ALL'S not well with Singapore football.
Critically, the malaise lies deeper than the Lions being knocked out in the first round of the Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup on Saturday night.
The whispers coming out from the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and the M Hotel, where the team have been based for the past week, paint a picture of a national team plagued by dissension and distrust.
It is not unheard of to have a few players voice their dissatisfaction with a coach, especially after an unsuccessful tournament.
But when close to half the 22-member squad, including key players, expressed unhappiness about national coach Bernd Stange, from how he conducts his training sessions to his man-management abilities, it hints of deep-rooted problems.
Worryingly, the tension in the dressing room appears to have been brewing for over a year.
What is perhaps even more troubling is that despite the FAS' best efforts to mediate between coach and players, the same problems persisted during the Suzuki Cup: The players want to be coached more, yet are not getting it from the German.
It was evident from the performances; players lacked ideas, confidence and organisation - all skills which can be honed on the training ground.
If Stange is the man the FAS wants to take Singapore football forward, then there is a fundamental problem.
What good is a coach who cannot seem to communicate effectively with his players, let alone get the best out of them?
With Stange's two-year contract expiring next year, the FAS must decide what its next step is.
If it intends to keep faith in the German, it needs to sort out the divisions within the national team.
If the decision is that the Stange experiment is not working, then it needs to figure out the next step.
In a year that has also seen the S-League make the headlines for the wrong reasons - imposing age restrictions on its players, only to make a U-turn - and age-group football teams come under fire for poor performances - the Under-21 side fell to record losses - the FAS needs to get its house back in order.
On Saturday, almost 50,000 fans packed the new National stadium to watch the Lions, the first time Singapore's footballers played to such a crowd since 2008.
The FAS is hoping Kallang will once again be the home of the Lions. Meanwhile, a new national training centre is also being planned for the game.
Much is being made available for football. It is time the sport looks itself in the mirror and asks if it is doing enough in return.
Marc Lim,
ST
