The Birds' premature return to Division Two was something of a Pyrrhic victory, as they ran aground all too many times against more prepared rivals. Combined with wholesale changes in personnel, it was too much for the club to handle.

German head coach Marcus Liehner made an acrimonious departure, clearing the way for Lik-Tsun to ascend into the hot seat. Young wing wizards Chuancheng and Jianyong left, a plethora of hopeful forwards, including wonderkid Mohd Safri, arrived; Ageing seniors Subri bin Ku Zainol and John MacKinnon found pastures new, and were replaced by new ex-internationals in Gleb Dorogan and Vukota Crkvenjakov.

English defender Ronny Behr linked up too, but Grilled found that their ageing midfield fell short of Division Two standards. Han Kok and MacKinnon were several seasons off their prime, and without proper coverage in that critical area, the team struggled to get results, even falling in just the fourth round of the Cup.

In the end, they crept into sixth spot with a last-gasp victory over Rajah XI, only to lose on penalties to UT Polar Bears in the qualifier, which might yet turn out to be a godsend as the transitory side tries to find its footing.

Fortunately, most of the supporters have become inured to the club's fortures being in flux. New gaffer Han Lik-Tsun being a former terrace hero and getting forced into retirement as a player for Grilled's cause have endeared him to the fans, and they will allow him the time to mould the squad into his own image.