Quique Sanchez Flores applauded and he appealed but, much like Al Ain at times during last night's 2014 Asian Champions League bow, it was uncomfortable to watch.
It was common consensus long before Qatar’s Lekhwiya stepped out at the recently developed Hazza bin Zayed Stadium; the writing said to be on the wall as far back as last Friday.
Al Ain's abysmal Arabian Gulf League campaign had been sustained by a 1-0 defeat at Al Nasr and from there rumour abounded: if Sanchez Flores survived as manager until Lekhwiya, then it represented merely a stay of execution.
Whatever the result in this Group C opener, it was widely considered to be his last match in charge.
While there was no confirmation to come from the club immediately following a spirited 2-1 victory, informed opinion proposes Sanchez Flores has little time left.
His rather solemn attire last night hinted as much.
The Spaniard emerged from the tunnel dressed head-to-toe in black.
Whose funeral? Well, he appears to be a dead man walking as far as remaining as manager is concerned.
To his credit, there were spells throughout the evening that Sanchez Flores seemed oblivious to the furore around him, fastened tight to the belief his players could spark a season that, in truth, was already flatlined by the time the Spaniard walked through the door in late September.
For the majority, he encouraged his side to not allow domestic decay to rot their Asian tilt, but his reaction to Ibrahim Diaky’s first-half goal was as telling as it was tempered.
Al Ain had the perfect start, but Sanchez Flores stood rooted to his spot, hands tucked in pockets.
When Asamoah Gyan restored the lead just after the hour, his manager simply offered muted applause. Perhaps he had accepted his fate. Later, a brief altercation with one of his back-room staff conveyed tensions bubbling beneath the surface. Whether they eventually boil over and the managerial situation becomes clear, the speculation surrounding Sanchez Flores’s future casts a shadow over what should be a restorative result.
Mired in eighth position in the Arabian Gulf League, Al Ain must remember there is plenty left to play for: in May, they contest the President’s Cup final, while Asia could excite, too.
The instability created by Cosmin Olaroiu’s shock departure last summer was allowed to fester, but Al Ain can put down solid foundations here.
Persist with Sanchez Flores, for his previous work at Al Ahli suggests given time he will get it right.
Provided the reinvigoration of a President’s Cup success, qualification for the Champions League group stages and even a full preseason this summer, Al Ain can anticipate that he will guide the club back to their perch
It was a flagging Al Ain that the Asian adventure was supposed to revive, yet it may have just as significant an impact on Sanchez Flores.
However, the feeling remains that, much like his side’s dogged display against Lekhwiya, the man on the sidelines did not wholly convince that calm waters lie ahead.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
Follow us on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
