Al-Ahli Saudi FC's performance this season has been marked by significant inconsistency, with the team displaying two contrasting faces: a bright and powerful performance in the AFC Champions League, and a lackluster showing in the Saudi Professional League. This has left the fans of the "Castle of Cups" bewildered and concerned. Despite achieving some victories, these wins have often lacked the usual brilliance and prestige of a champion accustomed to winning titles.
The technical staff's responsibility and the challenges of formation
The role of coach Matthias Jäsle in the team's previous decline cannot be overlooked. His tactical decisions raised many questions, from fielding unsuitable lineups to making late and ineffective substitutions. Furthermore, his changes to the playing style and his favoritism towards certain players who failed to deliver, such as Merih Demiral and Fahad Al-Rashidi, contributed to the team losing the identity that had intimidated opponents last season and in the Asian Champions League.
The spirit returns in the Clasico against Al-Nasr
The true turning point became evident in recent matches, specifically from the Al-Fayha game to the derby against Al-Nassr. In this match, Al-Ahli rediscovered their elite status, delivering an entertaining and creative performance against Al-Nassr's squad, led by the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo. This performance was made all the more remarkable by the difficult circumstances surrounding the team, as the backbone of their starting lineup was missing goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, Franck Kessié, Roger Ibáñez, and Riyad Mahrez.
Despite these significant absences, the stars of the fortress excelled, and Yasle presented a wonderful tactical approach and surprised the opponent with great realism, which warrants praise for the coach who showed high tactical flexibility and abandoned his previous convictions that were subject to criticism.
The importance of the next phase and the challenges of January
This technical improvement is of paramount importance given the team's congested schedule, with Al Ahly facing six consecutive matches in just eighteen days during January. This period represents a crucial turning point in the team's pursuit of the league title, especially after the stumbles of their rivals and the close competition in the standings.
Maintaining a high fighting spirit and tactical pragmatism is key to Al-Ahli's return to serious contention for the league title, which has eluded the club for nearly a decade. Therefore, securing points in the upcoming rounds is not merely an option, but an urgent necessity to bring smiles back to the faces of the club's fans and to reaffirm that the performance against Al-Nassr is the norm, not the exception.
