De Paula and Krasniqi are the two newest naturalized players to play for Malaysia. They did not have Malaysian blood, so wearing the Harimau Malaya shirt is expected to help improve their level and strength. However, in the match against the UAE, these two foreign players almost disappeared from the field.
Former Malaysian national team player and expert who often appears on ESPN, Mr. Serbegeth Singh (also known as Shebby) emphasized that coach Tan Cheng Hoe needs to "adjust" the squad before the match against Vietnam on June 11.
From his perspective, the pair of naturalized Malaysian players played poorly, not worthy of expectations. Shebby said that they almost did not contribute to the home team, like Malaysia playing with one player, 9 players against 11 people from the UAE.
"Our big problem is the midfield, where Liridon doesn't understand the defensive tactics and shows his role in that area. He seems to not know his functions and work, running unreasonably, creating space for UAE players to operate," Shebby Singh commented.
Krasniqi is a player of Kosovo origin. He was accepted to play for the Malaysian team earlier this year, the 2022 World Cup qualifiers will be the first major tournament for the Malaysian team. In addition to Krasiqi, Brazilian striker Guiherme de Paula was also heavily criticized by Sherbby.
De Paula didnt seem to be on the pitch and what I dont understand is why he was able to play the full 90 minutes. Don't the Malaysia coach see that? I was quite surprised and surprised by the coach because both of them could not show anything on the pitch.
For me, the coach's strategy and tactics are also dispersed and ineffective. Malaysia must reform and give local players a chance to return to the field."
In addition to criticizing the two naturalized players, Shebby praised goalkeepers Farizal Marlias and Dion Cools, players with two Belgian - Malaysian bloodlines and who joined the team on June 1.
"Farizal really played well, blocking many dangerous shots from the UAE striker. If it were not for Farizal, I think we could have lost 10-0 as before.
Cools is a world-class player. He was really great at playing at another level, making a big difference from the rest. Dion Cools almost scored in the last minutes."
Dion Cools was the creator who had the only shot on target in the UAE from the Malaysian team. According to Shebby, the former U18 Belgian player is not compatible with the playing style of the Malaysian team, coordinating well with his teammates, especially offside traps, leading to 2 goals conceded from this mistake. But overall, Cools' form is much better than the two naturalized players.
