We kick-off the 2024/2025 Singapore Premier League season preview with Balestier Khalsa FC.
Head Coach, Peter De Roo, who took the club to an exciting 4th place finish last season, joins me as he plots his move for the club this season. As usual, its never dull talking football with Peter, as we talked about Balestier's preparation, players to look out for, their exciting foreign contingent, reasons for their defensive woes and of course their targets for the coming season. Lets go!
We kick-off the 2024/2025 Singapore Premier League season preview with Balestier Khalsa FC.
Head Coach, Peter De Roo, who took the club to an exciting 4th place finish last season, joins me as he plots his move for the club this season. As usual, its never dull talking football with Peter, as we talked about Balestier's preparation, players to look out for, their exciting foreign contingent, reasons for their defensive woes and of course their targets for the coming season. Lets go!
Hi, and this is the Silver Fox Hustle podcast, the football talk episodes, and in the next few episodes of the football talk we will be talking to a couple of SPL coaches and, hopefully, players, and we are going to do a preview of the season that is the Singapore Premier League season that's coming kicking off next, probably in May, I think, and yeah, so the next few episodes of the Football Talk episodes will be on the SPL preview. Before we go on, click on the subscribe button, the follow button. We are everywhere every podcast platforms Spotify, apple Podcasts, as well as YouTube. So click on the preview or the subscribe button. Now let's start off with the very first club that we are previewing, and it's going to be Ballester Carlsen. Today, here in the studios, with me is the head coach, mr Peter Dero. Welcome to the podcast, pete.
Speaker 2:Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1:It's always a pleasure. I think we did one episode a couple of months ago and I had a wonderful chat about coaches and about you, obviously, but today is all about Belsa Kalsa, a preview of the season that's coming up, and you are the very first club we are doing. Before we start talking about that, how was your holidays?
Speaker 2:It's good to be first for once but, no holidays was good and obviously it's going to be a long season, so it was a welcome break and we're fresh again. Yeah, very fresh, yep.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, so let's get started. We're going to talk about the coming season, but before that, there's a little summary of what happened last season. Now, you guys finished fourth, ahead of clubs like Geylang and Haogang. You guys scored 60 goals, 13 goals more than Tampines, who finished third. But you guys also conceded 71 goals, which is the second-leakest defence after the Young Lions. Now the funny part is this is the interesting stat Pete right, you are the only team not to have drawn any game in the league, right, and you won 12,. You lost 12. It's, like you know, equal.
Speaker 2:How would you sum up your season? Well, first of all, I was very proud of the progress and the growth that we have made compared to the years before, and not so much in terms of where we finish and that we finish above Geylang and Haugang. In the end, for me, it was more the growth and the fact that the football that we played yeah, and I think you're spot on.
Speaker 1:I think you're spot on especially about the performance bit and the brand of football that you guys played. You guys were expensive, playing brilliant attacking football, obviously scoring loads of goals in the process, and we can't veer from the fact that you guys also consider the most goals. And is that because of the way you guys play, the way you guys set up? What was the reason?
Speaker 2:No, but there is obviously a relation If you play attacking football and you want to try to be dominant in the half of the opponent you know you give away space.
Speaker 2:yeah, so you are vulnerable, let's say, in the counter-attack, but so there is maybe a relation. But as soon as you know that you're vulnerable in the counter-attack, it's not a matter of going to plan B, because then you wouldn't score that amount of goals anymore. It's more a matter of anticipating better on your vulnerability. So what happens the first three seconds after you lose a ball? How stressed are you when you lose the ball? And I think in these aspects we could have done a lot better. And always when it's about conceding goals, people look at a goalkeeper or look at defenders, but in the way we play, our defending starts up front and definitely that was not of the standard that it should be. What people probably don't know, that is, in the last six or seven games these stats drastically dropped and they could have dropped more because I think we were also a little bit unlucky.
Speaker 2:I remember a game in the Cup where we lose from Haogang 3-2, a game that we probably should have won, but in that game we only conceded, I think, three shots on goal.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that was a lot less than before?
Speaker 2:Yeah, Because I think in three rounds before against Haogang there would have been maybe 20 shots, maybe not all on target, but it would be, let's say, 10, 11 on target. So we definitely improved. We also changed the formation a bit and then probably got a little bit unlucky that every shot still flies in, because those figures don't lie but, the other stats don't lie either, and they showed me that we actually got better.
Speaker 1:You know, it's interesting that you spoke about the vulnerabilities and of course, we talk about the moments in football and as a coach, I'm so intrigued by the chat that we're having right. So we talked about the. Probably you guys are more vulnerable when you are in possession because then in transition you get hit on the break, and obviously we're talking about the rest defense and whatnot positioning of players even when you are in possession of the ball, right. So have you been working on stuff like that? Yeah, probably last year.
Speaker 2:Well, also last year, but also, you know, in this pre-season. It has been quite a topic Because what I noticed in Southeast Asia that people think people feel safer when they drop deep. But if you attack and you are not confident enough as a last line to be compact and I understand, because the position of football becomes harder when you're compact but you need to be compact when you lose the ball. So that means also we need to move it quicker and better in possession, but because you can't be stretched when you lose the ball, that's as simple as that. Even if there is immediate pressure on the ball, so you stop the first ball going forward, if that first press is not protected, then good teams will still play through you. So we need to be confident enough to not actually walk back and protect our goal.
Speaker 1:No, we need to protect the press. Right, right, right. That's a very, very good point. Now let's start with the players that you brought in. You know, and what has influenced those decisions? In bringing these players in, Was it also a case of looking at the weaknesses and how we can improve? And that's why we got these players?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was all about that, I think after last season for me it was pretty clear If we want to grow, what areas do we need to look for in terms of the football? Then you look at the players that can do that and the players that we have that you maybe think there is no growth in there anymore.
Speaker 2:And maybe they need to be replaced, but also with new players. I look at, obviously, at the specific skills that they bring and that we need to get better, but for me as much, how important is the attitude? And the motivation why they want to come to Ballester Calca.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about a few players that you brought in, and I think one is Amir Uldin. We've got Harith Kanadi, who came in a little bit late last season, goalkeeper Hafiz as well, from Geelang. Let's speak about them a little bit. Let's start off with Hafiz in goal. He probably I've watched him and commentated on games as well. He's got great reflexes, you know, and he probably how would he fit in into your game?
Speaker 2:well, first and foremost, a goalkeeper has probably been the biggest headache for me, because you sort of don't want to go with a foreigner there. That's one thing. So then you look at the at the market in the keepers market in in in singapore and then you look at the playing style because it need that, needs to fit and yeah, for me then it wasn't really much of a headache in terms of for us available in a player who probably couldn't bring that to this squad or add that to this squad is Hafiz you need to be confident in if you want to play the way we play.
Speaker 2:Hafiz is confident. He even makes his mistakes with confidence. He he doesn't look back, he only looks forward after a mistake, and I think that's a very important aspect of a mental skill for a goalkeeper. He's good with his feet, which helps us not only switch the play or link up to the other side through our central defenders or our six. We can even use a goalkeeper and be confident that he will deal with that properly. And also, when we have the ball, it means there is a lot of space behind our central defenders. You need a goalkeeper who has a lot of game awareness, who can read the game and knows that every ball over the top should be mine as simple as that. And he's very confident in his positioning as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think you're right about the confidence. It's key, isn't it? Especially in the way you guys play and you talk about the balls over the top. He's got to sweep and his starting position is always the most important with goalkeepers. If you want to do that and yeah, I think he brings that to the team how about Amir Uldin?
Speaker 2:Well, amir Uldin is. Obviously, when you look at Balestier-Colson, you look at the available budget, we've got to be extremely creative as well in the choices we make. Amir Uldin is a player that can, as a, can play as a nine, maybe even as a 10. He's been out of the game for quite a while, um so um, but I think that he has the potential to play in the way we want to play. And um, yeah, the same for harit. I think harit is an interesting player. We want to play a little bit different this year in terms of formation. Um, and we need a fullback who can more or less also play as a, as a left, winger, right, and um, yeah to, harith has all the characteristics of a modern fullback or wingback, like on the other side, darren has, but obviously in the last couple of years didn't make a lot of minutes in the SPL, but I'm very confident in his qualities.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think his breakout year was in Geylang, when he started off with Geylang and then went over to the Young Lions. I think Harith is a good addition to your side. Obviously, you've got to watch with this bit, because he's tend to be a little bit overzealous and stuff Ameruldin as well. I think he's good as long as he stays injury-free. I think that's the most important with Ameruldin as long as he stays injury-free. You know, I think that's the most important about Merlin. You know he's great potential as well. I picked up one thing that you just said, and, without revealing too much, you said that you're going to probably tweak the way you play or the style. What is it?
Speaker 2:No, not the style, but if people have paid attention in the cup. It is something that I wanted to do earlier, but for different reasons. Because for different reasons and one of them was a lot of injuries for Ikram I could never play in that formation. We only did it a couple of times in the cup and I was actually quite pleased with it because we didn't really compromise on our attacking but defensively, especially how the rest defense is set up when we lose it.
Speaker 2:I'm not talking about distances, but how the formation is in the back when we lose the ball. It requires a little bit less from our fullbacks and I don't want to become too technical, but in rest defense with four, if you play like we let's say we attack on the right-hand side our right fullback will always be involved.
Speaker 2:He will always be, in front of the ball when you lose it. That means the opposite full-back needs to come inside, but as soon as you switch it he needs to go and the other one needs to come in. If we tend to lose the ball in those moments we become vulnerable and when you play with wing-backs you always have those three players central when you lose it. So it might sound more attacking because it sounds like 3-4-3. But as a matter of fact, when you lose the ball, you're better positioned, exactly.
Speaker 1:That's you know. For those of you who are watching and who's listening to this, you can try to figure out what's happening there with Ballester this season. But yeah, now I want to speak about the foreigners a little bit after this, but let's talk a little bit about Daniel and Ho Wai Loon. I think these two players I think if anyone who's been a Ballester fan for the past couple of years or not they look at a team sheet this season it's going to be a team sheet without Wailun and without Daniel Now speak a little bit about them. Are they going to be a big, big loss to Ballastier?
Speaker 2:No, I think they will, because they both had a lot of impact last year.
Speaker 2:But at the same time, it's the way football works and we want to grow as a team as well, and obviously both of them I would love to have kept with the club. But when you have a season like we had last year and the budget is not going to change, obviously it's going to be a massive challenge during the winter break, because everybody wants more salary, yeah, and because you know the club has been successful. I understand that. I've been a player too, so that's how it works. But it means that if you still want to get better, that you can't raise everybody's salary to the expectations they might have of it, because the replacements of other players also you need to take care of. And so, yeah, it's been a massive puzzle and a massive challenge during the winter break, but I was actually very happy with the effort and the ambition that the club showed during the break, so I'm very confident looking forward.
Speaker 1:You know you're right about. You know you talk about the club with the same budget and whatever, but you know, I think you got to give hats out to the management there in terms of you know, you got to be creative as well when you're trying to get players in and, you know, trying to fit players in there, especially with missing out on players or not missing out losing players and probably to add to that, you can't look at it with too much emotion.
Speaker 2:Of course we want to keep Daniel and Walun, but at what cost?
Speaker 1:Walu, but at what cost?
Speaker 2:You know, what I mean we still want to grow as a club and as a team as well, I like it when you say it.
Speaker 1:During the winter break, you mean the monsoon break? Yeah, now let's talk about the foreigners. That has come in right, and listen. The foreigners really, really excite me. If they don't excite the fans out there, you know something's wrong, because Alan Koza stays Sugita. Obviously. Now the two big ones at least, or actually three big ones, are Fukushiro from Elbrex, tanaka, obviously from LCS, but he was the top scorer the previous year and Ismail Sassi, the former Tunisian international. They are really top-class foreigners, I got to say, and obviously, judging from Fukushiro last season, he's been very, very skillful. Tanaka, we all know what he can do. Obviously, bad luck last season. What do you think about the foreigners that you brought in and the thinking behind bringing them in?
Speaker 2:well, first of all, you know that when Jumbo leaves and Royale leave, that that's more than half of your goals leaving, so so obviously you need to bring back players that, in the same kind of playing style, will be able to score these goals as well and create those opportunities, and I'm actually confident that Kodai and Riku can do that, can do that.
Speaker 2:Riku is maybe a name where people are a little bit less familiar with because, for different reasons, he only started a couple of games last year. He was never really a starter, but his numbers are incredible and his work rate off the ball is second to none. And Kodai obviously had a tough year. But he is not only there because he was top scorer of the league, he is also there because of his work rate of the ball.
Speaker 2:And he is good in playing away from the ball. He's good at playing in the ball with his face facing his own goal. It doesn't complicate things, it's one touch and he moves. So he actually. Both of them also make us a little bit more quicker when we break a line or when we, you know, receive the ball between lines in the final third Rather than delaying actually speed the game up, which I think in the last phase you need to.
Speaker 2:You really need to see, even as if you I think in the last phase you need to you really need to see, even as if you're sitting in the stand, you need to see that it goes from second to third gear or your highest gear, yeah, and and they definitely don't delay the play. And and and and. Yeah, very happy with them, and and sassy. I also looked at the motivation because, to be honest, with Kodai I've been back and forth for almost a month because he actually wanted to leave Singapore. But yeah, then he came back to me and he looked at the way Balestier played and stuff like that, and he really wanted to come to this club because at some point we weren't the only club, but I knew that if he stays in Singapore he will be with us.
Speaker 2:So very proud of that. And Sassi different story had a rough two years but that is, I think, for me and he explained it to me and he, he explained it to me, his agent explained it to me, which all made sense to me that he didn't play that much games in the last two years, but his motivation to come to the club and the, the, the eagerness that was in his when I was sitting when, I was having this conversation, and also Darwin because, yeah, for me was in is when I was sitting, when I was having this conversation.
Speaker 2:And also Darwin Because, yeah, for me foreigners are very, very important. Everybody will say, yeah, obviously, because they can make the difference. Yeah, but they have a massive influence in the dressing room.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:I've been a player as well, and if I play with a foreigner in a dressing room who doesn't work harder than the rest, the foreman in the dressing room who doesn't work harder than the rest, and these guys are examples for everybody in the work they put in on and off the field, and for me that's important Besides the football that they bring. They're good characters. They have the right motivation to want to come to this club. So, yes, again, also also, they're very much looking forward to next season Football wise.
Speaker 1:What does Sassi bring in terms of positioning? What does he bring to the team?
Speaker 2:he can score goals. He's also a player that doesn't shy in doing his work of the ball. He can play a little bit more as a modern winger. He's not an out and modern winger. He's not an out-and-out winger. He's somebody who can play between lines who can?
Speaker 2:play in the ball, can play away from the ball and making a run without the ball, stuff like that. So, yeah, I think in the way we want to play he would be a perfect fit, as would be Rico and Kodai, and with the other two foreigners, massa and Alan. We already knew Alan was really a priority for me because we were about to actually lose him, but I'm happy that we could make that work again thanks to the management, because I think he has been one of the most underestimated players last year in my opinion. Nice, Pete.
Speaker 1:I'll try not to annoy you, but I probably am gonna with the next question, right On paper. On paper, Balistier is strengthened, right In the attacking department. I'll say this right, you know, negating the loss of Jumbo and Daniel and Taniguchi. Right, but defensively, is this going to be a case of you score three and we'll score four and have you strengthen the defense bit?
Speaker 2:um, yeah, I think we have, and and I think that's also a little bit related to uh, to formation but, um, what you say, uh, before, that is kind of true because in the way we play, which costs a tremendous amount of energy, it helps if you score a few goals when you go into the last 20 minutes, because at some point the distances no matter what they will become a little bit bigger, but the game should already be ours by then. I sometimes compare it to Tottenham Hotspur. The coach is a good friend of mine and we have quite similar philosophies on football and when I look at them it's the same.
Speaker 2:It's so much energy. But yeah, even in England, singapore is even harder. But to maintain that intensity. I'm not saying we're playing at the same intensity, but to maintain that for 90 minutes is incredibly hard but we strive for that.
Speaker 1:But I'm not stupid At some point.
Speaker 2:there will be gaps here and there and it helps then if you have a little bit of a buffer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you spoke about Ange from Spurs and the reason in the interview you spoke about. He only wants players who wants to play for the club. You know, and I think you said it just before this. Anyway, you know about Isma. I mean, we worked together for four years so even our language is sometimes quite similar we work with the national teams.
Speaker 2:He was doing the senior national teams, but very much involved with the teams coming through. We played the same way and have a lot of similar beliefs on not only football but also outside of football. So, yeah, I like to watch them because, yeah, there's so much similarities.
Speaker 1:Right, how has pre-season been, by the way? You know, I think it's been I don't know, you know from someone looking, looking in. You know it has been like a stop start kind of thing, and it's a little bit too long, maybe because the season is starting a little bit later on. How has it been so far?
Speaker 2:Nah, it's been good, but it is a challenge because it actually reminded me of when I went, when I came to Australia 15 years ago, when the competition was only seven months and the pre-season was three, four months, and I was always thinking what the hell are you going to do in three, four months? And now I'm facing the same challenge. We, every now and then, have given them a couple of days or a week off to you know, you get fitter, but you also got to make sure that you stay fresh mentally Because, yeah, I've been there as a player after six or eight weeks in preseason maximum of eight weeks you want to start.
Speaker 1:You want to go out there?
Speaker 2:But after six weeks the only thing you know is it's another 12 weeks. So, yeah, that is sort of frustrating. But we also deliberately choose to start at a reasonable time because we knew we wanted to take this friendly seriously, because we knew we were helping the national team coach with that. And I think that's important because if we would have been selfish if I would have been selfish we would have started later.
Speaker 1:Right, right, we would have been selfish.
Speaker 2:If I would have been selfish, we would have started later, right, right and so, um. So it's just something that you then have to deal with, and and it's good. It's another challenge for for the one that I've never faced before. So it is what it is. I mean there's no point in complaining about it.
Speaker 1:You gotta deal with it well, just just judging from the, the pre-season games so far friendly games, and you know everything that you've been through for the past few weeks or months, even with the players right the place that you got got in as well uh, any players to look out for. Do you think from your side that you know, you think that could be, maybe who hasn't broken into, you know things and and maybe could be a breakout year, or you know some some place that you think that you know we should be looking out for?
Speaker 2:Well, you know, I I don't. I'm I'm not a big fan of singling out players, but maybe, maybe should make an an exception for once. When I look at the expectations that I had of Jordan last year and the way he played, I'm thinking, okay, sort of see the potential. But when I now look at him in-season and certainly things are now clicking then it would really surprise me if he wouldn't get a call-up for the national team. To be honest and hopefully there will be two or three more of our team I think the potential is there. We haven't even spoken about Tajeli. I know he has a little bit of a reputation, but if he maintains 100% focused on the things that he can control in terms of his football, there's not a lot of better players in the league, to be honest.
Speaker 1:You're absolutely right. I think with these players, they just probably need the guidance that is required. I'm a fan of Jordan. I think, with the stature that he has as well, physicality, the size, the height, and obviously you take that apart and you break it down Technically, he's good on the ball as well. Aity, the size, the height, and obviously you take that apart and you break it down Technically, he's good on the ball as well, good passer.
Speaker 2:Yeah exactly.
Speaker 1:I think this. I'm a fan and hopefully he breaks out as well this season and good luck with the national team if he gets called up. Well, we're coming to the end of the preview with Belsekalsap. I can't let you go Without certain questions, and that is number one your goal for the season, you know, and targets that you've set For your team, or maybe the team has set out For themselves. And yeah, what are the goals and what will success be for you At the end of the season?
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, you know, I accept that People might think that I am boring when I answer questions like this, because I don't like to say, oh, we want to get better than last year, so if we can become third or whatever, for me I would be happy if we continue to grow and get better at what we do. Of course we want to challenge the top, and with the top I don't mean the top four, I mean number one. That's why I started a competition. We want to win this competition and whether that is, in the end, realistic or not, we'll see. But then we evaluate in terms of have we grown is, in the end, realistic or not? We'll see?
Speaker 2:But then we evaluate in terms of have we grown? Have we given these supporters of this club Balasja Kalsa to be proud of? Then you can still be successful. But what does it mean if you're third and you haven't really improved and you're 20 points away from the top? You might have one step higher. So for me me it's all about the process and growth and of course that would be baseless if it's not connected to a reason and result.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because that's why we play it's, it's, uh, it's, it's a subjective thing. You know, if you're asking any, any, any, any coach, but uh, we talk about at the, at the end of the season, we talk about results, and now you guys finished fourth. So probably again being annoying here, you're going to finish third. Probably that could be the aim. Your points total was 36,. I think More than that obviously would be good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but when you look at last year I think I just answered a question I was quite happy, but at the same time there's a lot of room for improvement in terms of football. But I also said, I think, last year, I want to challenge the top teams in the league. We have not done that last year. As a matter of fact, we only won one game against the top three.
Speaker 1:Why we finished fourth is because we won all the other games mostly, and for this year, I think we I want Lion City sailors to come to Bishan and be scared and be worried, and not only Lion City sailors, because I think Tampines has as much quality as Lion City Sailors has, in my opinion yeah, and you said this just now you know you probably finish in that fourth position because you beat the other teams and then did not probably do well against the top three teams and probably the progress would be to maintain that and beat the other teams at the top and change that losses column to probably draws first and then into the wins, you know, because that's zero draws, right?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that is, in a way, a real fascinating stat from last season and any you know messages out to the fans of Ballester. I can say truly I'm not a Ballester fan or an LCS fan or whatever. I'm neutral. But I have to say for Ballester fans out there last season I think they were very happy with how let's forget about the fourth position I think you guys played probably very good attacking football and you were exciting to watch, right. So any messages to the fans out there for this season.
Speaker 2:No, first of all, I'm very proud that more people to come and watch our games and we hope or not, we hope because that means that there might be doubt I think, and I'm sure, that we will make them proud again this year. Even in games that we will lose, they will see a team that fights till the end and doesn't give up, because I don't expect any less. So I think our players should not expect any less from us, and I hope we make them proud again and give them a good season and a club that they want to be part of.
Speaker 1:Thanks, pete, for being here. I think it has been a wonderful chat. It's always intriguing talking to you about football. I think we can go on and on. 30 or 40 minutes is not enough for us here, but we've got to go. That is the very first episode of Football Talk episode with the SPL preview. This has been. This has been with Peter DeRoof talking about Balestier Calca and their chances this season, and we'll see you next time for the next episode of the SPL preview. This has been the Silver Fox Hustle Podcast. Cheers Outro Music.