Player Report

Exemplary ESMSCC right-back Huzeriel Heinze, who has been likened to legendary Barcelona defender Carles Puyol, has been spotted embarking on a personal training schedule according to insider reports from staff at SMU Gym. It is speculated that Huzer, as he is commonly known, was forced to undergo an intensive training regiment after boss Arsene Nasz confronted him about his below par performance on Sunday. Huzer was said to be unhappy at being singled out as he felt the team performed poorly as a whole and that he should not shoulder most of the blame.

Huzer has been said to be unsettled in recent weeks after being rocked by news that his place in the team was in jeopardy and that he was surplus to requirements. Despite objections from his manager, Huzer has been said to be less than convinced. An unnamed source said that Huzer expected so much more from the club after all the commitment he had displayed. "He is a founding member of the club, in the naming committee itself, and has consistently attended training sessions even though he lives more than 10 times as far as his teammates. Furthermore, his poor performance on Sunday can be directly attributed to over-training as Huzer has been trying desperately to improve his game by employing cutting edge technology such as Winning Eleven 10 and Football Manager 2007. Believe me, he is doing all this for the team. In fact, he is distributing copies of Football Manager 2007 to his teammates so that the team can improve together."

However, when interviewed, Huzer said that his intensive training program was of his own initiative as he was disappointed by his own performance in the previous match. "I am not blessed with silky skills. Players like Fabien Abu-thez and Dedi Hagi can rely on their magical feet. My physique is all I have. If i can't impose my physique, I lose any advantage i may have."

Responding to reports that his manager was considering asking him to play in the sweeper role so as to allow Ferdinasz to push up into midfield, Huzer Heinze replied somewhat tentatively, "I am happy to play anywhere it will help the team, so long as I play. The whole game. Every game. I believe I am capable of marshalling the defence and guiding Ashus Bramble if the manager wants me to as I have played that position before with some success. However, everyone knows my favoured position."

Huzer also let fly with a veiled criticism of the youth policy of manager Arsene Nasz and assistant Ash Rice. "I understand the need for a bigger squad as we are currently very lightweight in numbers. I believe that promoting youth is the best way of solving this and at the same time keeping the ESMSCC mentality alive. However, the youngsters should not be promoted just for the sake of it. Certainly not to the detriment of the experienced players. I believe in competition for places. Just not my place."

When asked to elaborate on the 'ESMSCC mentality', Huzer explained, "ESMSCC was formed to put a finger up to the established way of doing things. We disagreed with change for the sake of change. We have not always fit the stereotypes that society was trying to force on us. In fact, from the PBMRI Academy of Soccer, ESMSCC has differentiated itself by being the most non-stereotypical graduate team of the academy, from their postings to their anti-traditional methods, as seen in the latest Hari Raya visitations / Pre-season Training Camp. What is the relevance of this question to your report?"

Whatever the reason for Huzer's additional training, it can only help the team. If the team is really as united as they portray themselves, then things can only improve. As pundits have agreed, though ESMSCC has every right to be disappointed with their performance, there are many positives they can draw upon if they examine closely.