KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor head coach Kim Pan Gon has demanded that his charges back their ambition with hard work and disciplined tactical execution when they host Penang at the MBPJ Stadium on Saturday.
Despite their flawless run in the league, Pan Gon was left frustrated by a lapse in collective responsibility in their midweek outing, especially the disconnect between his frontline and backline.
"If we have passion, we must back it up with action, and our action was poor," Pan Gon said in the aftermath of a 3-2 home defeat against Star City in the FA Cup quarter-final, second leg.
"Even from me, I am disappointed with my own decisions. Some of our attackers did not track back to support the defence, leaving our defenders in tough five-against-five situations.
"This is not our normal game, but we cannot afford this kind of disappointment at home. We will come back strong."
Redemption will also be top of the agenda for KL City when they travel south to face Melaka at the Hang Jebat Stadium on Saturday, with the City Boys determined to bounce back and climb up the league standings.
KL City coach Dollah Salleh confirmed that their focus has firmly shifted to the league and that the squad will be significantly bolstered for the trip to Melaka.
"We must look forward now and focus on our Super League position," Dollah said.
"Our preparation for Melaka must ensure that we go in much sharper and more solid. Most of our injured players have recovered.
"Reagy (Ofosu) came on and made an impact, while Gary (Steven Robbat) should also be ready to feature. We believe we will have almost a full-strength squad available for the match on the (Oct) 17th."
The action begins on Friday in Kota Baru, where bottom-placed Kelantan Red Warriors (KRW) take on Star City at the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium in a clash where both sides are hunting their first win of the season.
KRW captain Arham Khussyairi Wahab stressed that total concentration from the opening whistle will be crucial if the Red Warriors are to end their losing slump.
"We must stay focused until the final whistle," Arham said.
"In previous matches, we made too many easy mistakes that disrupted our momentum and forced us to work much harder to recover."
In Saturday's early kick-off, Negri Sembilan welcome Sabah to the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi, aiming to steady their momentum on home turf.
On Sunday, Kuching City take on DPMM at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Bandar Seri Begawan, before league leaders Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) put their perfect record on the line in a heavyweight showdown against Terengganu at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Gong Badak.
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