The Papic Effect: How is Hearts of Oak faring in the hands of the Serbian?

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Six match weeks have gone by since Kosta Papic took charge of Hearts of Oak and the Accra based club are beginning to look like title contenders.

The Serbian has changed things considerably. Phobia was choking in the relegation zone and his arrival at the club is like a breath of fresh air as they currently occupy the fifth position on the league log. He has brought some sort of urgency and morale to the team.

Kosta Papic was highly involved when Hearts won their last Ghana Premier League trophy in 2008. Times have changed and he is demanding more from his boys to achieve this same feat.

The sharpness and flexibility in their style of play has seen their opponents get punished when they lose the ball. The Fatawu and Ovouka combination at the back has been classic. They’ve kept three clean sheets since Papic came in. The only clubs who have been able to achieve that are; Liberty, Kotoko, Olympics and Medeama SC.

It is early days yet but the Papic effect can be felt. Since he joined the club in December, Hearts top the GPL table with 14 points and a goal difference of nine.

The major highlight so far for him this season was when he humbled Bechem United by thumping them 6-1 on Match day seven, he remains the only coach to beat the Hunters this season.

One may think that after this emphatic win, he would be satisfied but he said he was not.

In his latest post-match interview, he says he can now see the transformation in the team.

Manaf Umar and Victor Aidoo are proving their mettle. The Serbian has given the two of them the opportunity and they have delivered, rescuing the team from a loss more than once.

Next, they face Berekum Chelsea, Olympics, Medeama, Legon Cities and archrivals Kotoko. Hopefully we get to see more Papic magic.

By Sakyibea Ofori|3news.com|Ghana

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