Steinebrunner set for Eagles

Geylang International have not enjoyed the best of starts to 2014.

Plagued by injuries and administrative issues, they have lost all three games in the Great Eastern-Yeo's S.League so far.

It appears the club have had enough, with V Kanan set to be relieved of his position as head coach.

Sources have revealed that Geylang have already signed former Woodlands Wellington and Hougang United coach Jorg Steinebrunner.

The German is poised to take the reins after tomorrow's S.League fixture against the Courts Young Lions.

The New Paper understands that Steinebrunner, who parted ways with Indonesian side PSM Makassar earlier this year, has signed a short-term contract till the middle of the year, with a view to a longer deal.

While club officials could not be contacted yesterday, it is understood that Kanan (right) will be offered the role of deputy coach, assisting Steinebrunner while also working with Geylang's Prime League (Under-21) team.

The Eagles' Prime League coach Nazareno Velez has yet to have his Argentinian coaching licence ratified by the Asian Football Confederation and remains blocked from taking full charge of the team.

When asked about his position yesterday, Kanan said: "The club haven't spoken to me, but I've heard about it, and of course I'm upset.

"I have to put my hand up and say results haven't been good.

"But we've had to play without both our foreign centre backs (Japanese players Kento Fukuda and Yuki Ichikawa) because of injury and, in the first game, without Leonel Felice, our Argentinian forward."

Geylang fell 2-1 to Warriors FC in their opening S.League fixture, lost 4-1 to Home United then were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by champions Tampines Rovers in three consecutive away games.

Added Kanan: "At least judge me and the team at the halfway point of the season. Now, if someone else comes in and the injured players return and Geylang start winning, everyone will give all the credit to the new guy. Is that fair?"

Kanan took charge at Geylang in March 2012, leading the team to the League Cup final in his first season (the Eagles lost to Brunei DPMM 2-0 to finish runners-up).

Geylang finished ninth in the 12-team S.League in 2013, and are currently second from bottom by virtue of having scored one more goal than Malaysian side Harimau Muda B.

Mustaqim Manzur, a former Singapore international who joined Geylang at the end of last season, believes the situation at the Bedok Stadium would have been distinctly different if Kanan had an injury-free squad.

"It is really unfortunate that the team Kanan brought together have not been able to play together in the league," he said.

"If we could play with the team that we had in pre-season, things might not have gone this way."

Geylang beat both Tampines and Warriors 1-0 in friendlies before the S.League kicked off last month.

Steinebrunner comes with some pedigree, having played in the S.League with Tanjong Pagar United in the early years.

As a coach, he won the inaugural League Cup with Woodlands Wellington in 2007, and took the Rams to the final of the Singapore Cup the following year.

"I haven't worked with Jorg before but, whoever the coach is, we as players have a duty to do our best for the team," said Mustaqim.

"We may not have a title-winning squad, but we do have a group of players who can worry the big teams - and we need to start getting results.

"We must do that."

­- Additional reporting 
by ALI KASIM