PREVIEW : Malaysian League 2020
CREDIT: GOAL DOT COM MALAYSIA
As of writing this. we are a number of week away from the Professional Malaysian Domestic Season for the year 2020 kicking off. There’s much to preview of the potential title contenders, ‘dark horses‘, the relegation battle in the top Malaysian tier. Abroad what’s next for Kedah after their exit and JDT in terms of preparations.
In the second tier of the Malaysian league, the premier teams. JDT II, Perak II, Selangor II and Terengganu II, good for the game? And the 2020 Malaysian FA Cup Qualifying Rounds, amateur-social teams continues to add the number of participation. Good or bad?
Malaysia Super League 2020
For the sake for this write up, in this section going to categorise the teams into the following. Championship contenders, rebuilding process, purgatory, and silent but problematic (in a good way).
Championship Contenders
JDT - Goes without saying, they will be hot favourite to clinch another league championship. They will have learnt a lot from the 2019 season as they had to rotate players between domestic and continental competitions. Possibility they can or will be more mindful with squad utilisation.
Selangor - Much improved team as the 2019 season progressed. The 2019 post season they have reinforced, and make all starting position competitive, which is good. It’s down to the players and the coaches to synergise and push the competition until the final whistle.
Kedah - Coach Aidil understands how to win football matches as we have witness during the 2019 season. Two cup finals and one domestic trophy to his name under his first season. There will be expectations, has a good squad, all about grinding from start to finish.
Assessment: The team with the best squad utilisation will win the league. Knows when to be mindful game in and game out, as well keeping a cohesive structure. With building a core approach of football. Will win the league.
Having JDT, Kedah, and Selangor competing with each other. Will bring the best out of each other, to which will help the national team. In the event, that the future national call up is spread between these clubs along with a number from the others. It will help the national agenda to push for Asian Cup better.
(Re) Building Process
Pahang - Pendelum of a team, one season a capable squad to push JDT and the following season becomes a squad rebuilding process. Definitely frustrating if you are a Pahang fan to see your club swing in and out of the championship chase.
Terengganu - It’s about building a cultural foundation for the future. Terengganu has a lot of potential to be a football giant in Malaysia. However there hasn’t been a long lasting football identity. Can Coach Nafuzi Zain create that with his staff, bosses, and the players?
Sabah - Sabah will want to stay in the top tier of Malaysian football and reintroduce to the Malaysian football public on what they have missed out about Sabah Football. They will be an interesting watch throughout the season both on and off the pitch at Likas Stadium.
Felda United -Coach Nidzam Jamil would have been proud with what they have worked hard during the 2019 season. And being a first time head coach of leading a Super League team, the experience would be invaluable.
Limbo
Melaka United - There wasn’t really much on a footballing identify on the pitch. What is Melaka United synonymous of? Yes, they have a good squad, but are they being pushed to the right direction going forward?
Perak - There is a good starting eleven within the team, but do they have a good squad to push for honours? Potential over reliance on a few player / a few approach of football?
PDRM - Can’t say much, as there isn’t much information about them. Only information that we know is that Selangor Champions League alumni Dirga Surdi has join the team. And he is a player with a high potential, age 21 years old.
PJ City - What is the vision of PJ City going forward? Is it development, is it this or is it that?
Silent But Exciting
UiTM - Would have put them in the limbo category. But with bringing in former Harimau Muda head coach Frank Bernhardt could prove to be a smart signing. A credible coach coaching players who are willing to learn and the coach learning about his players as well. Something silent but exciting ahead for UiTM FC.
Malaysia Premier League 2020
Feeder Teams
With four feeder teams from Selangor, Terengganu, Perak, and JDT. There should always be a long term vision with creating a feeder team that makes both football development and economical sense to execute. Short term there will be shortages of clubs for professionals over 23 years old to play for. Think that is what some in official capacity are figuring out on how to build the foundation of our football pyramid better.
Malaysian FA Cup 2020
Five things.
Thankful that the then CEO and Chairman of Malaysian Football League have open up the avenue for amateur and high capacity social football teams to compete in the Malaysian FA Cup. Democratising football better.
Thankful those across Malaysia from Football Selangor to Terengganu Amateur League, Klang Valley League, and more help to push the social-community-amateur agenda to those above.
I hope that there will be better streamlining of the competing teams in M3 / Malaysian FA Cup. Meaning they qualify by merit on the field and off the field with good governance of the football club.
There are more teams competing in the FA Cup, especially in the qualifiers. Anything can happen.
Players to watch out for. If you see the following names playing for their respective teams. Have a close look at them Hasrul Nurkholis Hasim, Firdaus Musa, Ibrahim Suhaib, Amir Safuan, Rasydan Malek, Wong Kah Heng, Darshen Ganesan, and Muhd Huzaini.