Darby pertahan Fakri

Majalah 3 ada call aku untuk beri pandangan tetapi aku menolak dengan lembut...apapun dokumentari menceritakan perjuangan Harimau Muda dalam menjuarai Sukan SEA baru-baru ini diterbitkan ketika satu negara masih dibuai keseronokan.




Fakri Saarani yang menjadi bahan kecaman kerana prestasi tidak menentunya turut ditemu bual. Menyentuh pasal Fakri, aku hubungi jurulatih yang mencampak Fakri ke dalam Liga M pada 2006, iaitu Steve Darby.

Bekas jurulatih Perak itu kata:

"I read about the criticism of Fakri although I have not read the actual criticism as apparently it is on blogs etc and usually in Bahasa. My view is simple...it takes ability, hard work and mental toughness to play at the level he does......those characteristics are not needed to insult someone in a blog or a newspaper, (often behind a false name in blogs).  It would be very easy for Fakri to hide in a game and not get in positions where he has a chance to score....hence not have the chance to miss and be criticised (this often happened also to Khalid Jamlus) but he doesn't and like Khalid he kept getting into places where he can score, that I think is bravery.


"I think Malaysia's results over the last few years have been outstanding and the young players should be getting praises and not abused for what they have done.


"As well as giving Fakri his debut (which I was criticised for before he scored his debut hat trick), he also scored the winner for Malaysia in the 90th minute v Thailand which put them in the semis and eliminated us in the Laos SEA Games. He nearly cost me my job!! 


"Also as I tell all critics I have never met a player or Coach who wants to lose in a game, do they think they like being abused? Also does abuse make a better player? (or anybody) better?...my view is No...encouragement makes a player better.


I think there is place for abuse..for the people who kelong and sell the game, they deserve the abuse not the ones who are giving the best they can."