Home United boss Saswadimata Dasuki under pressure?

Football fans around the world can be famously fickle creatures. Despite winning Home United's first silverware and breaking Albirex's vice like grip on Singaporean honours barely 2 weeks ago there are already rumblings of discontent coming from some sections of the Home support. With Home due to face Tampines Rovers on Friday and Kaya FC next week, is this already a must win game for Saswadimata?

Saswadimata was promoted from Aidil Sharin's assistant to the top job at Home after, what the club called, a global search. Replacing the outgoing Aidil, who has taken on the challenge of managing Kedah in the Malaysian Super League, was always going to be a challenge and at first glance it could be argued that Home simply appointed the first person to walk through the door. The 49-year-old former Singapore international was quick to talk up Home's title credentials but many fans adopted a 'wait and see' attitude right from the start.

The first four games of this season were always going to be vital for the new coach, with hindsight it is now clear that it's been a poor start. Home have failed to win any of the games within 90 minutes and have only found the net 2 times. The run of games began with a Champions League qualifier against Persija Jakarta. The Protectors knocked Persijia out of the AFC Cup last year so it was a winnable game and a great opportunity to progress. Persijia ended up 3-1 winners, the Indonesians demonstrating a ruthlessness in front of goal that Home seemed to lack. This trait was again in evidence when Home squared off against Albirex in the Community Shield; although the Protectors enjoyed good spells of possession, they were unable to create much up front. One of the reasons for Home's lack of threat up front in this game was the fact that attacking play-maker, Adam Swandi, seemed unsure of his role in the team. Last year's young player of the year was bought in to the Home team to give it more bite up front but Saswadimata doesn't seem to have the tactical know how to get the most out Swandi. Home went on to claim the Community Shield in an exciting penalty shootout (https://www.splfootball.com/post/home-united-end-albirex-s-grip-on-domestic-silverware) but subsequent results have shown that Albirex are not the force they were last year and a 0-0 draw with them may not be as impressive as it had first seemed.

The AFC Cup game with PSM Makassar (https://www.splfootball.com/post/home-hold-on-for-draw-in-afc-cup) was another important game for Saswadimata. PSM are perhaps Home's strongest competition in Group G and a win at home would have been a massive step to qualifying from the group. The fact that PSM are still in their pre-season and, theoretically at least, should be behind Home in terms of preparation meant that it was a good time to be playing the Indonesians. However, it was the Red Fish that dominated the game, Home again created only a few clear cut chances. This time Swandi's best work was helping out at the back and, again, he struggled to find a place in Saswadimata's system. Only a wonder goal from Hami Syahin and some great last ditch defending saved Home from a loss. It was PSM's foreign signings that ran the game that night, Home's two foreign players were absent from the team and Saswadimata's supporters were keen to use this as an excuse for the result. But would they have made much difference? The manager's decision to retain Isaka Cernak as one of the permitted overseas players in the squad is perhaps a little questionable given the Australian's well documented injury problems and his poor goal return last season. Cernak returned to the team on Sunday for the game against DPMM but he was easily marked out of the game and seems unable to provide the goals that Home desperately need. Home ended up losing the game 0-1, completing Saswadimata's disappointing start to the season. Many games are won in Singapore thanks to the influence of a strong number 9 leading the line, so it was perhaps surprising that Saswadimata didn't look to strengthen in this area. A perfect replacement for Cernak was availiable in the shape of Home United legend Stipe Plazibat, it is perhaps a bad sign that Saswadimata was unable to convince the Croatian to return to the Protectors.

Cernak is bullied off the ball by Blake Ricciuto

This is not the first time that one of Saswadimata's teams have struggled to score goals. Back in 2008 he managed Sengkang who scored a pathetic 13 goals in 32 games. Saswadimata was forced out of the club in mysterious circumstances because of this inability to score, could history be about to repeat itself? Two losses in the next two games could see the pressure on Saswadimata's mount. The SPL looks up for grabs this year but another poor week could see Home's league and AFC Cup campaigns both over, and maybe the early end to Saswadimata's reign as manager. However, this time next week it might all be different, if Home go to Tampines and turn them over, scoring a good few goals in the process, and then go to the Philippines and get a result against Kaya FC in the AFC Cup I'm sure this rough start will be forgotten. A lot depends on Friday's game.

Thanks for reading. You can follow me on Twitter @KevinDunkerley for more updates on this year's Singaporean Premier League.