Dyce Buckingham, the manager of Al-Kholoud FC, expressed his pride in his players' performance despite their defeat against Al-Hilal in a hard-fought match during the twelfth round of the Saudi Professional League. The match, held Wednesday evening at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Buraidah, witnessed dramatic events that impacted the course of the game.
Buckingham's comments on the performance and the red card
In the post-match press conference, Buckingham emphasized that his team delivered a high-level tactical performance, noting the immense difficulty of facing a team of Al-Hilal's stature and strength, especially since Al-Kholoud was forced to play with only ten men for a significant portion of the match, exceeding a full half. The British coach stated, "We played an excellent match against Al-Hilal. The team played a full half, and more, with ten men, displaying a remarkable performance and commendable tactical discipline.".
Buckingham added, explaining the impact of the numerical disadvantage: "The sending-off undoubtedly affected us, and we were the better team for many periods during the match, but we will try to continue working and correct our mistakes during the upcoming matches to get back on the winning track.".
Winter reinforcements are an urgent necessity
The Al-Khulood coach didn't neglect to discuss the team's future and its technical needs, clearly hinting at the necessity of making a strong showing in the winter transfer market. He stated, "We need reinforcements in more than one position during the winter transfer window to ensure we remain competitive and perform at our best." He emphasized that the team's mentality remains unchanged: they approach every match with only one goal in mind—to secure three points.
The context of the competition and the challenges of the Roshan League
These statements come at a time when the Saudi Professional League is witnessing unprecedentedly fierce competition, with Al-Hilal (the Leader) continuing its winning streak and maintaining its lead thanks to its squad of world-class stars. Facing Al-Hilal is currently considered one of the toughest tests for any team in Asia, not just domestically, given the Blues' formidable attacking prowess and solid defensive organization.
For Al-Kholoud, the newly promoted team to the professional league, delivering a cohesive performance with ten players against the defending champions reflects an improvement in the team's defensive system. However, the need to strengthen the ranks in the winter seems logical to ensure staying in the safe areas of the standings and avoiding relegation battles, especially with the increased pace of matches in the second round of the tournament.
