PETALING JAYA: Just one goal in three matches is far from ideal for Melaka, but coach K. Devan has vowed to sharpen his side’s attack ahead of their upcoming Super League clash.
Melaka, A1 Semi-Pro League champions last season, picked up their second draw in the top flight after being held 0-0 by Police at the Selayang Stadium on Saturday.
Earlier, they drew 1-1 with Penang in their league opener before losing 0-2 to the same opponents in the FA Cup round-of-16 first leg.
While the results have been underwhelming, Devan saw progress in the performance against Police, particularly in the team’s organisation and overall tactical execution.
“Compared to our last FA Cup game, the match against Police was much better. We finished stronger and created more chances, but we just weren’t clinical enough,” he said.
“We defended well as a unit but in attack, the players, especially the new ones, still need time to fully understand the system. Against Police, I felt we deserved the three points.
“We know one goal in three games is not a good reading, but we’ll work on that ahead of our next match.”
Melaka’s next league assignment is a tough away trip to face Sabah on Aug 29.
Despite the lack of goals, Devan praised two of his foreign recruits, Brazilian playmaker Danilo Magalhaes and South Korean centreback Gu Dae-yeob, both of whom impressed in their respective roles.
With striker Juan Douglas unavailable, Devan even tweaked his tactics slightly, deploying Danilo alongside midfielder Patrick Gama to provide more stability in attack.
“Danilo did well on his debut. He’s a No. 10, so we brought him in to help Juan get goals. Patrick isn’t a striker but he adjusted well. With more time, I’m confident our attacking play will improve.
“Gu played solidly at centreback, so I feel secure with him anchoring the three-man defence. I’m still learning about his strengths, and once I do, I can adjust the tactics to get the best out of him.”
Devan also admitted he has yet to finalise his strongest starting eleven, with several imports only recently joining the squad and others just returning from injury.
“We’re still in the process of finding the best team. There’s a lot of room for improvement.’’
