What was feared has arrived, right on schedule. The signs were there well in advance, which only makes last weekend’s defeat more frustrating. The performance was poor, predictable, and entirely avoidable, yet the professional staff of the moderate team from Jerusalem, Hapoel Jerusalem, continue to return to a formula that has already collapsed more than once.
At this point, there is a clear disconnect between ambition and reality. Hapoel Jerusalem do not have the tools to play creative or attractive football, and more importantly, they do not need to. This is a team fighting for points, not style. From the writer’s perspective, the continued use of Matan Hozez and Guy Badash – the latter directly involved in conceding the goal – raises serious questions. Together, they slow the game, offer little control, and expose the side at exactly the wrong moments. With a demanding run of fixtures ahead, one can only hope that realism finally overrides stubbornness.
What kind of game show is Hapoel Jerusalem playing?
The club’s latest production could easily be titled “What’s More Embarrassing?”. It opened with the release of Silva Jardel, another chapter in an increasingly absurd foreign-signings saga. Since returning to the top flight, Hapoel Jerusalem have assembled a collection of overseas players that feels more accidental than strategic.
The race for the title of worst signing is fierce, but in the writer’s view, the Macedonian goalkeeper still leads it comfortably, especially considering the cost involved. Of the four foreign players brought in last summer, three are already gone and the fourth is barely holding on. Calling this a scouting failure would be generous. At this stage, accountability appears optional.
What was behind the message to Hapoel Jerusalem’s association members?
The management committee, unwilling to miss the show, joined in with a statement to association members three weeks after the volatile derby. Acting “behind the scenes,” they announced, including a planned meeting with the commander of the Moriah Police Station in the Jerusalem District. The timing, the wording, and the very need for such an announcement place it firmly in the same competition for embarrassment. From an outside perspective, continued silence might have been the wiser choice.
Equally puzzling were reports suggesting that Hapoel Jerusalem were indirectly floating supposed January offers involving Don Cedric and Ohad Almog. The intention appeared to be the creation of buzz. In the writer’s assessment, this was nothing more than a classic media duck.
Who will be released from Hapoel Jerusalem in January – and are surprises coming?
Preparations for the January window are underway, with the club targeting two positions: a defensive midfielder and a striker. Concerns that Goni Naor and Eylon Almog may not arrive immediately have reportedly pushed the professional staff to examine foreign alternatives. Based on recent history, the writer would argue that this should trigger alarm bells. Foreign recruitment has repeatedly proven to be a weak point.
From the same critical standpoint, changes at the back also appear necessary. Domgjoni, an expensive defender regularly substituted, increasingly looks misaligned with the coach’s approach. When such a gap persists, keeping the situation intact feels less like patience and more like wasted resources.
Meanwhile, signals emerging from Matan Hozez’s camp suggest dissatisfaction with his role and standing, particularly given his continued ambition to move abroad. From the writer’s perspective, if a solution were to present itself, it could ultimately benefit both sides.
