DUBAI // Ivan Jovanovic is confident he can turn around Al Nasr’s woeful form in the Arabian Gulf League before the season concludes next month.
The Dubai club are in the middle of a poor sequence of results in the UAE top flight, with Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to Al Ain extending the skid to two victories in their past 11 matches. In that stretch, dating back to mid-December, Nasr have taken 11 points from a possible 33 to slip to sixth in the standings.
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During that time, though, Nasr have lifted the Arabian Gulf Cup — their first domestic trophy in almost 26 years — while last week they defeated Kuwait’s Karza to finish top of their group in the Gulf Clubs Championship and thus progress to the knockout stages. Nasr are the competition’s defending champions.
With league performances obviously a concern, however, Jovanovic insists he has the backing of his players as the club seeks to end the campaign in positive fashion.
On Thursday, Nasr travel to champions Al Ahli.
“As a coach, you always try to find some solutions to try to help the team,” he said. “In two years now at this club, these players have given a lot to me as a coach and to the Al Nasr fans.
“Of course, we are disappointed by the last results in the league, but I’m together with my players and we alone in the dressing room are going to find a solution for the remaining games until the end of the season.”
[ jmcauley@thenational.ae ]
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