Lee Man defender explains why underachieving Hong Kong season can have glorious finish
Assured Dudu returns to team for gritty 1-0 win at Southern that rekindles hopes for successful title defence
The accomplished Lee Man defender, Dudu, acknowledged his aspirational club had fallen beneath expectations this season, but the 34-year-old said Saturday’s gritty 1-0 win at Southern gave them a “real chance” of retaining their league title.
Champions after an unbeaten campaign last season, Lee Man have been peculiarly inconsistent this term.
Tsang Chiu-tat, the championship-winning head coach, left after his team lost the opening two matches of their abortive AFC Champions League Two campaign.
Replacement Matt Holland lasted only 13 games, which included Senior Shield final and FA Cup quarter-final losses, a 1-0 league defeat to leaders Tai Po, and a trio of consecutive extraordinary recoveries from two goals behind to beat North District, Kowloon City and Eastern.
Dudu praised Welshman Holland for instilling “professionalism and a British mentality”. “He [emphasised the requirement] to take every training session seriously and give our best,” Dudu added.
Nonetheless, Lee Man’s Jekyll and Hyde form has continued under caretaker boss Chu Siu-kei. The weekend’s victory, and a 1-0 win against Kitchee in his opening game, sandwiched a 7-3 home defeat by Tai Po that Chu called “unacceptable”.