Our Type
Djan Bacelar revealed that
Tim Hobson's iconic Number Eleven would finally have a new owner, with 31 year-old former Argentine youth international
Gennady Dvorak becoming only the second player in Grilled's history to don the shirt.
With
Mohd Safri bin Mohd Kassim falling victim to a serious knee injury, it was probably not completely unthinkable that Bacelar would source for reinforcements, but the pedigree of the Birds' latest acquisition still took many by surprise, not even accounting for the eminently reasonable S$2 million pricetag.
Bacelar emphasized that the choice was predicated upon several considerations. "Mohd Safri's unavailability indeed was the trigger, but our forward situation has also steadily been getting more and more precarious recently."
"Mohd Safri and
Tian Yonghang, while incredible servants to the club, are surely entering their twilight. We need a steady transition figure to help out if we are to remain minimally competitive for the next few seasons, and Dvorak fit our requirements to a T."
Indeed, Dvorak came equipped with a faultless C.V., indicating a commitment towards finding the net that has endured through his career. He struck in three of his four U-20 World Cup games, including a 7-0 rout of the Young Lions, and has since garnered four Golden Boots in the Argentine fifth and sixth divisions, with longtime employers Club Atletico LaKachuCha.
Stylistically, Dvorak has been described as a complete out-and-out striker, as comfortable with swirling in free-kicks, as he is converting them. "He's never had to drop back in LaKachuCha's system, but otherwise, there's little between him and Mohd Safri." Bacelar said. "I think we can accommodate that."
Bacelar further confirmed that Grilled had been considering taking high-flying ex-Wings trainee Yap Beng Yeng back, but were put off by Tone Team's S$4.6 million demands, combined with Yap's rawness. "We needed somebody who could hit the ground running, all the more with a critical stretch coming up."
Ex-Grilled regular Chow Ying Lee was reportedly also available, but not considered due to his advancing years, while inquiries about former Yemeni Golden Boot winner with Sanaa Mercenaries, Issac Thao, were dropped once Dvorak agreed terms.
Hobson for one was reportedly less than delighted by the coup. "A bloody Argie? Well, he better score, then!"
