“Our aim as a team for the coming season is to try to be as competitive as possible against all the other teams we’ll be facing in this year’s competition,” club captain Daniel Agius told MAFA’s media ahead of the start of the new MAFA Division 2 campaign.
This new season introduces a new format, where the previously known Divisions 2 and 3 will be combined for the opening round, before being divided into promotion and survival groups.
Last season, Agius was one of the major focus points for the team, earning his captain’s armband in the process to lead the squad on the pitch for 10 matches, in which he started all of them, and even managed to bag a goal in the process – against Mosta Vikings in a 3-2 victory back in November.
“We need to work as one unit with the same aim – that of creating as many chances as we can during our games and staying compact in defence so that we can try and maximise the points we can get,” Agius reiterated.
“To do that, we’ve built upon last season. While last season wasn’t an easy one, it was a positive one, and we’ve demonstrated what we’re capable of as a team, fighting until the end to achieve the results we wanted.
The Victorians captain ended his comments with a reference to preseason, one where the club strengthened a number of positions to give coach Jake Agius a better springboard for the new campaign after the mentor extended his stay at the club over the summer.
“Apart from this, during preseason, we’ve seen several new players come into the squad and others who returned from injury to rejoin the team. Obviously, these increase our numbers in the current squad, one we can say is a strong one in all aspects of the game.
“Throughout preseason, we’ve worked hard and will keep on working hard to improve after every game, see where we can get better and at the end of the day, enjoy playing football.
“We know we’re capable of playing football and getting our desired results. In this way, we can compete with our opponents.”
“L-għan tagħna bħala tim għall-istaġun li ġej hu li nippruvaw inkunu kompetittivi kemm jista’ jkun kontra t-timijiet kollha li ser niltaqgħu magħhom f’din il-kompetizzjoni,” qal il-captain tal-klabb, Daniel Agius, lill-midja tal-MAFA qabel il-bidu tal-kampjonat il-ġdid tat-tieni diviżjoni tal-MAFA.
Dan l-istaġun ġdid qed jintroduċi format differenti, fejn id-Diviżjonijiet 2 u 3 li kienu magħrufa qabel se jiġu kkombinati għall-ewwel fażi, qabel ma jerġgħu jinqasmu f’gruppi ta’ promozzjoni u ta’ sopravivenza.
L-istaġun li għadda, Agius kien punt ta’ referenza importanti għat-tim, meta kiseb il-faxxa tal-captain u mexxa l-iskwadra fil-grawnd għal 10 partiti, kollha bħala wiehed mill-ewwel ħdax, u rnexxielu wkoll jiskorja gowl kontra l-Mosta Vikings f’rebħa ta’ 3-2 lura f’Novembru.
“Għandna bżonn naħdmu bħala grupp waħda bl-istess għan – dak li noħolqu kemm jista’ jkun ċansijiet waqt il-partiti tagħna u nibqgħu kompatti fid-difiża biex nippruvaw nimmassimizzaw il-punti li nistgħu niksbu,” tenna Agius.
“Biex nagħmlu dan, bnejna fuq l-istaġun li għadda. Għalkemm ma kienx faċli, kien wieħed pożittiv, u wrejna x’nistgħu nagħmlu bħala tim, niġġieldu sal-aħħar biex niksbu r-riżultati li xtaqna.”
Il-captain tal-Victorians temm il-kummenti tiegħu b’referenza għall-preseason, wieħed li fiha l-klabb saħħaħ numru ta’ pożizzjonijiet sabiex jagħti lil kowċ Jake Agius bażi aktar soda għall-kampjonat il-ġdid, wara li dan estenda l-kuntratt tiegħu mal-klabb matul is-sajf.
“Apparti minn hekk, matul il-preseason rajna diversi plejers ġodda jingħaqdu mal-iskwadra u oħrajn jirritornaw minn injury biex jerġgħu jissieħbu fit-tim. Naturalment, dawn iżidu man-numru tal-iskwadra preżenti, waħda li nistgħu ngħidu hi b’saħħitha f’kull aspett tal-logħba.
“Matul il-preseason ħdimna sew u se nibqgħu naħdmu biex nitjiebu iktar wara kull partita, naraw fejn nistgħu nkunu aħjar u fl-aħħar mill-aħħar, nieħdu gost nilagħbu l-futbol.
“Nafu li nistgħu nilagħbu futbol sabiħ u niksbu r-riżultati mixtieqa tagħna. B’dan il-mod, nistgħu nkunu kompetittivi kontra l-avversarji tagħna.”