Al-Nassr were hammered 4-0 by the UAE's Al-Ain in their AFC Champions League Elite opener, a display that fell apart on every level and drew fierce criticism of Australian coach Ange Postecoglou and his players.
Hussein Abdulghani branded the performance against Al-Ain disastrous. The former Al-Nassr star questioned why Postecoglou stuck with this approach from the first whistle, particularly when the side lacked so much of what any team needs to look strong and compete with an opponent of Al-Ain's stature.
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Speaking on the "Nadina" programme, Abdulghani turned to the deal for Portugal's Samu Costa. He sees no way of comparing the player with former Al-Nassr man Marcelo Brozovic, and called the signing "disastrous" in a pointed swipe at what Costa delivers for the team.
Then came the surprise. Abdulghani linked the Samu Costa choice directly to captain Cristiano Ronaldo, saying: "I believe Ronaldo is the one who chose this player in consultation with the sporting management," before adding: "And I do not know the secret behind favouring those of Portuguese nationality only," a nod to the flood of Portuguese names in Al-Nassr's recent recruitment.
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His criticism went beyond the Samu Costa deal. Abdulghani insisted the team lacked almost everything on the pitch against Al-Ain, and he pointed the finger at Postecoglou's set-up from kick-off, with gaping spaces opening up in the back line that Al-Ain exploited to perfection.
Difficult times lie ahead, according to Abdulghani. He warned that the team "will suffer greatly during the coming period" unless the mistakes exposed against Al-Ain are addressed and ironed out during the current international break, a window he sees as a chance to reshuffle the cards and correct the course.
The former Al-Nassr star called for a "major pause" during the break to get the squad into the best possible shape for the next stage. Conceding four to Al-Ain, he argued, laid bare a host of issues that need reviewing at the club, whether technically or in weighing up some of the deals and choices Al-Nassr have made.