Nasser Al-Shamrani, the Al-Hilal and Saudi national team legend, has taken aim at the level of "the Boss" despite their 4-2 win over Al-Faisaly on the opening day of the Roshn League. The victory, he insists, papered over problems that remain glaring within the team.
Speaking on the "Dawrina Ghair" programme, Al-Shamrani argued that Al-Hilal fell short of the level their squad's potential demands. The performance, he said, still carried the same mistakes seen in recent weeks, leaving Simone Inzaghi's coaching staff with a major challenge on their hands.
Bono saves Al-Hilal, and Koulibaly under the microscope
Al-Shamrani praised the role Morocco's Yassine Bono played for Al-Hilal. The veteran goalkeeper, he reckoned, made a huge difference in keeping the scoreline down, his brilliance masking some of the flaws that surfaced against Al-Faisaly.
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"Bono's beauties are too much for Inzaghi," Al-Shamrani said, nodding to the importance of the Moroccan's saves and his knack for dragging Al-Hilal out of trouble. A goalkeeper of that quality, he stressed, hands the team a bigger margin for error.
The Al-Hilal legend also flagged Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly as a pivotal figure in the team's system. His performance, Al-Shamrani explained, does not reflect on him alone. Its impact spreads across the whole group, particularly given how much defensive stability matters to any side chasing titles.
Inzaghi facing the same mistakes
For all the big win over Al-Faisaly, Al-Shamrani insisted Al-Hilal offered nothing new in a technical sense. The team, he argued, still suffers from the same errors that have plagued them under Inzaghi, and the result should not become an excuse to ignore what is happening on the pitch.
He added that Al-Hilal must fix these negatives fast. The competition this season will be fierce, and the same mistakes could cost them dearly against stronger opponents, even if they keep stacking up wins along the way.
Those comments leave Inzaghi facing an early test. Al-Hilal got the start they wanted in terms of the result, but the criticism makes one thing clear: wins alone will not be enough. The team must reach a level that matches its lofty ambitions for the new season.