Dubai: Al Wahda striker Sebastian Tagliabue hopes a better start to the Arabian Gulf League — which kicks-off on Monday — could see his side go one better this season.
The Maroons finished second, 16 points behind league champions Al Ahli, last term, despite taking just 18 points from a possible 39 in the first half of the campaign.
Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro replaced the Czech Republic’s Karol Jarolim midway through the season, and the Abu Dhabi side went on to take 30 points from a possible 39 in the second half of the tournament, ending with six consecutive wins.
Tagliabue, 29, from Argentina, now hopes having Peseiro at the helm from the start of the season, will enable his team to bridge the gap on defending champions Al Ahli. “The start is important,” he told reporters on the sidelines of Wednesday’s adidas photo-shoot to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Predator boot. “You have to focus from the first game and take it step-by-step.
“Last season we started very badly and we were 10th at the halfway mark, but still finished second. This year, I hope we can start better and finish higher.
“We are better now than last season, the coach has had more time with us and now we have more understanding of what he wants.
“We started last season very defensively, when we didn’t have the players to be defensive. But when Peseiro came in he changed that, and we began playing more offensively, to better suit the style of our players.”
Tagliabue said Al Ahli were in for a greater challenge this season, as a result of Al Wahda’s new-found stability. “This year there will be even more of a fight between the teams,” he added. “And if Al Ahli do manage to defend their title it won’t be easy.
“Unless there is a surprise team, I suspect it will be the same contenders: Al Ahli, Al Ain, Al Jazira, and hopefully, Al Wahda.”
As well as finishing second in the league last season, Tagliabue also finished second in the league top scorers’ charts with 26 goals, three goals behind Al Ain’s Asamoah Gyan. But as by product of his team’s supposed championship contention this season, he’s also now targeting the golden boot.
“I feel we can do better than last season, and I can try and fight again for topscorer. It all depends on the team, however, they make everything, I make the goals, I don’t do anything alone.
“The Arabian Gulf League has some very good strikers and I have to respect everyone, I think the fight will be between more than just me and Gyan, this year.”
Al Wahda start their 2014/15 season at home to newly-promoted Ittihad Kalba on Tuesday from 5.40pm.