Alberts believes in Sarawak cup chances
Sarawak coach Robert Alberts believes the upcoming Malaysia Cup campaign gives his side a chance to atone for their recent relegation from the Malaysia Super League.
By ESPNSTAR.com staff
An inconsistent season, where the Crocs won just eight of their 26 league games, saw them finish fourth from bottom and consigned to the relegation playoffs.
However, they relinquished their grip on their top-flight status in the semi-final after losing 1-0 to Pahang, who went on to beat Kedah on penalties in the final to earn promotion from the Premier League.
And while he admits it will be tough task to rejuvenate his players following the disappointment of relegation, Alberts is hoping the prospect of doing well in the cup will be sufficient motivation.
"Disappointment is a factor here, and my toughest assignment is to get my boys to walk with their heads high again and get excited about taking part in the Malaysia Cup," the Dutchman told the New Straits Times.
"The key is to survive the fall and get back up again next season. I am sure my boys will not mope around for long as they know they have a chance to redeem themselves."
Sarawak face a tricky route to the quarter-finals after being drawn alongside perennial heavyweights Selangor, T-Team and Pahang, but Alberts is confident their recent record against their opponents will stand them in good stead.
"Our record against Selangor and T-Team is not bad as we only lost to them by a single goal earlier in the league, so it's just a matter of reversing the results in the Malaysia Cup," he added.
"We are not just making up the numbers."
Alberts also confirmed his side have sealed loan deals for Sabah trio Bobby Gonzales, Ronny Harun and Sharudin Yakup for their Malaysia Cup campaign.