Friday, Sep 21, 2012

Dubai: Al Wasl coach Bruno Metsu has called for a win-at-all-costs character on the eve of his first season with the club.

His team kicks off the new Pro League season against Al Wahda at Zabeel Stadium at 5.30pm on Sunday, and Metsu intends to start the league with the same attitude as that displayed in their 4-2 midweek Etisalat Cup win over Ittihad Kalba.

Despite being a man down for 80 minutes, after Mohammad Ali’s early red card, goals from all of Metsu’s foreign professionals Lucas Neill, Emiliano Alfaro, Shikabala and Mariano Donda, secured the win.

Al Wasl’s last competitive match before this had been the GCC Champions League final against Al Muharraqin, in which they threw away a 3-1 first-leg lead to lose on penalties following two needless early dismissals.

But Metsu has no fears of a legacy of ill-discipline left by the coach he replaced at the club, Diego Maradona, who lasted only a season in the post.

“To win the game [on Sunday] is most important,” said Frenchman Metsu. “How we win is different.

“I prefer character. Characters win games. Characters sometimes get nervous, but that’s football. A lot of big players have character; you can’t be a great player without it,” he added, in reference to Rashid Eisa and Majid Nasser’s GCC Champions League final dismissals, which earned the latter a nine-match ban for head-butting.

“Majed is a good boy. He’s the best ‘keeper in the GCC. Sometimes you have to understand a keeper. You need to help him, not fight him. If he concedes two or three goals he goes crazy. But he’s a good person.”

But Metsu now has another fiery character to contend with, Egypt’s Mahmoud Shikabala, a player who was frozen out at his last club Zamalek for confronting former coach Hassan Shehata pitch side after being substituted.

Metsu said: “We’ve heard rumours about his [Shikabala’s] character. But I think he’s a great personality and player. He has a strong character no doubt. But that shouldn’t be taken against him.”

By Ashley Hammond Staff Reporter

Gulf News 2012. All rights reserved.