Sharjah needs a clear striker.. and the Al Jazira summit is the first “real test”

Sharjah team is preparing to start its journey in the AFC Champions League for clubs with the anticipated confrontation with its Tajik counterpart, Istiklol, next Tuesday, at a time when the Romanian coach, Olario Cosmin, succeeded in passing the initial test of the ADNOC Professional League by winning the first two rounds against Dibba Al-Hisn and Ittihad Kalba, although the team has not been tested strongly so far, and currently occupies second place in the league standings with six points behind Al-Nasr, the “leader”, awaiting the third round that the “King” will play against Al-Jazira, which is considered the “real test”.

Despite the new signings that Sharjah recently made, including defender David Petrovic, Croatian midfielder Darko Neamic and Brazilian striker Piero, the team is in dire need of signing a striker as it has been suffering from a problem in this position for years.

Four technical indicators enhance the team’s chances of returning strongly to the podiums that it missed last season, namely: the positive results it achieved by winning four consecutive matches against Dibba Al-Hisn and Ittihad Kalba in the first and second rounds of the league, as well as winning against Khorfakkan in the first and second leg of the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Cup, in addition to the new acquisitions in the team’s ranks after contracting with defender David Petrovic, Croatian midfielder Darko, and Brazilian striker Piero, although the latter has not participated with the team yet, but he is distinguished by his high technical capabilities that make him a new addition to the team.

Another positive indicator is the stability of the formation to a large extent, with Cosmin relying on certain elements in the starting lineup after playing the first and second rounds of the league. Cosmin’s playing plan has also become more offensive than defensive, relying on three players in the front line: Luan Pereira, Othman Camara, and Caio Lucas, unlike the team’s situation last season, when Cosmin focused on the defensive aspects in his plan, relying in some matches on five defenders in the back line: Hamad Fahad, Salem Sultan, Youmin Shaw, Maro Katinic, and Khaled Al Dhanhani, in matches that were very easy for Sharjah, including its match against Emirates in the 18th round of last season’s league, which cost it a 3-3 draw.

The four indicators

1 Winning the first four matches in the league and the ADIB Cup.

2 New acquisitions with Petrovic, Darko and Piero.

3. Stability on the basic formation to a large extent.

4 Cosmin relies on an offensive game plan more than a defensive one.

• “The King” will begin its journey in the AFC Champions League by meeting Tajikistan’s Istiklol next Tuesday.

Al Hammadi: Sharjah has not been tested strongly yet

Media professional and sports analyst Adel Al Hammadi confirmed that Sharjah has not been tested strongly yet, despite achieving four victories since the beginning of the season.

“The upcoming matches will determine the team’s level more,” he told Emarat Al Youm, considering that “the team is almost complete now, but it only lacks a clear striker, as the Spanish striker Paco Alcacer has not yet provided the required level,” wondering about the team’s ability to play with the duo Caio Lucas and Osman Camara as false strikers.

Al Hammadi added: “Cosmin continues to raise controversy and concerns among Sharjah fans through his recent statements that there were contracts with players that were made without his knowledge.”

He added: “From the CV of the new player Piero, he is a good player, and I hope that he will provide a real addition to the team as soon as possible, alongside the presence of defender David and midfielder Darko.”

Al Hammadi pointed out that there is still instability in the defense line, unlike the rest of the team’s lines.

Adel Al Hammadi:

The team is almost complete now, but it only lacks a clear striker.

• Cosmin continues to raise controversy and concerns among Sharjah fans.