PETALING JAYA: Kedah interim head coach Victor Andrag (pic) feels that he is fighting a losing battle when it comes to keeping the squad together.

The Canaries may have won 1-0 in their recent Super League fixture against Penang, but Victor’s struggle has been trying to keep the team motivated as the club are still facing salary issues.

“I’m not sure who will show up for training. We try to make sure the players come, but when they don’t, we can’t demand so much from them,” said Victor.

“We try our best to keep the relationship strong within the team. We share problems with each other to support each other,” he said.

Never-ending salary arrears within the team has left Kedah occasionally missing some players as they choose to skip training sessions, some claiming they are owed seven months’ salary or even more.

And Victor feels they are showing up for the coaches’ sake.

“Maybe because most of them have known me for some time, and maybe because of that they feel bad for the coaches,” said Victor.

“They want to keep going on, but I am not sure how long I can hold on to this,” he said.

Despite the never-ending financial battle, Victor has faith in his players, and their recent win gives the interim head coach hope that the squad will pull through these tough times.

“I am confident with my players, but surely situations like these bring pressure. We always talk about these problems and it can also become stressful.

“We all want a solution out of this, but I always advise my players to give their best on the pitch. That way, they have done their part and given everything for the team,” he said.

The financial problems had also led rumours to spread that Kedah were pulling out of the Super League and were joining the A1 Semi-Pro League.

The club have denied those allegations, saying in a statement, “Kedah have never sent any letter expressing intention to withdraw from the Super League and transition to the A1 Semi-Pro League.

“The club’s management request that those responsible for spreading this false information to apologise as it had tarnished the club’s reputation.”

Kedah will play their next Super League fixture against Kelantan on Jan 10.