Wow time flies and we are already past January. If you were wondering what's coming up for our Cheetahs, it is our entry into the Singapore Cup! Yes, the Singapore Cup 2024/25 takes place before the league season ends, similar to cups from around the world. But let's put that aside and dwelve deeper into how we have had a flying start in 2025.

This preview was co-written by zhiweiba this time!

New Manager Bounce?

Well, at least that's the cliché. A new manager comes in, the team suddenly goes on a hot streak, and MAYBE the cycle repeats itself again. But I digress because Robert has brought in a breath of fresh air, and if I were to be honest, I never really saw that coming. In the lead-up to the first game back in 2025, I have read and heard about what Robert intends to do with the team and what his philosophy is all about. Robert mentioned that he's a coach that likes his players to play with utmost intensity and his plan is all about maximum effort. That is also, kind of cliche because words like these are almost like a common language in the football management world. But yes, Robert has revived this squad and really made the team look like they can do anything if they wanted to.

Having already played 2 games, the first against Balestier and the second against BG Tampines, he has certianly impressed most of if not everyone. Given that these 2 sides are no pushovers at all, whilst Balestier are currently going through a slump, they had a red hot start in the league and was even going toe to toe with the likes of Geylang who currently sit at third place. And then of course there's one of the title contenders, BG Tampines. So, it was certainly very nice to see the boys get 6 points from these 2 fixtures.

flexibility

Was something that Robert showed during the game against BG Tampines. For those who watch the league enough, you would know that BG Tampines have often gone with the midfield pairing of Kyoga and Shah whilst Milos would often tuck into midfield too to provide support. Hence it was very nice to see that Robert had set the side up such that there was a midblock. Which meant that players like Racic would drop down to prevent the build-up from the back to the midfield; Stjepan and Shodai also often tucked in to do the same. Essentially forgoing the man advantage that BG Tampines often have in midfield when Milos re-enters the picture. And yes, this is not fool proof; just like any other system, a few smart interchanges between the central players and wide players can release pressure. But this is a great starting point, and we can only get better from here on.

Mid-block employed against BG Tampines Rovers in a 4-2 win

Defence sorted

Back then there was the pairing of Ensar Brucenivic and Faris Hasic. Okay, maybe it wasn't so long ago but the contrast between our new signings and the previous pair of defenders made it feel like it was a long time ago. Before the season started, Marko mentioned that after he brought Ensar back to the league, he wanted a natural left-footed defender who could come in as a defensive stopper, and that was the reason as to why we saw a young Faris Hasic enter the fold. Truth be told, he wasn't that bad, but the pairing of him and Ensar just did not work out. For one, Ensar was heavily criticised for his error proneness and that despite his height, he did not utilise that strength of his well. Hence, when Robert was announced as the interim head coach, he decided to forgo both of our centre backs and introduce 3 new centre backs.

Jovan Mugosa and Daniel Alemao were the 2 new foreign centre backs that were chosen to bolster our defence. To start, both players had a very impressive outing on their debuts, where they both started against Balestier from the get-go and played the full 90 minutes. Jovan Mugosa had a dream debut and a night to remember as he netted a debut goal within the first 2 minutes of the game. It was a towering header as the 1.92M tall defender headed in the first goal of the game. Jovan had a impressive game as he showed that on the ball he could be a great asset to the team, we saw him bring the ball upfield a few times and he rarely lost the ball and looked rather comfortable doing so. A far cry from what we were used to seeing. On the other hand, Daniel Alemao was more disciplined and more often that not was the more reserved of the 2, acting like a no-nonsense centre back. Despite both players being naturally right-footed, it really does seem like we have gotten a heck of an upgrade in the defensive department.

And then there's Tajeli. Say what you want to say about him off the pitch, but Tajeli has made an equally significant impact on the team. Tajeli was a real asset for Balestier, and well he showed his previous employers what he could do regardless of a team's system. At Hougang he operates at right back and whils't there isn't much need for him to be employed as a flying wingback, his on the ball abilities were on show for everybody. With some great defensive awareness too, he is certainly a good addition to the squad for the remainder of the season.

Proper talisman

There are many number 9s in the league that are simply fantastic to watch. Tomoyuki Doi is one obvious name that springs to mind, Shawal Anuar is another, and even our upcoming opponents have a good striker in the form of Shingo Nakano. Racic is definitely one of the league's best; he is currently the league's second topscorer, just second to the current (and for the foreseeable future) topscorer, Doi.

Top scorers in the Singapore Premier League at the time of writing

Many plaudits are often given in the way of his bestie Stjepan Plazonja when talking about Hougang's frontline because of his tenacity, strength, and blistering pace, but more credit has to be given to Racic surely. Racic is an all-rounded centre forward who has adapted really well to the league. Just like Jovan Mugosa, Racic scored on his debut as well, and coincidentally against Balestier. Racic is blessed with a tanky frame and a heck of a right foot; give him a chance in the box, and there's a really good chance he's going to convert it. Racic is also not afraid to drop deep to help circulate play, and this is aided by his on-the-ball ability, where sometimes, he just seems to skip past players. There are moments when opposing defenders would try to nick the ball away from him, and his close control just bails him out. This allows him to look up and look for his teammates or to continue his run forward.

Now, let's hear what zhiweiba has to say!

The man who changed the game

Quickly putting his recent ORD from Young Lions at the back of his mind is one spicy talent, Farhan Zulkifli. While he may not have featured more than what many of us would have hoped for in national colours during the recently concluded AFF campaign, Farhan’s 30 minute cameo against the Stags proved that he perhaps should have gotten more minutes in the regional tournament. Unleashed against a tiring Rovers defence, he completely made a meal out of his opponents, which in modern football lingo meant that his opponents were absolutely cooked. Having soaked up the pressure from the Stags for much of the second half up till that point, the introduction of Farhan turned the game on its head, with the 22 year old contributing directly to the last 2 goals that secured the victory for the Cheetahs. Even if Robert chooses not to reshuffle the starting lineup, expect Farhan to be brought in at some point of the game, and expect some serious changes to the flow of the game from then on.

Entering the swan's den

Fresh off a 6-0 mauling by the league leaders, Albirex will be looking to start February with some semblance of a positive result. It is not in the interest of this page to pick apart all that’s wrong with the Swan’s season so far, but in the context of the upcoming clash against the Cheetahs, there are some salient points to focus on.

In the shambolic display against the Sailors, the Albirex backline opened up acres of spaces for their opponents. They are particularly vulnerable to high balls floating in from outside the 18 yard box, with the venerable veteran Hassan struggling to marshal a coherent united front against the lethal LCS forwards. With poor positional discipline by both Albirex centre backs, LCS was able to part their opponent’s defence like Moses did the Red Sea. If anything Hougang has shown so far, is that the likes of Stejpan Plazonja and Nazrul Nazari are more than capable of floating such lethal balls into the opponent’s box. And as his goal tally can testify to, Racic is more than capable of banging passes from outside the 18 yard into goal.

Up against the imposing figure of Plazonja down the Hougang left flank will likely stand Singapore international Ryhan Stewart. Just months off his return from his Thai sojourn, Ryhan had sought to influence his new club towards progress on the pitch. While arguably successful to some extent, with Albirex taking home 15 points out of a possible 21 since his return, Ryhan struggled to inspire his team towards a commendable performance in their past league game. Occasionally finding himself out of position, Ryhan will need to pull his socks up against one of the league’s toughest wingers if Albirex is to avoid being torn apart on the right.

Forgone game for the Cheetahs?

Despite their struggles, including shipping in the 4th highest goals against in the league, with an appalling -17 goal difference (3rd lowest in the league so far), the partial resurgence of the White Swans portent a tough fixture for the in-form Cheetahs. Albirex main frontman Shingo Nakano will look to test Hougang’s relatively new defensive pairing, while Yohei Otake will be looking forward to cause headache for the Cheetahs in midfield. With a gritty performance against Tampines, topped off with the cherry of an exceptional free kick goal, Zulfahmi Arifin will look towards replicating his current form in Jurong East.

Fresh off two excellent displays against Balestier and Tampines to start 2025 with a winning streak, it will be wise for the Cheetahs to adhere to the words of a Norwegian icon: stay humble eh. That said, Hougang should head into their Singapore Cup opener as favourites to take home 3 points, but do expect that it will likely not simply be a pedestrian affair! #1H1H

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Albirex Niigata (SG) vs Hougang Quick Report:

- Former Cheetah, Idraki has left Albirex

- Arya Igami who has started more than half of Albirex's games so far has left for BG Tampines

- Singapore international Ryhan Stewart, brilliant but Stjepan could cause real damage

- Look to be less one sided against Albirex, and look to find players like Shahdan and Shodai more to open up play

- Jovan Mugosa's runs higher up the field could make life easier for the us

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Will Farhan Be Starting?

Hope So!
More effective against fatigued defenses!

PREMATCH WARMUPS: Albirex Niigata (SG) v Hougang United [Singapore Cup 2024/25]