Show of pearly whites: New Selangor coach Katsuhito Kinoshi (left) and Alvin Fortes are all smiles during the press conference ahead of the match against Muangthong United. — Selangor FC
PETALING JAYA: Selangor have had three coaches in less than a year but winger Alvin Fortes says it’s fine as they will just keep adapting.
Their latest coach is Japan’s Katsuhito Kinoshi.
The team started the season working under Nidzam Jamil, but the Malaysian coach announced his resignation on Oct 30, which saw Dutchman Abdi Hassan being made interim coach until Nov 23.
And Kinoshi has hit the ground running since the day he reported for duty on Nov 24 and today, he will lead the boys in the AFC Champions League Two when they take on Thai club Muangthong United in Group H at the Petaling Jaya Stadium.
Selangor are second in the group with seven points, while Muangthong are third with five points.
The Japanese coach wants the players to adopt an aggressive game and keep their fighting spirit until the final whistle.
Fortes, from Cape Verde, said the team would adapt to Kinoshi’s style and were looking forward to the match against Muangthong United.
“Coach (Kinoshi) arrived here three days ago, and you can see there is excitement. For me, every coach brings different qualities. He has his ideas and principles,” said the 30-year-old.
“Our task is to listen to the coach and achieve results for the team.”
Fortes will be the main man for Selangor, proving to be a livewire on the flanks throughout the season. Plus, he has had the experience playing in the Thai League when he featured for Ratchaburi and Nongbua Pitchaya in the past.
“Muangthong are a tough side to crack but we believe in our squad and quality. We want three points and confirm our spot in the knockout stages,” said Fortes.
Kinoshi is happy with what he has seen so far.
“They have the power to play. You will see. The boys know what I want from them. I want them to be aggressive and disciplined as a team.’’
When asked about Muangthong, Kinoshi said he has studied their opponents.
“They are a side with strong attackers and play the 4-2-3-1 formation.
“They are a side that score a lot of goals but concede a lot at the same time. We want to exploit their weakness at the back. I have watched some of their games and we will come up with a good game plan.
“I know how Thai players are, or even their clubs. Some of their talents have played in Japan too. But if you ask me, there is no big difference between Thai and Malaysian players.
“Thai players are good but I am not afraid. We have a chance to beat Muangthong.”
