# JDT II foreign players to strengthen JDT – Edwards
Four-Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) are taking immediate steps to “fix and strengthen” the problems faced by the Southern Tigers that have surfaced in the past week.
“I will like to inform all JDT fans that we are going through some issues with the team. I would like to assure you that we will eventually work it out. We believe that we may have the solution to fix and strengthen the problem we are facing,” said JDT’s technical director Alistair Edwards in a posting on the Southern Tigers Facebook.
The statement came in the wake of JDT’s shock 2-0 defeat at the hands of Song Lam Nghe An of Vietnam in Group H match in the ADC Cup competition on Wednesday. The match was played at the Vinh Stadium in Vietnam.
The defeat was JDT’s first in the competition and saw the Johor club surrender their place at the top of the group. Song Lam lead the table standings with six points.
Last Sunday JDT’s Portuguese head coach Ulisses Morais quit the team and cited “family health” as his reasons for leaving.
Two days later Argentine striker Jorge Pereyra Diaz left the quit after fitness coach Fernando Gonzalez was given the boot for allegedly instigating some players, including Diaz, to go against coaches.
“We would like to inform that we will be making immediate changes in regards to the players. We will make a bigger change when the transfer window reopens in June and lastly a final round of changes in December,” said the former Australian international, adding the club (JDT) has prepared a budget for this exercise.
Edwards, who played for Singapore, Johor and Sarawak in the M-League, further added that JDT “will utilize the current lineup the best we can and take on a few foreign players from JDT II to strengthen the main squad.’
“That is what we are working on on. We are not given up nor will we ever give up. We are determined to fight and see it through till the end.”
JDT’s AFC Cup match is against Singapore’s Tampines Rovers at the Jalan Besar Stadium on March 6.
This Saturday the Southern Tigers face 100PLUS Premier League outfit Sabah in a second round FA Cup match at the Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu.- BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
