SINGAPORE -- At the fifth time of asking since Tsutomu Ogura took over at the helm back in February -- and for the first time in over a year -- Singapore are back to winning ways.
On Thursday, the Lions continued their preparations for the upcoming ASEAN Championship -- which kicks off on Dec. 8 -- with a 3-2 friendly win over Myanmar.
The scoreline on its own already would not have been the biggest confidence booster. The manner in which the game unfolded? Even more so.
After largely dominating proceedings in the opening 45, where they edged ahead as early as the fifth minute courtesy of Farhan Zulkifli's opener, Singapore then failed to turn up for the start of the second half.
All of a sudden, Myanmar found themselves ahead by the 52nd minute -- having turned the tie completely on its head via goals from Ye Yint Aung and Thiha Zaw.
Even then, it took some time for Singapore to muster some sort of response although a late rally -- with substitutes Shawal Anuar and Naqiuddin Eunos scoring in the final six minutes -- eventually saw them claim the win.
Although the thrill of the dramatic late win understandably resulted in an almighty roar emanating from the National Stadium at the final whistle, there was a slight possibility that it might paper over the cracks of what was ultimately far from an excellent display.
And previous regimes have been overly defensive against any negativity directed at the team, regardless of whether it was fair or warranted criticism.
In that sense, Ogura has been a breath of fresh air.
Earlier in the year, after he had masterminded a 2-2 draw against traditional heavyweights China in the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Ogura received applause for the perceived excellent result as he entered the conference room for his postmatch media duties.
He immediately questioned the reception, suggesting it only would have been warranted had he pulled off a win.
His candid approach -- in a world of PR-savvy, even trained, coaches -- continued after the win over Myanmar.
If it is also rubbing off on the team, it bodes well for the future of Singapore.
"I told the players I'm satisfied with the performance but what I saw in the locker room were not faces of players who had just won a game," said Ogura.
"They all know what the expectations are.
"We weren't bad in the beginning of the game but, after we scored to make it 1-0, we stopped playing our football. In the second half, I do not want to remember those first ten minutes.
"To conceded one goal isn't good but still okay, but we conceded two. If we continue letting in goals like this, it will always make the game difficult.
"It's not just one thing - we must improve more. When we're in a good moment, we need to keep the ball for longer. When the opponent is having a good moment, we must stay patient and have composure.
"Today we played our (brand of) football for a short (period of) time. We need to do this for longer for the (ASEAN Championship)."
Ogura was then asked if he had figured out by now what his strongest XI is. He pointed out how it wasn't fair for him to answer the question with debuting man of the match Kyoga Nakamura seated next to him.
In a lighthearted moment, Nakamura volunteered to block his ears in order for his coach to give an answer.
Ogura was also questioned what his plans were for the next game against Chinese Taipei on Monday. In mock exasperation, he stressed how tired he was from the match that had just concluded and that he would only start looking ahead once he got back to his hotel room later in the evening.
There is a different air that currently surrounds the Lions.
The 58-year-old still has to plenty to prove with Singapore's displays on the field. In all fairness, he has not even a year into his reign.
Off the field, however, his candor has helped maintain a consistent narrative that they are standards that have to be met. And when they aren't, he will be honest enough to admit it.
Despite ultimately getting a breakthrough victory, the Lions probably did not meet the standards that Ogura has set for them against Myanmar.
It is a massive positive that they felt exactly the same way.