We're just past halfway through the season and Whampoa Rangers are looking a solid bet to finish above the dropzone - a remarkable turnaround, following heavy defeats earlier in the season. Indeed, coming out of the gates, the club were staring relegation in the face. However, this good run of results has not fully convinced the Rangers faithful. Skeptics point to a highly favourable fixture list, which allowed the team to amass crucial points through wins over much weaker clubs. Coming up soon, however, are match-ups against clearly stronger opposition. Manager Eddie Bono makes no attempt to hide his tactics: his team will be set up with next week in mind.
"You've got to see it from a reasonable point of view," pleaded a clearly worn-out Eddie Bono. "We need wins against at least three teams to ensure we stay in Division Four. It's a tough league. We're not looking at a championship here; this is about survival. We beat three teams home and away, we stay up. We play with fire, we try to beat the big guns, we might not make it." Hence the cowardly approach.
"It's not cowardly," retorted a clearly irritated Eddie Bono, peeking at my notebook.
While fans have voiced displeasure at the team's goal of a fifth place finish, one cannot deny that the manager's done his best to revitalise the fortunes of the club. While the halycon days of '18 may be long gone at this point, the Rangers are taking small but sure steps towards future glory.
"We're looking at bringing in a couple more staff to handle training; we're also cutting standing out of Whampoa Field, to cut costs," revealed Bono. "We've also got rid of some of the older lads, we're bringing in only 19 year-olds from now on." This explains Bono's recent tendency to loiter around playgrounds, contracts in hand.
Bono, a traditional wheeler-dealer when it comes to transfers, also has instated a new policy at Rangers HQ. "I won't be splashing out in the market from now on, nor sniping at auctions," he declared, although it was uncertain whether his fingers were crossed. "We find a 19 year-old in the market, his club doesn't want him for some reason, we put up fifty grand straight away. Take it or leave it. We don't bid higher or lower." It remains to be seen how successful this policy will be, although it has landed a new signing in Diego Logozzo, the new starting fullback for the team. A great all-round player, though his reckless discipline is cause for worry, as is his smoking habit.
"He's stopped that now," Bono chimed in.
Looking at youth prospects, it also seems that the Junior squad are well on their way. With several well-built players in the team, the pack weighs in at a hefty 1567kg, just 30kg off their senior squad counterparts. And with players like Rongo Wrighte, a 201cm, 120kg beast, the future looks lucrative for the Rangers.
"Could you not put lucrative?" Bono shifts his weight uncomfortably. "It's just so... inhumane. Like Rongo's just an asset to sell off. Like a virtual item in a computer game or something. Put 'the future looks bright instead'," he suggests. I politely tell him to shut up.
The future looks bright for Whampoa Rangers, but it remains to be seen whether the inept management of Eddie Bono will be a factor in their eventual downfall.