Riyadh: Oman coach Paul Le Guen warned his younger players that they would have to improve if they want to break into his starting XI following a 1-0 defeat to the UAE in the Gulf Cup third place play-off on Tuesday.
The sultanate made six changes from the side that lost 3-1 to Qatar in Sunday’s semi-final, and were expected to compete against the UAE following an earlier group stage 0-0 draw with the emirates, which preceded a 1-1 draw with Iraq and a 5-0 win over Kuwait.
However, Ali Mabkhout’s long shot before the hour handed the UAE third place and left Le Guen with nagging doubts ahead of January’s Asian Cup in Australia, where Oman will play hosts Australia, South Korea and Kuwait, in Group A.
“Some of them played their first game for me tonight and I expected more, they have to be aware of that,” he said. “I’ve been pleased with my starting XI since the beginning, but tonight I wasn’t.
“If you want to compete with my starting 11, I expect much more, and if you want to be in the 23-man squad that travels to Australia, you have to do a good few months.
“No one is in a national team position for life, you have to compete with other players. I believe I have some really good examples in the squad for others to try and follow and become really good national team members, but at the moment they are not.”
Asked if his players were tired and unmotivated by the traditional damp squib of a third place play-off, Le Guen replied: “I don’t think it was a matter of motivation tonight. I’m happy with their state of mind but I’m worried with their level.”
In an overall assessment of his side’s tournament, Le Guen said Oman were seriously lacking in physicality up front. “I think we played some good football and had chances but didn’t manage to score, again we need to work to get in front of the game.
“To improve is part of the game, but there are no miracles. We don’t have strong bodies. I would like to have the same bodies up front like Qatar and the UAE but we don’t. Come with me to an Omani league game and I will show you there are no strong bodies up front.
“We have to find a solution by playing in a different way with passing, we cannot play long balls, we have to assist. All the coaches have told me here that we have played well and created trouble for other teams and that we are on the right track. There is no other way to play if we don’t have strong bodies so we have to cope with that, and trust and continue with this style.”
