TMJ cautions JDT players against celebrating failure, mediocrity

KUALA LUMPUR: Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) owner Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim has issued a warning to his national team players, cautioning them never to bring a mindset of 'celebrating failure' to the Southern Tigers camp.

The Regent of Johor said JDT's domestic dominance and continental rise were forged on uncompromising standards, stating that drawing or losing matches is never an accomplishment worthy of celebration.

His remarks were revealed in behind-the-scenes footage shown during the media screening of the club's new documentary featurette, Untamed, on Wednesday.

Reflecting on Malaysia's 2023 AFC Asian Cup campaign, where Harimau Malaya salvaged a dramatic 3-3 draw against Asian heavyweights South Korea but were eliminated in the group stage, led the JDT club owner to question the public euphoria that followed.

"You draw one match against Korea, but you are out of the competition. Meanwhile, our neighbours Indonesia and Thailand qualified for the last 16. What exactly are we celebrating?" Tunku Ismail said towards the end of the documentary.

"What I am trying to say is that those are not JDT's standards. This should serve as a reminder to national team players: do not bring the attitude and mindset of celebrating failure, defeats, and draws into JDT.

"JDT is a club of champions, not a circus. It is tough, but that is how I educate and raise my players."

Tunku Ismail also aimed at armchair critics and persistent finger-pointing surrounding the national team setup, daring critics to see how Malaysia would fare without the Southern Tigers' core.

"You draw once with Korea and you are satisfied as if you've won the World Cup, and then people look to apportion blame," he said.

"If anything goes wrong, blame FAM - if things go well, praise the players. Try not taking a single JDT player for the next match. I want to see what happens. We must speak based on facts.

Tunku Ismail reiterated that his insatiable appetite for perfection is what drives JDT's sustained dominance.

"Dissatisfaction is my trait. I always want things to improve. I am never satisfied with our style of play, never satisfied with our intensity, never satisfied with our pressing. I am perpetually unsatisfied," he said.

JDT has expanded into the streaming market with the launch of its own platform JDT+, led by the premiere of Untamed, a 76-minute documentary offering a behind-the-scenes look at the Southern Tigers.