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Sundram: We need the 12th man
TNP FILE PICTURE
LIONSXII coach V Sundramoorthy is calling on fans to forget about the Johor FC match and lend their support to the team as they face Pahang in the Malaysia Cup quarter-final, first leg on Tuesday.
In his bi-weekly column, the 46-year-old explained the "football perspective" behind the controversy which surrounded last Friday's match against Johor FC, where his team played for a 0-0 draw with more than 30 minutes remaining.
Sundram said he understood how the fans felt and insisted their support would be vital in the team's march to the semi-finals and beyond.
msiacup
NEXT LIONSXII MATCH
LionsXII v Pahang
Friday, May 17
Darulmakmur Stadium
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Comments
After the final whistle after
After the final whistle after the Malaysia Cup quater-final match between Pahang and the LIONSXII, i think it is only fair to say that the LIONSXII do not deserve the support of the 12th man that coach V.Sundramoothy asked for. As much as the Singapore team needed the fans, the fans feed on the LIONSXII performance and to say that they deserve the defeat is an understatement. What the LIONSXII need is a trashing! Kudos to the travelling Singapore fans that take the effort to travel all the way to Kuantan for the match against Pahang, hoping the Lions will react to the critics after the disappointing draw against Johor FC, the fans was yet treated to a negative Lions side that seems to be happy to play for a draw back to the Jalan Besar Stadium in the return leg.
Unenterprising in the attack with the 4-1-4-1 formation, how many openings or chances were even created from this game? No sparks, no attacking players taking on the Pahang defence even though the Pahang weak defence was clearly highlighted and the only goal the Lions got was an unexpected own goal. Shame on you Lions to even ask the fans to support you! Win the Malaysia Cup? If things are not picking up, don't even mention the Malaysia Cup, you are even losing your own fans! To make things worse, the fans knows that the Lions can play a better game than the last few games put so far as they proved in their first season back in the Malaysia Super League. It's time to stop giving excuse and put in real effort. The fans are not disappointed with the defeat, but rather the lack of trying to win the game. The LIONSXII was starting to give hope to the local community in the first season of the MSL but strangely in the Malaysia Cup, the team started to put their foot off the pedal. It's really time to put in a great and exciting game in the return leg against Pahang or it will be down to the LIONSXII to face the disappointment of the 12th man!