The Silverfox Hustle Podcast
The hustle beats talent when talent doesn't hustle. The Silverfox Hustle is all about showcasing positive attitudes, great work ethics and consistent quality work. The Silverfox Hustle will be the vehicle that will inspire, motivate and share positive stories through its extraordinary guests. Host and creator, Shasi, is a former professional football player and now a coach developer as well as a commentator and pundit. He shares all the values and beliefs of the Silverfox Hustle. Enjoy the journey and stories! Cheers!
The Silverfox Hustle Podcast
Silverfox Hustle SPL Preview - Young Lions FC
When Firdaus Kassim left his comfortable position at Lion City Sailors to take charge of Young Lions, he knew exactly what he was stepping into. "I wouldn't call it a risk," he reveals in this fascinating conversation about his vision for Singapore's development squad. "We had long conversations to ensure clarity about the project and direction."
That direction is now taking shape with a revamped Young Lions setup featuring two distinct teams - YLA competing in SPL1 and YLB in SPL2. This creates a natural progression pathway for younger talents while preventing them from being thrown unprepared into Singapore's top league. "This is a very good platform for young players to start," Firdaus explains, highlighting how several promising talents have already moved up through this system.
The most intriguing aspect of this season's Young Lions is their strategic foreign signings forming the team's spine. Slovenian goalkeeper Benjamin Zerak brings composure between the posts, while Brazilian defenders Enrico Silviera and Joilson Lucas add leadership and defensive solidity. In midfield, Lucas Agueiro provides the bridge between local and foreign players, while Brazilian winger Abner Vinicius emerges as the most exciting prospect: "There are things he does in training that make me think - wow, this is going to be a very special player."
Firdaus doesn't shy away from addressing the perennial debate around the Young Lions - development versus results. His solution? Creating a winning mentality through defensive organization that keeps matches competitive deep into the second half. "We're pushing them beyond boundaries," he says of his training methods, "stretching them beyond their limits."
With pre-season showing promising signs, including competitive performances against top sides, Firdaus has set a realistic but ambitious target of finishing in the top half of the eight-team league. After years of bottom-two finishes, this would represent significant progress for a team that's always been about developing tomorrow's stars rather than winning today's trophies.
Listen now to discover how Firdaus plans to transform the Young Lions while addressing wider concerns like Singapore's goalkeeper development crisis and the challenge of balancing foreign talent with local player progression.
This is the Silver Fox Hustle Podcast. Hello there, we are back on the SPL preview. We are out on Apple Podcast, spotify, youtube and TikTok as well and I'm your host, shashi, by the way and we continue with the SPL preview today with another team and that is the Young Lions. Now, we do know from the past and again last season they finished in 8th position and I have to say from my commentary and stuff, and I thought they, in terms of performance, they put up a pretty commendable show last season, but obviously with consistency or inconsistency, I've got to say, with the so-called younger boys we're always going to get up and down in terms of results, but this season it's kind of like a new setup with new players coming in as well and a new coach, and with me for the SPL preview for the Young Lions is the new head coach, firdaus Kasim Firdaus, how are you, my friend?
Speaker 2:Thank you. Thank you, Very good Pleasure to be here. Thank you for inviting me.
Speaker 1:It's always good to have you in and I've got to say how has been pre-season so far? Roughly, lots of travelling, I hear.
Speaker 2:Yeah, a lot of travelling has been tiring. So I think in some ways it affects the preparation a little bit, because I think the first I mean as coaches, we all know the first one month, two months is always normally to introduce the ideas, to get the players on board. But with all these travellings and with the national teams, and I think it affects a little bit. But it is what it is and we are just trying to adapt.
Speaker 1:Now, fiddles, I just want to go back a little bit because you know, on the back of last season and obviously you took the Lion City Sailors under 21. It was kind of like a not kind of. It was a successful season in terms of results and all. How did the call come about for the young lions? You know at which stage was it to to get you in for the young lions?
Speaker 2:um, to be very frank, I think it was the previous president who approached me first, okay, in january, okay, um, but it was just, merely, uh, casual talks, you know. And then when, when things took a different direction with the management, the change of management, change of X-Cos in the FA, then I think things got a little bit more serious. So I think it was very late in probably early May when I got to know that, okay, these things are getting more serious and I'll be probably moving over to the FA.
Speaker 1:You know you have experience overseas coaching as a head coach, assistant coach and even locally as well, with Haogang, previously before LCS. Now, when the call came about and when you, kind of like, signed the contract for the Young Lions right. What was in your mind? Basically, because there's so many contract for the Young Lions, right. What was in your mind basically because there's so many things going on? Obviously, right, you know, new management, new coaching staff, new players what was on your mind first? Was it football-wise, was it player makeup-wise, or was it the system in place? You know there's so many things going around, right? So what was the first thing that came to your mind.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would say it's a system in place because, to be honest, I was very comfortable and very happy with the job that I'm doing in Life City Sailors, because I think, in terms of what they are doing with the youth generations, with the academies and things, and very much agree and very much aligned with what they are doing. And the first thing in mind when I was given this opportunity was definitely to think how could we in the long term, not just the short term, to produce good quality youngsters right? So obviously, the privilege of being in this position is that you get to be in the AFC competitions and you get to be in the SPL, but I think just that I love working with youngsters, you know. So the idea now is to see how, in 3-4 years, is to produce very good players in the first team. But yeah, it's a lot of planning involved.
Speaker 1:I think the idea is great, right, obviously you know you want to be producing players, working with the young players, like you said. You know I think that's great, but personally, this is just off my head and I thought about it right as you were talking just now. Is it kind of a risk moving from the sailors to Because you said it, you're kind of comfortable, things are moving in the right direction and obviously people can see that at the lcs. But is that kind of a risk personally? For you?
Speaker 2:uh, no, I wouldn't think so at all because I think this was a very uh, a long conversation that I had with with the relevant people there, so with the management, you know, to have clarity in terms of the project, to have a very good idea of how the direction is going to be. I think this is the most important because I think I want to be honest, but I learned from a past mistake that if you are taking something that you don't agree with and then you are pushing it, you start on a project that you probably are not 100% or you don't 100% believe in, it's not going to go well in the end.
Speaker 2:So this is something that I take it upon me to be very, very clear with that we both see eye to eye with all things right.
Speaker 1:So from your answer, it's pretty safe to say that everything is kind of like a line in terms of what you want and what the organisation want as well. Now, we had this discussion just off air a little bit right. Had this discussion just off air a little bit right. The makeup of the young lions team, you know, because I'm confused as well and I think listeners and people who's watching this preview as well would be thinking how does this work now with the, the young lions first? Firstly, we've got the spl1, we've got the spl2 and, and you know others, you know, looking forward ahead and, and you know the we won't be talking about that because that's pending anyway. How is the makeup of the team going to be like?
Speaker 2:Okay, so at the moment we have around 50, 52, 53 players, so probably half of it are players from NS, and this is one of the platform for NS players to come forward. And this is not any comments or any criticism, but just that I think, with the NS players, the potential NS players who who are with us, and I think we can control them better in terms of intensity, in terms of their nutrition and things like that. So we're gonna have two teams we call it YLA1 and YLB. Yla1 competing in SPL1, and YLB, yla will be competing in.
Speaker 2:Spl 1 and SPL 2 will be make up with YLB and generally the make up of the squad will be in under 19 players right average.
Speaker 1:basically for SPL 2 right, okay, now it's interesting. Right again, spl 1 YLA is it? Is it called YLA and YLB Now? Are these players, for example, in YLA is going to be all the way, or is there a room for the YLB players to do?
Speaker 2:So for you to create a competition, then I guess this is the best way right To allow players to go up and down and, as I said, when we started the season, we had some players in YLB and very quickly I think within two, three weeks and very young players and they showed very good potential. So these are the platform for them to also move up to play. The last thing you want is to throw them and I think, especially we know in the SPL 1, the quality of the league now is going to increase, so we don't want to throw them into and they are not ready. So I think this is a very good platform. I think SPL 2 also looking at the competition, the age there's no age limit, so I think this is a very good platform for at least a young player to start off.
Speaker 1:Right Before we start talking a little bit about the squad and some of the players, I think I've seen some exciting players in the list as well. Right, your frank assessment of last season. How was it Because obviously you were at LCS but Singapore is so small and you can keep track of performances and stuff how was it in terms of your own opinion about the Young Lions performance last season?
Speaker 2:I think consistency is always an issue for them, because they're being young, so this is one, but, to be honest, I'm pretty impressed with a lot of things. They're being young, so so this is one, but I'm to be honest, I'm pretty impressed with a lot of things they're doing. Last season, especially in january, um, during the, the defensive organization, I think, improved a lot. Uh, even the game and I was watching they lost 8-0 against lancis sicilis. They were doing very well up till, probably just some one or two individual errors, and then the next part is the mentality right, because I think this young team, when they concede one, they concede two and very most likely, they will just crumble throughout the whole game. So this is one of the key areas that we already identified. That we want to improve is to be resilient, at least if you're considering one goal, two goals, but to always be competitive in the game. So so, yeah, this is my take, based on last season it's interesting.
Speaker 1:You spoke about all those things. We'll talk about that later on. I think that there's this part where I wanted to ask you, and we'll talk about that later now let's go go through the whole list in terms of players that you have now. We go through the local players first. Right, we've seen some very interesting names in terms of players who've been there before. We've done that right. In terms of the young lines, we've got Raul Suhaimi, players like Fairoz, players like Ryu Hardy and stuff like that. You've got Nathan Mao, and he's doing his NS now as well. Right us through. Obviously, you assessed the team last season. You saw the team last season and now you've had full control in terms of players that you want in. What was the general thinking behind your head in terms of all these players that you have in the squad at the moment?
Speaker 2:I think firstly they need to have character, personality. So we conducted about 2, three weeks trial and this is based on all the scouting that we did towards the end of last season. But we also had a good scouting team and assistant coaches who were watching all the games, or at least watched back all the games from January onwards, to just identify potential players to bring. Yeah, but to one of the main criteria for us is to have personality and character to bring in. So I think the players that we brought in mainly they have their attributes.
Speaker 1:I also want to say this I'm just again looking through the list In terms of the SPL 1 or the Young Lions. A right, most of these players are probably experienced. They're young, but they've experienced playing in the SPL already and I can go through some players like Ajerobsen, rio Hardy, like I said just now, israfil Marcus already when he went out on loan and plays like this, even the Yazid brothers, right. So was that also part of the thinking? Because these guys are, yeah, they're young, they're inconsistent and whatever, but they've played, you know, and obviously, with the foreigners coming in, it's gonna be a good team, yes, but let's not forget that we have international competitions also this year.
Speaker 2:so I think this is the main priority you know to to have them together and this is likely I would say very likely that these guys are going to be in the national team unless they underperform. So we have them on board. Of course, they have the experience, as you mentioned, and I think, together with the foreigners, it can be a very, very good team.
Speaker 1:I see one player and I'm quite interested, right, junkie Yoshimura, who's played for Elbrecht for a couple of seasons already, and he's Singaporean, by the way. Right, tell me more about him. What do you see in him?
Speaker 2:because to me, I think he's impressive yeah, same as you, because I think last season, when we were checking his game minutes, I think he's the only player in the league who was clocking 90 minutes throughout the entire season, and it's not easy for somebody to be playing in a barracks to be doing that, so the coaches there must have rated him very highly. Yeah, I think defensively it's a very solid player. You know so, and this is what we need in Young Lions to be somebody to be able to stand on his own right and it's a to be able to stand on his own Right, and he has a good mentality as well.
Speaker 2:So we're always willing to learn, yeah, but I think one of his areas to improve is that I think going forward, you know. So this is something that we are also encouraging him to join the attack more, to have a lot more goal and assist contributions.
Speaker 1:Are you expecting more? Again, I'm just throwing out names, right? So are you expecting a little bit more from Amey Shafiz? I think he's got that, but you know, again, we always talk about consistency, right? But yeah, a player like Amey Shafiz he's just got probably need to take that next step up, right? Are you expecting a little bit more from him as well?
Speaker 2:Well, he's doing very well now. I think in pre-season he's been a goal threat for us and always the first point of our defensive. I know he's working very hard up front, let's say to be honest. So, yeah, what I would think he's supposed to improve is he needs to get into the box more. He needs to be involved in the goals more. I know last season he got six goals. I think prior to that he doesn't have any goals at all. You don't know, and this is a big problem in Singapore football, because we don't have attacking players, good attacking players.
Speaker 1:Again, just looking at the squad and we spoke a little bit about just this is and obviously from the SPL too, and players like that. They need to take that step up to the national team because we can't rely on the same players all the time the so-called senior players right. Are these the core, you would say at the moment?
Speaker 2:Currently. Yes, yes, like I said, we did our homework and we scouted through through so many players, even inviting from different clubs to give an opportunity to see first off, first hand, how it's like and I think this is the main players that I would expect at least a few of them to make the next time to the national team nice.
Speaker 1:We wish especially the local boys all the luck. I think they really need to push Nice. Nah, we wish especially the local boys all the luck, you know, I think they really need to push on forward. And for the sake of Singapore football, let's talk about the new foreign players coming in Not new as in foreign players coming in and we've got quite a line-up. I must say for you you want to go through them or I name them? Yeah, you can name them.
Speaker 2:I name them from the top, I think it's better that way.
Speaker 1:Other goalkeeper Benjamin Zerak. Is that Zerak? Yeah, zerak he's 19, he's from Slovenia and I think you've had experience with him last season. Right, tell me about him. What does he bring to the?
Speaker 2:team calmness and we know the league is plugged with not a lot of very good goalkeepers, so I think he brings calmness and very good competitions for Ezil. So I think this is one of the main reasons that we bring him on board and I think you see the way he carries himself when he was in 9th City CLS with me, and I think this is the kind of professionalism that I would like. What's his height? He's close to 1.8.
Speaker 1:He's a little bit taller than me, I guess 1.85, 1.86, 1.87 you know, right at the beginning, just now, when you talked about Benjamin Zerak and you were saying that there's not too many good goalkeepers in Singapore, I have to say it's a worry, isn't it?
Speaker 2:it's a worry, it's a real worry, and again, I'm not.
Speaker 1:There's no, not a disrespect to the clubs, the goalkeepers, even because it is what it is and we gotta say what's happening. Right, it is a worry, isn't it?
Speaker 2:yeah, I think the fact that Izuan, or Hasan before, was playing, I think, close to his 40s in the national team and Izuan now also we are looking at him as in the national team and he's one now Also we are looking at him as the number one, but he's also approaching on the wrong end of the 30s and we are. The next question is everybody's asking who's next? You know from younger generations. So I think something has to be done in the academies it's not just in the FA, but I think across the board cannot be a first team problem, because I think the first team is only getting players based on the work done in the academy let's talk about your defenders.
Speaker 1:We've got Enrico Silveira and Jolson Lucas, and both of them are Brazilians. They're 19 years old, both are 19. Take us through these two players, enrico and Jolson.
Speaker 2:Enrico was with me last season also. I think his leadership capabilities, the way he conducts himself in the dressing room, he can command the respect of the players and I think he understood my ideas and the way that, how we want to play, and he's also a player who's very comfortable on the ball. Okay, yeah, and it's not just a player who's capable of playing a centre back, but also able to play in centre number six and you've already seen, last season he made his debut for Lime City Sailors and to be able to make a debut in LCS.
Speaker 2:Enrico to make a debut in LCS as a young player is not easy, so he's able to do it. So I guess it's a testament to his character and capabilities. Jolson, jolson, I would say he's a pure defender. This guy, no nonsense, yeah, no nonsense. He dominates everything in the air. He's very vocal and I think, with the team that we have, he's a very young team and you need a vocal leader in the last line.
Speaker 1:It's no coincidence that you're going for the spine, isn't it? Like you? Spoke about the goalkeeper, and then we speak about the defence right, and I think there's no coincidence. Alright, let's talk about your next foreigner, lucas Aguero, and he's a defensive mid.
Speaker 2:Defensive mid Phil. Yes, so the good thing is that he has experience playing abroad. So experience playing abroad, so the way he conducts himself, you know it's more he's mixing the local a little bit more. Okay, yeah, so he speaks a little bit of English, so I think that's a plus point. And he's the he's the bridge between the local boys and and also the foreign players.
Speaker 2:Nice, nice nice but in terms of quality, I think you have to see it for yourself. I'm very, very excited because he's not just a player who's a number 6, who's sitting, but on the ball he's good, very aggressive and capable of scoring goals as well.
Speaker 1:Well, with a name like that, we're expecting a lot, and we speak about names. We've got a Vinicius as well, and he's playing on the left wing as well. He's 22. He's Brazilian as well.
Speaker 2:Take us through, mr Venetius, I think of all the front players, I think this is the player that we're very excited about. He's very, very strong in 1v1s and I love to play with inverted wingers, and I think this him and Harry Spence, it's I would say it's a type of players that I really like to play on the flanks, and there are things that he does in trainings that I would think, wow, this is going to be a very special player brilliant, and I was always.
Speaker 1:I'm always going to ask you who are we going to expect from this season? I think you already named Vinicius, so that's for the fans and for whoever's listening to this. It's his name, just watch this space. Right, it's Abner Vinicius, left winger from Brazil, and obviously we've got Harry Spence right. He's playing on the other side of the wing. Nice, nice. Now any more inclusions? Are you happy with the squad at the moment? You thinking of getting more?
Speaker 2:I don't know no, I think they make up the squad. I'm very happy with it already. But of course you know Young Lions. The idea of Young Lions is not just. It's not to close the door on everybody, any young potential players, especially those who are serving NS. So from now till the end of the year or till the end of the season, I'm very sure there will be a couple more players who will be going to NS and these other players that we are looking to bring on board.
Speaker 1:I just you know, you spoke about this just now, earlier on, and this is the part that I wanted to ask you.
Speaker 1:Right, you know, the debate about the Young Lions has always been about whether it's results, whether it's results, whether it's development and obviously people have always said this about the Young Lions right, they're more of a developmental side. They're playing in the pro league Fine, no problems about that, right. But you know, the question is in the past, when we speak about the Young Lions and they've always finished about 8th, 9th, 8th, 9th and whatever I think the best finish was 3rd and it was a long time back, right. Does this affect the player's confidence? You know we talk about, yeah, you can play good football, and then it's a developmental side fine, no problems. And then you keep on losing games, right, and the momentum of losing games does that really affect them? Because I think in your first, very first interview as the Young Lion coach, I think you spoke about getting the winning mentality done. I watched that. You spoke about the mentality, obviously, right, the confidence. How do one get that into these players, right, winning mentality and confidence. You know it's very difficult. So how do you?
Speaker 2:I think it's the environment that you get in training.
Speaker 2:You know you have to the atmosphere and the demands that you, first and foremost, that you have to do in training is that you're always demanding the players to win the small battles.
Speaker 2:As I tell them, you know, win the duels, win the small side games, win the small side games, win the opposition games, Any kind of drills that have a point system. They have to be there to win. I think, before we talk about the main game. Other than that, then I think the most important is for them to be competitive in the game, and what we are working on in the past three weeks and I think it's really working very well is that we are really working a lot, a lot on defensive organization just to give us a chance to be competitive, or at least you know, we go into the 80th minute of the game. Probably the game is 0-0, or we are winning 1-0 or we are losing 1-0. There's always a chance for you to nick something out of the game. So this is what we are trying to do, and to be defensive, to defensively discipline throughout the most part of the game.
Speaker 2:It's not easy it requires you to challenge you a lot mentally. So we are pushing them.
Speaker 1:We are pushing them beyond boundaries and stretching them beyond your limits it's interesting that you spoke about working on this stuff specifically right, defensive organization and stuff which is good, which is good, you know, without really giving too much away. But you also mentioned about those special players that you have, because you can defend right, but then you always have a chance going forwards, right. So is that something that you've been working on as well? Because, yeah, defensively you've got to be really strong, but with all these players around that can create those special moments, is that something that you've been drilling into them as well?
Speaker 2:Yes, definitely. So I was very frank with them. I told them that, even with all these players in the team, the other teams and other squads in the league, they're also improving as well, and we have to admit, we are not the best team in the team. The other teams and other squads in the league they're also improving as well, and we have to admit, we are not the best team in the league. Neither we are the second best or third best. So we have to work together 11 players to defend and then to attack. You also have to do it together, but, like I said, if you do, you defend very well. It always gives us a chance to go on the counter or to create something with the ball on the set pieces, and these are the game plans that we are trying to improve, moving forward.
Speaker 1:How has pre-season matches been in terms of friendly matches that you've played? Have you played against any of our local sides?
Speaker 2:No, yes, we played against LCS. We lost 1-0 Against them and I think it was a very good start To get a buy-in From the players Regarding our Defensive organisation. We also went to Thailand, played a couple of games and we had about Three clinches From that game and the national team Players as well. We played Last two Games and also Very good result. I would say Okay, two games and also very good result. I would say also, the foreign players are looking very well, gelling very well and showing good qualities on the pitch and I'm very impressed with the team at the moment.
Speaker 1:Right, right, brilliant brilliant stuff, and I just want to ask you what kind of football can we expect from the young lines? Obviously, we talk about the influence of the coach, the head coach and the whole team, right? What can we expect from the Young Lions this season in terms of football play?
Speaker 2:We want to compete. I think we'll compete, and I say to be much more aggressive without committing too many fouls or silly fouls. But of course we want to be dominant On the ball. But if we can't, then defensively, I would expect the team To be Very, very compact, very, very solid and Right To bring us through the game.
Speaker 1:I just want to ask you Right along, you spoke about the number of players that you have and what not Right, and obviously with your Foreign players. Is this something that you are going to? I'm talking about the mindset of you going into every I'm talking about SPL game forget about the AFCs and whatever every SPL game the best player plays or you're thinking more in line of development?
Speaker 2:so I think let's let's be clear that the the project of the Young Lions is to develop the young local players. Let's be clear that the project of the Young Lions is to develop the young local players, right? So then it's down to me, as a head coach, to manage this, to not underplay the local players. So to play, not to underplay the foreigners as well, because then you will create some problems. You know so, you know how it is. You know you have to manage them. But generally, I wouldn't want to say that, okay, always the best case scenario is the best place. This is the best case scenario, but the reality is not going to be the case, because the priority has to be the local place. However, they have to fight for the space it's.
Speaker 1:They have to fight for their space. It's a balance and sometimes you, as the coach, you got to grapple with the way you want to go and the way it has to be done and whatnot. It's a tough job. Good luck with that. We know that the coaches have got in terms of the job, it's tough. Now, this is the part where most coaches stay on the fence, stand on the fence, but you know, I hope that you can give me a good answer for this one, the target for the year. Okay, let me put it to you right what is success to you this season?
Speaker 2:It would be nice not to finish in the bottom two for once.
Speaker 1:We have a team, sorry, a league of eight. Yeah, so not seven and eight. Well, come on, we can go higher than that.
Speaker 2:No, I think it would be nice to go in the top half. You know, I don't want to be too overpredict, you know, because? Because I also respect the quality of the other teams as well. But yeah, it would be nice not to finish in the bottom two and go into the top half of the league yeah, I think that's pretty practical as well, you know.
Speaker 1:I think that's good luck with you for that as well, you know. And finally, fredos, any message for the Young Lions fans. You know, I think they've been with the Young Lions every single year in, year out, and you have that core group of Young Lions and hopefully you win more fans as well. I think that's important to support the young boys. Any message for the fans?
Speaker 2:yes, I told the players that they need to find a purpose to play the games and one of the reasons is that they are playing for the fans, so we appreciate that they come in numbers to support the boys, because I really think that, from the mentality and from the conversation I have with the boys and what they've shown in training, is that I think it's going to be a very different season, hopefully, and they are very raring to go and they need every additional factors the fans, the support and everything else to make it even a better season.
Speaker 1:Fedos, I want to wish you good luck for your role at the Young Lions as well as for the Young Lions in general SPL 1, spl 2 with the two teams, three teams, maybe with the foreigners as well, but really good luck moving ahead with the AFC tournaments as well and, yeah, just moving forward. Let's hope that for the future of Singapore football, we all have a good season ahead for the Young Lions. A good season ahead for the Young Lions.
Speaker 2:Thank you, thank you very much.
Speaker 1:Well, that has been the latest episode of the Silver Fox Hustle podcast, the SPL preview with the Young Lions and their head coach, firaus Qasim. And don't forget, click on the follow button. We are out everywhere Spotify, apple Podcasts, youtube and TikTok, and the Works as well. Right, so till the next episode. We see you again. Cheers, bye.