Amman — Foreign professional players in the Pro League have not, through the end of the third round of the competition, delivered the technical levels club fans had anticipated and awaited, given the absence of a clear mark from a large number of them, and the lack of names capable of making the expected technical difference for their teams.
اضافة اعلان
The technical level shown by the majority of foreign professionals has raised question marks among a number of fans and observers of Jordanian football, who believe that "the vast majority" of the foreign players signed so far haven't delivered the hoped-for technical addition, with a limited number showing good levels, though not, according to observers, reaching the point of standing out or clearly making the difference.
Observers have questioned the process by which foreign professionals are selected and signed, especially since the primary purpose of bringing in a foreign player is supposed to be delivering a qualitative addition to the team, raising the technical level, and strengthening the team's competitive ability, not merely filling out the squad list or registering a foreign name among the team's ranks.
Observers also pointed to the phenomenon of a number of foreign professionals sitting on the bench at some clubs, arguing that if a foreign player possesses a distinguished technical level and is capable of delivering an addition, he should presumably be among the starting elements in his team's lineup, which opens the door to questioning the value of some signings, and the criteria on which players are selected.
In this context, national coach Mohammad Al-Ababneh affirmed that the majority of foreign players in the Pro League have not, so far, delivered the expected addition to their teams, noting that the level of many of them hasn't lived up to the scale of expectations that accompanied their signing.
Al-Ababneh explained, speaking to Al Ghad, that the presence of foreign professionals at a number of clubs has become closer to being a "label" rather than a genuine technical addition, explaining that some clubs sign foreign players simply to be able to say they've brought in professionals, without this being clearly reflected in the team's technical level.
Al-Ababneh questioned the mechanism through which professionals are selected and signed, stressing the importance of having clear, well-studied technical criteria when bringing in a foreign player, so that he's capable of delivering a level that exceeds or at least matches that of local players, and gives his team additional technical value.
He added that there are some foreign players who have shown good levels, but the vast majority of them, in his assessment, remain below the required technical level, with some even performing at a level lower than a number of local players.
He noted that the picture looks different in several Arab leagues, where a foreign player is typically an influential element on his team, showing up in a way that makes the difference and gives his team a clear technical addition, arguing that the reality of foreign professionals in the Pro League so far doesn't reflect this picture, and that the levels of several of them have come in below the league's expected technical standard.
For his part, sports analyst Haitham Al-Dharaghmeh affirmed that the general assessment of foreign professionals' level in the Pro League so far indicates they are below the required standard, while noting at the same time that a final judgment on foreign players' performances remains premature, given that only three rounds have passed since the competition began.
Al-Dharaghmeh added that a genuine assessment of foreign professionals' level will become clearer after the break, when they'll have a greater opportunity to gel with their teams and adapt to the atmosphere of the competition and Jordanian football.
He noted that the "features" of a number of foreign professionals haven't clearly emerged yet, although there are some early signs pointing to players capable of delivering good levels in the coming period, but the overall picture still needs more time to judge these players' ability to make the difference.
He noted that Al-Faisaly's Burkinabe professional Saidou Simpore, alongside Al-Wehdat's Senegalese professional Junior Sambou, are the standouts so far.
Resource: Al-Ghad. Reporting: Mohammad Arabiyat
