Former Negeri Sembilan FC manager Mohd Khairollah has offered a frank and thoughtful perspective on the club’s current direction, expressing sympathy for the scale of work now facing the present leadership while firmly backing the long-term strategy being implemented.
In a candid assessment, Khairollah noted that many of the foundational steps now being undertaken by Negeri Sembilan FC should ideally have begun five to six years earlier. These include the establishment of a clear football blueprint, sustainable squad development, and broader structural reforms. As a result, the current management is compelled to execute several critical phases of that blueprint simultaneously—work that, under optimal circumstances, would have been spread across multiple seasons.
Blueprint vs. Reality
According to Khairollah, when measured strictly against a planned blueprint and timeline, this period should already be about delivering visible on-pitch results. However, accelerating that timeline comes with a significant financial cost. He pointed out that the only realistic way to fast-track competitiveness would be the recruitment of five to seven local Grade A players—current national-team calibre—commanding monthly salaries in the range of RM40,000 to RM80,000, a model he referenced as having been employed by Kuching FA.
That, he stressed, raises the fundamental question: does NSFC have the budget capacity to sustain such investment?
Budget Constraints Shape Decisions
Khairollah acknowledged that both the club’s CEO and head coach Nidzam Jamil would naturally aspire to build a squad anchored by elite local talent. However, he emphasised that strategic ambition must be grounded in financial reality. Current planning, he said, is constrained by the budget inherited at the outset, limiting the club’s ability to immediately pursue high-cost solutions.
Reflecting on governance history, Khairollah suggested that if a comprehensive blueprint had already been in place following the post-2018 transition under Persatuan Bolasepak Negeri Sembilan, the present CEO’s task would have been considerably easier—and the club might already be enjoying stronger competitive outcomes.
On Track with Modern Football Management
Despite these challenges, Khairollah was unequivocal in his support for the current approach. In his view, NSFC’s leadership is firmly aligned with modern football management principles, prioritising systems, structure, and sustainability over short-term fixes. He also cautioned against unrealistic expectations, stating plainly that NSFC is neither sufficiently “bold nor wealthy” at this stage to commit RM50 million annually—the level of investment typically required to consistently challenge within the top three of the league.
He underlined a key competitive truth: every team currently occupying the top three positions is stacked with local Grade A players. For NSFC to join that bracket, such players will eventually be essential—but only once the club’s foundations are fully secured.
Patience, Not Panic
Looking ahead, Khairollah expressed confidence that, within three years, NSFC will be capable of competing among the league’s elite. By then, he believes, the essential building blocks—governance, development pathways, and operational systems—will be firmly in place, allowing future budgets to be channelled more aggressively toward elite local recruitment.
He closed with a clear message of continuity and stability: the work currently being done is on the right track, and changing the head coach would not provide a solution. Instead, patience and commitment to the existing plan remain the clearest path forward for Negeri Sembilan FC.