25 Jan 2007(Thu)

Tokyo, January 24, 2007: It was inevitable that Yuki Abe would leave JEF United sooner or later.

Their former manager, Ivica Osim, predicted as much during a pre-season chat three years ago – and is probably surprised it has happened later rather than sooner.

Osim said that JEF would always find it difficult to keep their best players whenever a bigger, richer and more ambitious club moved in, and that’s exactly what has happened with Abe’s transfer to Reds.

JEF will miss Abe immensely. He was a symbol of the club and a proud and inspiring captain. He could also play in a number of positions, but spent most of his time alongside Yuto Sato in central midfield. In fact the triumvirate of libero Stoyanov, with Abe and Sato in front, was the fulcrum of the team, although Abe’s future for Reds and for Japan now looks like being on the right side of a back three, alongside Tulio in the middle and Tsuboi on the left.

JEF fans must be wondering who will be next to leave, not this season but in the near future: Maki? Mizuno? Mizumoto? Hanyu?

The departure of the versatile Sakamoto to Niigata has a silver lining, though, in that Mizuno will now be a regular starter – and that is good news for club and country.

Mizuno, quick and clever, is effective on the right wing and also in a more central role, attacking from deep positions behind Maki.

Rumour has it that Yamagishi will succeed Abe as captain, but that would be a surprising choice for me. I thought Osim Junior would give the job to Stoyanov in the hope that the responsibility might calm him down. When the Bulgarian with the silky skills lets his feet, and not his mouth, do the talking, he is surely the best all-round player in the J.League, capable of forming a one-man defensive line and able to break forward and dribble past three or four at a time. When he is in the mood, the J.League is too easy for him – but he is no good to anyone sitting in the stands suspended.

Abe will have learned a lot from Stoyanov and from “The Professor”, Saito, about the art of defending, but, sadly for JEF fans, he will now be putting it to good use for Urawa.

Must admit I can’t wait for the JEF-Reds game at Fukuare next season. Last year’s was a cracker, when Maki and Nakajima swept JEF to a pulsating 2-0 victory, and this season’s will be even more special following the Abe transfer.

ends