QPT Vs Forbes 10/07/07

Match report v Forbes10/07/2007By Ebrahim
With our last minute somewhat controversial signing of Audley’s Cristiano Ronaldo aka Mujy (more later!) starting on the bench, even bigger must be the return to the first team of The Mohammedali! He was in nets covering for the crocked EP who was meant to be covering for the unavailable YP who was meant to be covering for our first-choice Zuber (remember him??) .
[Regains breath…] It looked like an invasion of the cult heroes as the QPT Kop’s call was answered after years of die hard unwaivering support for the local boy Yasin. Considering he hadn’t started a match for YEARS, he didn’t look out of place alongside Mo N. In fact, it allowed Saif more freedom to venture in attack – a ploy he employed only in the second half though. This brings me to the issue regarding our guys not being adventurous enough in the first half. Yasin was concerned that other players around him felt the need to ‘cover’ for him; thus, reducing a fluency in our attacking approach. It invited some threatening shots from Forbes which, to our credit, we dealt with comfortably – as did the man himself ‘ Mali ’. We looked composed however, and indeed took the lead in between these early exchanges as Amin turned and finished clinically – 3 in 3 now for the Lord as his influential presence is becoming more familiar now.
Unfortunately, a difficult ball to deal with at stomach-height for Yasin led to their equalizer. I think many will sympathise with Yas as this was one of those that you can neither head nor kick – to use a cricketing analogy, I’d say he was stumped!
1-1 at half-time and we just needed to ‘see it through’ as Forbes were not overly threatening. In my opinion the first sub that I made (Mujy for Yasin) turned the game as it upset the balance. Chots was off-colour and maybe should have made way himself as Mujy is not a midfielder. I liked how Ishy moved himself to the left-wing later on to try something different and maybe that is where he should have gone on the arrival of Mujy. Nonetheless, Mujy went to midfield with Amin dropping back. They immediately scored with a shot that The Man was disappointed to let slip under his body. I had my doubts, but Mali made a range of top drawer saves, showing again that he CAN really do anything, anywhere! (Is it a bird? Is it a plane?....)
After Husky had his regular ‘exchanges’ with the opponents, he volunteered to be subbed for myself and, like the last sub, they immediately scored - this time with a rasping shot. 3-1 down.
We still probed away in characteristic QPT fashion and got our rewards with a debut tap-in for Mujy, but that was too late. It was disappointing to lose 3-2 - we didn’t finish our chances and that ultimately cost us.
We play Forbes again next week and on this evidence, they are easily beatable. So the aim will be a comfortable win, comfortable being the operative word.

Player ratings
Mali – 8. Ref’s MOM and looked solid even though it was his first stint in goal. Made some crucial saves. He is The Mohammedali.
Mo N – 6.
Yasin – 7. Has been deserving of his chance to start for months now. Stuck to what he knows best and did it well. This is what I like to see players doing.
Saif – 7. Tried and tried to score those second and third goals for us! Some of his attacking play was breathless and it deserved an end-product.
Hassan L – 6. After a blinding start to the season, this was satisfactory in comparison. I think the cult heroes upstaged him!
Amin – 8. We are seeing more of the vintage Amin nowadays and the team is gelling well with him too. This game saw him becoming more vocal and influential – good signs for us.
Ishy C – 6. Couldn’t get involved enough to score, and this was his least effective match this season. He must not fall into the line of thinking that not scoring is not good (You have scored enough so far anyway Ishy!) Indeed, switching to left-wing is another exciting option for him at times.

Subs
Mujy (for Yasin)– 7. Got his debut goal, but the unfamiliarity of a midfield role was telling. His interplay with the rest of the team promises good football for us.
Ebrahim (for Hassan) – 6. Didn’t have enough time to be imposing. Still not fully fit and backing out of challenges.

Media Frenzy
A call-for-arms has been issued by the Torpedoes faithful to boycott the club after the recruitment of Muzafar Shaikh. The threat to shun the club they adore is based on the assumption that QPT, like Real Madrid, will now bid tooth-and-nail for the ‘new Galacticos’ of the footballing world. And they are well aware that the Madrid story did not have a happy ending once the likes of Figo, Zidane, Beckham, Ronaldo and Owen were at the club.
The Chairman of the QPT supporters club has cried, “It seems obvious to us that the new directors at this club are interested in only one type of silverware – and that’s not the trophy type.” He went on to highlight another recent purchase of superstar defender Suleman Chothia: “I’ve no doubt that Chothia and Shaikh will give it their all on the pitch, but it doesn’t bode well to the supporters that Chothia just didn’t turn up for this match. Where is the club fine and ban? He’s got nothing – and it’s down to the boys upstairs wanting him to stay and add to their back pockets!”
“We applaud Shaikh – he scored a good goal this week and tried his best in an unfamiliar position but who’s to say he will even be here next season? We, the faithful supporters that travel the length and breadth of the country just to wear the sacred Orange and enjoy our boys play football will not tolerate the same Orange being disregarded come the end of season like some kitchen rag – and that’s directed at both the owners and the players.”
It is obvious that the faithful Orange band is attempting to stop an overflow of money-loving by turning the tap firmly shut now. “If the directors are going to influence the direction of this team regarding who plays and who we should buy, then forget it. We need dialogue, and we need it now.”
A source close to the club has confirmed that a ‘sister club’ is already being prepared should the fans of QPT not be happy with this latest arrangement. And speculation is growing that it is former favourite Rashid Mulla who will front this campaign for Orange Torpedoes FC in the same manner that United FC of Manchester formed and indeed did Wimbledon AFC.
To add to the friction between loyalty and distanced professionalism, another former favourite at QPT ‘headquarters’ is reportedly not pleased at the arrival of Shaikh. For legal reasons, he cannot be named, but he did exclaim, “Apparently, Shaikh was a last-minute addition to the squad for the game against Forbes. But if they needed players, then Asif Mayat was at home at the time and so was Rashid Mulla – all they needed was a phone call!” Asked for his opinion on the ‘Galacticising’ of QPT, he added, “Well it CAN’T be good can it? Look at Real Madrid – Beckham never won anything until his final year, and even then Capello got sacked cos they just played to win at the expense of attractive football. It just isn’t a healthy arrangement, I tell you. As a fan at heart, i’m very worried.”
We now await a response from the board at QPT. The saga continues….