February 5, 2004
Albirex Niigata coach Hiroshi Ohashi aim to steer the club to a top 3 finish for the 2004 season.
It will not be a easy job as the Big 3 of Singapore football SAFFC, Home United & Geylang United have make the top 3 position their own since the 2001 season.
Last season, Sinchi want to break the stranglehold but only finished a disapponting 7th position in the league. Even big spenders of the past few seasons like Tampines Rovers & Woodlands Wellington have been unable to break the stranglehold.
But there are also views that the club is not ambitious enough as the Japanese club has won the J2 championship in the Japanese league but Hiroshi Ohashi does not feel so as the squad in Singapore is a young squad despite having 10 players from the championship-winning team.
The Albirex Niigata team is make up of 10 players from the J2 championship-winning team and players selected in trials in Niigata.
Hiroshi Ohashi stated that the team oldest player was goalkeeper Nobuhiro Maeda who is 30 & it is impossible to win a championship with a team make up of players mostly in the range of 19-21.
Still he will be disappointed & shock if the team is unable to break the Big 3 stranglehold of the top 3 position.