nvkhkhr
Prime VIP
Abu Dhabi: Al Jazira coach Franky Vercauteren has demanded more respect of his side's President's Cup semi-final opponents Sharjah, fearing complacency was creeping in midway through their 6-2 quarter-final destruction of Ajman on Monday night.
A hat-trick from Ricardo Oliveira and a double from Ali Mabkhout ensured Al Jazira made light work of their Etisalat Pro League rivals, but Vercauteren still wasn't entirely happy after his team took their foot off the pedal in the second half.
"There are still some working points to address. I think we could have done better at the moment we were leading 3-0. Instead we took the easiest way out and that brings you problems," he said.
"I remember one stage in the second half, after Ajman had made it 3-1, I thought that we were not on the right way to the target despite a very good first half. It's normal, human also, that when you think it's finished you take the easy side. That for me is still a working point. But individually, collectively we scored a high level if you look at the performance.
"For me this was a dangerous game, you are favourite and everybody expects the difference. So I'm very positive and have to congratulate the team for the performance.
"We stay with the target, and the targets, we have to when you're a club like Al Jazira. We come closer to a final that everybody wants to play but there's still one step to go to reach that, so we're going to respect the next opponent and we're going to take care of that and we continue on the way we are, which means trying to win everything we compete for."
Mabkhout's early double in the 25th and 29th minutes set Al Jazira on their way, before Oliveira rounded the half off for the league and cup holders with a strike in the 33rd minute.
Ajman came out stronger and Hassan Matouk scored 10 minutes after the break, but goals from Matias Delgado and Oliveira within three minutes of each other all but secured the victory.
Ibrahima Toure pulled another back 10 minutes from time, but Oliviera completed his hat-trick in injury time to round off convincing display from the cup favourites.
In Monday's other game, Jorvan Vieira's Sharjah defeated his old club Ittihad Kalba 3-0 thanks to Saeed Al Khas and a double from Marcelinho.
A hat-trick from Ricardo Oliveira and a double from Ali Mabkhout ensured Al Jazira made light work of their Etisalat Pro League rivals, but Vercauteren still wasn't entirely happy after his team took their foot off the pedal in the second half.
"There are still some working points to address. I think we could have done better at the moment we were leading 3-0. Instead we took the easiest way out and that brings you problems," he said.
"I remember one stage in the second half, after Ajman had made it 3-1, I thought that we were not on the right way to the target despite a very good first half. It's normal, human also, that when you think it's finished you take the easy side. That for me is still a working point. But individually, collectively we scored a high level if you look at the performance.
"For me this was a dangerous game, you are favourite and everybody expects the difference. So I'm very positive and have to congratulate the team for the performance.
"We stay with the target, and the targets, we have to when you're a club like Al Jazira. We come closer to a final that everybody wants to play but there's still one step to go to reach that, so we're going to respect the next opponent and we're going to take care of that and we continue on the way we are, which means trying to win everything we compete for."
Mabkhout's early double in the 25th and 29th minutes set Al Jazira on their way, before Oliveira rounded the half off for the league and cup holders with a strike in the 33rd minute.
Ajman came out stronger and Hassan Matouk scored 10 minutes after the break, but goals from Matias Delgado and Oliveira within three minutes of each other all but secured the victory.
Ibrahima Toure pulled another back 10 minutes from time, but Oliviera completed his hat-trick in injury time to round off convincing display from the cup favourites.
In Monday's other game, Jorvan Vieira's Sharjah defeated his old club Ittihad Kalba 3-0 thanks to Saeed Al Khas and a double from Marcelinho.
