KUALA LUMPUR: Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) coach Ulisses Morais says there is no cause for alarm despite the Super League champions ending their three-match pre-season visit to Thailand with a defeat on Monday.
Morais fielded perhaps his strongest line-up with six non-Malaysian-born players, including naturalised Natxo Insa and LaVere Corbin-Ong, starting against Port FC but still lost 1-0.
This follows a 1-0 win over Army United and a 1-1 draw with Chonburi, when Bruno Gabriel Soares and Jorge Pereyra Diaz were sent off, earlier in the tour.
"I'm very happy with what I saw especially the team's performances in terms of tactics and the players' attitudes," said Morais on the Johor Southern Tigers Facebook page.
"This is despite finishing with only nine men against Chonburi, and after our goalkeeper’s unfortunate misjudgment of the ball in the third match.
"For a club like JDT, those mistakes cannot be accepted and the individuals in the team must be aware that JDT is a big club with an even bigger agenda that requires their undivided focus and unwavering confidence at all times."
JDT are preparing for an AFC Champions League qualifier against Thai league runners-up Muangthong United on Jan 23 before launching their Super League title defence against Kedah on Feb 3.
"We go back to Johor and rest briefly before returning for training in preparation to face a strong Muangthong United," added Morais.
"Thai football is really good, and I am very happy because JDT can learn a lot from the fast playing style of Thai clubs.
"It can be seen that for two straight years we became Super League winners after conducting our preseason in Thailand. Overall, everything went positively well."
Morais added that a fifth foreign player, who he did not identify, will arrive to join Argentines Luciano Figueroa and Diaz, Singaporean midfielder Hariss Harun and Brazilian defender Soares in the squad.