Red-hot: Chrigor Moraes celebrates after scoring second goal against Immigration in the Super League. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: Interim coach Christophe Gamel from France is leaving no stone unturned in his efforts to instil greater hunger and fighting spirit in the Selangor squad as they prepare for the season’s resumption this week after the international break.
The Red Giants have endured a rollercoaster campaign so far, with Japanese head coach Katsuhito Kinoshi forced to step aside after just 10 matches.
Since taking over in a caretaker capacity, Gamel has overseen mixed results – a 4-2 defeat to Lions City Sailors in the AFC Champions League Two on Oct 1, followed by a 3-1 win over Immigration in the Super League on Oct 5.
Selangor will return to action on Oct 18 when they face Negri Sembilan in the first leg of the FA Cup quarter-finals at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi.
Revenge will surely be on their minds, as they previously lost 1-2 to the Deer in the Super League on Aug 24.
Reflecting on the win over Immigration, Gamel said he was encouraged by the team’s response but knows there is still work to be done.
“The players performed better compared to our previous match against Buriram. There were many positives, but also several areas that need improvement,” said Gamel.
“With the time we have, I’ll focus on addressing our weaknesses and improve stability, especially in defence.
“The goal we conceded against Immigration could have been avoided, but credit to them - it was a beautiful strike.
“We’ll continue to work hard to tighten that area. I also made a few tactical adjustments in the second half, which clearly helped our defence, transitions, and attacking patterns.
“The forwards responded well – we had three different scorers – and what pleased me most was the players’ fighting spirit and determination to win despite the pressure.”
The Red Giants’ scorers against Immigration were Faisal Halim (70th), Chrigor Moraes (67th) and Alvin Fortes (56th).
