT): midfielder Syamer Kutty Abba, wingers Safawi Rasid and Manuel Hidalgo; defenders Adam Nor Azlin, Syazwan Andik, Azrif Nasrulhaq from Pahang; and Kelantan winger Fazrul Amir Md Zaman, Filipino goalkeeper Quincy Kammerad.
“We need to improve some positions. There are some names we are trying to bring in. Maybe one or two more additions,” said Vidakovic.
“I want players to compete every day in training. We’re getting players who suit our style and system. That’s the priority. It’s not always easy to get exactly who we want, but we are working on it.”
“Players from Europe aren’t used to playing in these conditions. They need about a month to adapt. Technically, they’re strong.”
