Irfan Bakti wants the Red Giants to show more fire upfront.
The new Selangor coach commended the spirited performance of his players after their remarkable fightback from two goals down to hold Negri Sembilan to a 2-2 draw in their opening Super League match in Paroi on Tuesday.
“It is my style to field an offensive line-up and I feel this system has worked well with my previous teams, including Terengganu,” said Irfan yesterday.
He said that skipper Mohd Amri Yahyah, Amirulhadi Zainal, Safiq Rahim and Azidan Sarudin should show more initiative to threaten the opponents’ defence.
“If the strikers are on song, than we should be able to produce the desired results,” said Irfan, who feels he has a balanced side with quality players in every department.
In defence, the Red Giants have Lebanese Ramez Dayoub, Razman Ralan, Nasriq Baharom and P. Gunalan. Midfielder K. Gurusamy, the new signing from Harimau Muda A, has blended well with his new team–mates.
Last season, Selangor lost their sting upfront following the departure of ace striker Mohd Safee Sali, who joined Pelita Jaya FC in the Indonesian Super League (ISL). As a result, the Red Giants finished trophyless, with K. Devan parting ways as coach towards the tail–end of the season.
Irfan tasted success with the Turtles last season after guiding them to win the FA Cup and finishing runner-up to Negri Sembilan in the Malaysia Cup final.
Selangor will host Perak next at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Saturday.