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When Firdaus Kassim left his comfortable position at Lion City Sailors to take charge of Young Lions, he knew exactly what he was stepping into. "I wouldn't call it a risk," he reveals in this fascinating conversation about his vision for Singapore's development squad. "We had long conversations to ensure clarity about the project and direction."

That direction is now taking shape with a revamped Young Lions setup featuring two distinct teams - YLA competing in SPL1 and YLB in SPL2. This creates a natural progression pathway for younger talents while preventing them from being thrown unprepared into Singapore's top league. "This is a very good platform for young players to start," Firdaus explains, highlighting how several promising talents have already moved up through this system.

The most intriguing aspect of this season's Young Lions is their strategic foreign signings forming the team's spine. Slovenian goalkeeper Benjamin Zerak brings composure between the posts, while Brazilian defenders Enrico Silviera and Joilson Lucas add leadership and defensive solidity. In midfield, Lucas Agueiro provides the bridge between local and foreign players, while Brazilian winger Abner Vinicius emerges as the most exciting prospect: "There are things he does in training that make me think - wow, this is going to be a very special player."

Firdaus doesn't shy away from addressing the perennial debate around the Young Lions - development versus results. His solution? Creating a winning mentality through defensive organization that keeps matches competitive deep into the second half. "We're pushing them beyond boundaries," he says of his training methods, "stretching them beyond their limits."

With pre-season showing promising signs, including competitive performances against top sides, Firdaus has set a realistic but ambitious target of finishing in the top half of the eight-team league. After years of bottom-two finishes, this would represent significant progress for a team that's always been about developing tomorrow's stars rather than winning today's trophies.

Listen now to discover how Firdaus plans to transform the Young Lions while addressing wider concerns like Singapore's goalkeeper development crisis and the challenge of balancing foreign talent with local player progression.