The Tunku Mahkota of Johor (TMJ) said the mentality of these players was hurting the performance and future of Harimau Malaya.
He also said the same mentality existed among players in the teams and clubs playing in the Malaysia League (M-League).
“All teams in the country are beset by the same woes,” he said, adding that a handful of senior players dictated how the clubs were run.
He also said that no matter how many young talents entered the senior squads of a club or the national team, they would ultimately fall under the influence of this group.
“Each club and state must identify these individuals and try to ensure they do not have that much authority to control. We should have a complete overhaul.
“It is of no use even if we appoint Carlo Ancelotti, when eight or nine players can protest and they have no winning mentality, then we will never win.
“We are now trying to get the liabilities out of the teams and to bring in more assets,” he told a media conference after an FAM Exco meeting at Wisma FAM here today.
In this regard, TMJ said new Harimau Malaya chief coach Tan Cheng Hoe was given a free hand to manage the team and shape the players into a squad with a winning mentality.
The former Kedah coach was appointed to replace Nelo Vingada on Thursday. Vingada resigned after taking full responsibility for the squad’s recent failure.
Apart from Vingada, his assistants, Joao Arnaldo Correia De Carvalho and Francisco Jose Bruto Da Costa, also resigned as assistant coach and fitness coach of the national squad.
For the record, Tan was the assistant coach to K Rajagobal when Malaysia won the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup.