Hi everyone,
I hope you had a great X'mas and New Year long weekend break and since it's the new year, it's time for our very own Lions to defend their title as Asean champions next week in the Asean Championship (formerly known as the Tiger Cup).
I prefer it being known as the Asean Cup, because that would have been a good way to get it stuck in our minds, in the absence of a cup sponsor.
So I've got a few questions for you before tomorrow's Question of the Week is published in The New Paper.
1. What would it take to get you interested in this Asean Championship, or is it that you can't wait for it to start?
2. Do you find a general lack of public fanfare generated about the Lions? (Public training sessions - would you even be interested in attending?)
3. Would you even watch the Lions in action at the National Stadium next week, or wait to see if the defending champions win or lose their opening match?
4. Should national coach Raddy Avramovic quit if the Lions fail to get past the group stages, or should he stay since there are so many coaching changes in this part of Asia?
5. Do you expect the foreign-born players to be the same standard as Singaporeans, or better?
Just list the numbers in your post and answer accordingly, by clicking on "comments" below my mini-poll here.
At your service,
Ernest Luis
The Postman
The New Paper
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15 comments:
1) To be honest, I'm not even aware it was going to start...
2) Yes, basically the Lions aren't given enough publicity, though I admit it'll take quite a lot for me to bother watching them in training sessions and all.
3) I don't think I will... The 3 matches I've watched the Lions play at the National Stadium so far were all big games (semi-final and final of the previous Tiger Cup + a friendly with M'sia) and we won all of them (ha, I'm a lucky charm!). But I think the reason why I went to watch in the first place was because there was so much hype about it I knew there'll be more than a few fans there and the team would perhaps rise to the occasion. Not this time I guess, there doesn't even seem to be as much hype.
4) If he quits, who else is there to replace him?
5) They should be better, after all, they were "scouted talent" and managed to get into the team ahead of other Singaporeans. I had high hopes of Agu Casmir and Itimi Dickson back then...
p/s I know this piece doesn't make me sound very patriotic at all! I'm just another glory hunter when it comes to the S'pore team. :(
1) I once supported the Lions during the M'sia Cup games. In fact, i still hope they do well even now. I am still interested in reading about these Championships but refer to point 2.
2) I definitely will not be interested in attending these public training sessions. Yes, there is definitely a lack of fanfare generated. I think there's too many changes always made to the National team. Changes is good. But too many changes makes wearing the Lions jersey less valuable.
3) No.
4) I think he has been around long enough. As what ladylala says, if he quits, who replaces him?
5) Better! Why else should we grant them citizenship? But we should try get them earlier. Players like Egmar and Grabovac are good but abeit past their prime.
Cheers,
kel
I think the Tiger going to start needs a fair bit of coverage from the media. I was writing a preview for a foreign website on the King's Cup, but I had to search high and low in the papers and internet for the King's Cup information about Singapore vs Kazahkstan but found very little. I feel that the Lions have lost the 'glamour' and limelight they deserves.
Now I can only name a few current Lions but I can still name an entire team from the Malaysia Cup era. They cut an album, scored a double in their final season in the M League, they were the original glamour boys.
Who have we got now? Nor Alam Shah is our best striker along with players like Lionel Lewis, Khairul Amri(hope I get this guy right), Agu Casmir and Daniel Bennett. I will only watch them if I have a friend to accompany me but frankly not many are interested now. Training sessions? You must be joking.
Would you rather win the SEA games Gold(it was glamourous then) or Malaysia Cup or the Tiger Cup?
Avramovic should stay. He done Singapore good. Just at Douglas Moore and Barry Whitbread. They had their fair bit of criticism but they did not have the players Thailand got.
For continuity sake, he is blooding young players which augurs well for future of Singapore Football. Perhaps Goal 2010 should be adjusted to Goal 2022 to be realistic.
Foreigners should be much better than Singaporean born players. Otherwise how do you justify taking the place from a local guy?
1. If Singapore is playing (whatever Cup it is) & the match is shown 'live', I would be watching. But for me to be interested in this Asean Championship, Singapore has to start putting in stelar performances & winning the group stages first.
2. Yes, definitely a lack of public fanfare & who would want to watch a training sessions of unknowns. I only know Lewis and Alam Shah from this team. Where are the Lim Tong Hais, Abbas Saads(of course not the bribery part), Steven Tans & Fandis??
3. Yes, I would if the tickets are free. (Afterall, I am having a looong holiday break & I haven't watch a live match before..)
4. He should stay. He's doing very well with the team of players he has.
5. Of course better. They were brought in at a great expense (cost & taking the place of our local talents) & they should prove that it has been worthwhile.
1)In order to attract the crowds,star names are necessary.But I seriously can't think of anyone with that kind of crowd pulling factor in any team taking part in this competition.If you ask me to choose between EPL and Asean Cup,to be honest EPL still stands out for me.
2)The lack of fanfare is pretty obvious,it has much to do with the culture of Singaporeans' association with football nowadays.We used to watch Lions in M-League and EPL on TV in an almost 50-50 basis while now adults watch more EPL and kids are being brought up along with English football rather than watching S-League.
3)If I have the chance I will probably make my way to watch a couple of matches but I won't be so die hard to make it a must.
4)To me Raddy has done well in his stint here.So why wield the axe when nothing really bad goes on?
5)I am not really up for too many foreign-born players in the Lions.So if they are in,they better be good or I should say much better than our local boys.Actually I am very impressed with current local boys such as Lionel Lewis,Nor Alam Shah,Indra and a few up coming youngsters.Among the foreign-born Lions,Bennett is the one who has done well on a more consistent basis.
1. Being the reigning Asean champions is something all Singaporeans should be proud of. I feel if Singapore is to achieve its goal of being a powerhouse in Asia, we need to establish ourselves first as the top dog in this region and we need to do it consistently.
Hence, I cannot wait to see how Singapore fares in the competition and pray we will retain our title.
2. In a nutshell, many Singaporeans have lost interest in the Lions after we left the Malaysian League. Many cannot identify with the S-League.
The extensive coverage of European leagues, especially the EPL, in the media has somewhat allayed attention from domestic football as well as the national team itself.
We, however, cannot solely blame the media since the EPL has been superbly packaged as a viable commodity and provide games and teams that excite the loins. Singapore does not have superstars the likes of Fandi or Sundram, players that excite us.
The lack of a sporting culture, the likes comparable to the Australians, must also be cultivated first for Singaporeans to ever be sports-mad and selfish to our sporting athletes for us to ever attend training sessions.
3. As a fervent supporter of football and a Singaporean, I would not hesitate to watch the game if circumstances permit. I feel it’s our duty to support the Lions because they are out there, representing our country and fighting for our cause. They are our team, be it win or lose and we need to spur them on.
4. Since Raddy became coach, the Lions have really improved by leaps and bounds. The Lions are much fitter, mentally tougher and more tactically astute. He has molded them into an impressive unit, mixing experienced heads while blooding promising youngsters into the team.
He has given opportunities to young players to prove their worth and has always selected the team based on merit rather than reputation. The Lions have proved in recent matches they are a tough team to beat.
I feel the FAS should make it their top priority to try and keep Raddy so that he can continue the good work he has done so far, be it as the head coach or technical director. He has won over the trust of the players and he is the man to take us through for the next few years.
5. If importing foreign talent is the way to go for FAS, then the foreign-born players should be better than what we have. If not, it doesn’t make sense to have them in the first place.
I personally feel if we were to give locals the same opportunities that we have given to foreign based players, these local players can be successful. Singaporeans simply cannot relate to these foreign players. Of course, we have to be patient if we want to produce good players because it does not happen overnight.
Bringing in foreign born players is simply a short-term remedy, a short-cut to success. The fundamental problems lie more in our football structure.
The youth scouting and development system must be restructured, get more local coaches trained abroad and cultivate a sporting culture to ensure we get youths to play sports like football and make football a creditable profession. During the 60s and 70s, we produced many good local players. So if we can do it then, why can’t we do it again?
1)Well, I really could not wait for the Lions to take part in the upcoming Asean Football Federation Cup. Why? As a fellow Singaporean, I would still support the Lions and would love to see them play no matter what.
2)Although I am a fan of the Lions, I do not really pay attention to them sometimes as my favourite clubs from the EPL are playing almost every week and I think that could be the reason for the lack of fans there.
I would not go to any public training sessions of the Lions although I am a Lion fan. I would rather watch EPL highlights or matches rather than attend public training sessions. I believe that everyone thinks the same way as I do.
3)If I had the chance to go to the National Stadium to watch the first match, I would definately go but as my PSLE is coming this year, there is not much time for me to relax and experience the famous Kallang Wave. But, if there is a live telecast on television, I will definately catch it.
4)If the Lions do not make it past the group stages, he should not quit as he is a very very good coach. Remember the 2-0 result against Iraq, the narrow 1-0 loss against China, the famous draw agaist China, and our narrow defeat to Japan? When Raddy took over as coach, I really saw improvement in the Lions so if the Lions do not make it, please stay, Raddy.
5)Frankly, I think that without foreign imports such as Itimi, Precious, Agu and Shi, the Lions would be nothing but a little red dot that cannot play quality football. So, my answer is yes, without a doubt foreign imports are definately better than our locally born players.
Hello all! =)
1] A more extensive coverage about the event is all that is needed to arouse the interest in many of us.
2] Yes, there is a lack of public fanfare but even if there are public training sessions, I do not believe that most Singaporeans will be interested in attending.
3] Absolutely! [ if nothing clashes ] The first match is a crucial match especially in Cup competitions. How can we expect the Lions to win their opening match if we, ourselves, do not show them our support?
4] Raddy has been a revelations ever since he came to take over the reins. The Lions has grown strength to strength. Now that the Lions are on the capable of fighting against the top notch in Asia, we should be proud of him and not doing the opposite by asking him to quit!
5] Since they are scouted into the Singapore Team, they should be at least the better than Singaporeans. Think about it this way. The reason why we scout foreign-born players to come into the Lions is to raise the standard of soccer in Singapore. If they are of the same standard, isnt it better to rope in the Singaporeans instead?
Cheers!
1) Basically i can't wait for the Asean Cup to start mainly because i missed the final the last time round as i was serving NS (stuck in camp).
2)Yes, the Lions do not receive much attention from the media unlss of course when they do badly. Thats kinda negative towards garnering more support for the National Team i feel, especially from the non-Malaysia Cup era. I probably would not be interested in training sessions as they are mainly kick abouts or tactical trainings.
3)Like what i mentioned in point 1, I would definetly be there for the Lions 1st match against Vietnam. No matter how they do, i would still turn up for the 2nd and 3rd matches. Hopefully they'll win the Cup again.
4)NO. Raddy has done a tremendous job since taking over and you can see a tremendous improvement in the Lions as well as in the youth setup.
5)Of course they should be better if not why would we even bothered bringing in them in the 1st place. Its all about raising the standards so the locals can set goals to surpass them and make the Lions better.
1) hmm, maybe when the singapore team is really up to standard.
2) yes,there is very precious little news on the singapore team and i don't think many singaporeans would be interested in seeing the Lions training(coz they are busy ppl?)
3)i don't think that i'm going to watch the matches coz the quality are really not there. However, if they make it to the more advanced stage, i may go & lend my support.
4)i think he is among the best singapore coach there is, so there is no need to change him. the problem lies in a lack of talent.
5)ya, they should be. since they are asked to play for our country because our scouts think that they could contribute to the team. so they should be better
1. I can't wait for it to start.
2. Yes.
3. I will watch all matches except Singapore Vs Indonesia because...
4. Yes.
5. Better.
1) I certainly can't wait for the Asean Cup to start.
2) I would not be interested in attending those training sessions.
3) No. But if they are bothering to show it on television, i would not miss it.
4) A definite no. He is the best manager to ever coach Singapore, and given time, he would lead Singapore to more glorious moments. Remember the match against Thailand in the recent King's Cup? Before being reduced to 10 men, Singapore really halted Thailand in their scoring chances. All due to Avramovich's tactics.
5) Of course they should be of better standards. If they are of similar standards, then why bother offering them to play for Singapore. We are planning to improve our standard of soccer, not maintain. We are not already as good as South Korea or Japan.
I just hope lazy, inept, under performiing and over-hyped Old Lions don't give any more excuses or buy insurance for their mediocre performances or failure to retain trophy in coming AFF tournament.
1)I'm not aware when tournament starts...
2)Not enough publicity. I won't bother to watch training
3)Never will I watch even free tickets given.I may consider when given unlimited free lodging and return air tickets to Manchester include VIP BOX Seat at Old Trafford.
4)If Raddy quits, get soon-to-be-sacked Jose Mourinho.
5)They are worse off, even though,, being talent scouted (Talent Scouts must be blind) to be in Old Lions team.Replace Agu Casmir with Didier Drogba as Old Lion player.
FRom : Chester Low
3)
Foreign imports are supposed to value-add the team, therefore they must be better than the current crop of locals representing the nation. Sadly, only one or two of the foreign players are performing at that level.
Raddy is a good coach. Under him, Singapore has has become a better team and on its day, they are more than a match for any team in the region. Raddy will move on when he has finished what he started to do in Singapore or when he faces the boot.
Everyone loves winners. If Singapore continues to move forward and keep on winning trophies, the fervent support will come naturally. First and foremost, the Lions have to start the Asean Cup on a good note and improve as the tournament progresses.
1. Oh they change Tiger Cup to a new name? What a mouthful!!
2. What news?
3. Nah only if Singapore is in final.
4. NO.
5. Much much better than local if not forget about getting them in first place.
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