Sunday, October 31, 2010
I'm A Lumberjack And I'm OK
Given the deforestation that afflicts Indonesia it is hardly surprising that the people who run the football clubs here should be lumberjacks. That is the only explanation I have for their penchant to sack coaches before they have had a chance to buy a new tube of toothpaste.
Expectations were high at Persiba, perhaps unreasonably so, after a 3rd place finish last season but already new coach Junaedi is feeling the heat after one win in their opening six games. Despite sitting 11th in the 18 team Indonesia Super League Persiba are only two points off an automatic relegation spot.
Despite boasting as fine a spine in the ISL with Wirawan, Dadi, Robertinho and Aldo Baretto as well as the talented Singaporean international Khairul Amri Persiba have struggled to find any kind of form this season and only escaped with a point at home to Bontang after Robertinho's last minute pen awarded in controversial circumstances.
Persib have big expectations period. One of the biggest clubs in the land, and potentially the region, it's been many a year since their support, Bobotoh, have had anything to cheer about and their poor start to this campaign suggests the drought ain't ending anytime soon.
Yesterday's defeat away to Persija sees them stuck in 14th with a risable 4 points from their five games. A poor return for one of the best squads in the country.
Coach Jovo Cuckovic only replaced the original coach Darko Janocovic on the eve of the season following a player revolt against the Serb/French coach's methods. Jovo, the assistant coach at the time, was promoted but has team his highly paid team of stars underperform so far. Only a 5-1 thrashing at home to Persiba has shed any light on the gloomy start to the season and a tricky trek to Pekanbaru next week to play PSPS is not what the doctor ordered.
After the Persija defeat the manager, H Umuh, said there was a chance they would change the coach but any evaluation would wait till after the PSPS game.
Timber!
# posted by Me @ 8:26 AM 
