Negri's poor run worries Azraai

IF Azraai Khor Abdullah did not know what he was getting into when signing on as Negri Sembilan coach, he surely does now.
Tuesday's 1-0 home defeat to Kuala Lumpur was Negri's fifth in the Super League in a seven-game run which has seen the 2009 Malaysia Cup champions win only once in the league.

Negri immediately went into crisis mode after the match, just three weeks after dumping Wan Jamak Wan Hassan, as Azraai huddled with Negri FA officials pitch-side after speaking to reporters.

There must have been plenty to discuss as evidenced by the inability of Negri's star-studded line-up to prise open the defence of star-less KL.
Idrim Karim's absence through suspension meant S. Kunanlan and Shukor Adan formed an unlikely midfield combination while Qhairul Anwar Roslani's move to centre-half was not much of a masterstroke.

With just five minutes gone, Qhairul and Aidil Zafuan Radzak got into an entanglement which allowed KL's Badrul Hisyam Azmi to score the winner from 25 metres out, with the aid of a deflection.

Forwards Ahmad Fakri Saarani and Hairuddin Omar were too wasteful and their comical finishing had the fans in Paroi in uproar, giving Azraai food for thought ahead of tomorrow's trip to Pasir Gudang to face a resurgent Johor FC.

"The goal resulted from a defensive error, there is still some unfamiliarity between players. We will need to correct the mistakes and rise in our next match," said Azraai after the game.

The defeat to KL followed a 1-1 draw with Terengganu last Saturday, also at home, as Azraai awaits his first win in charge of Negri.

Four points from their last seven games is a poor return for a side who had great ambitions at the start of the seaso