By: Jan Marcus Montevirgen
With the first half of the regular season of the MPL Philippines nearing its end, Fnatic ONIC Philippines’ roamer Brian “SpiderMilez” Santos has yet to make his debut in the Land of Dawn.
In an exclusive interview with Tiebreaker Times, ONIC head coach Anthony “Ynot” Senedrin expressed uncertainty about when SpiderMilez will step onto the battlefield as a player.
Ynot emphasized that he does not want to pressure the 25-year-old roamer, noting that the team is currently in good hands with Borris “Brusko” Parro.
“To be honest, I am not really sure at this point. We’ve had discussions with Milez and the team. We’re definitely working on it every single day. Naglalaro pa naman kasi si Milez everyday samin eh, pati sa mga scrims,” Ynot said.
He added, “Ang sinabi ko lang kase sa kanya along with the team, ayoko kase siyang ilagay sa posisyon na makakaramdam siya ng additional pressure knowing yung mga nangyayari ngayon na ayon nga panay panalo tapos parang nagmumukhang madali yung mga matches with Brusko.”
Ynot further explained, “Ayoko biglang ‘Oh Milez, ikaw na, ikaw na maglalaro laban sa Bren’ na parang ‘Wait lang paano kapag natalo, saglit lang ang ganda ng laro nila coach’. Yung mga ganon kumbaga.”
Despite SpiderMilez not playing in recent matches, he remains actively involved with the team. He serves as one of Ynot’s assistants in reviewing scrimmages and devising strategies while still participating in practice sessions.
Ynot also clarified that the opportunity for SpiderMilez to play remains open whenever the team is ready.
He noted that the adjustment needed from other team members is significant, given the different playstyles of SpiderMilez and Brusko.
“So, we’re looking into, katulad ng sabi ko sa kanya, ‘If you feel confident enough, then let’s see.’ Now, if we see positive results in scrims, it could help. Pero at the end of the day, ang pinakaine-expect ko lang is yung full confidence na talagang alam namin, na nakikita namin na everyone is ready kase adding one player doesn’t necessarily mean it’s just him. The other four will need to adjust,” Ynot said.
Despite SpiderMilez’s continued absence from regular season play, Ynot remains appreciative of his maturity and understanding.
Both Ynot and SpiderMilez are confident that he will eventually make his mark wearing the yellow-and-black jersey.
“So, I am really grateful for him pa rin kase he’s very understandable, very mature with it. Yun nga sabi ko naman sa kanya, it’s gonna happen, I know it’s gonna happen na maglalaro siya. Pero we’re not sure kung anong series yet but [I am] pretty sure that he’s gonna perform. He has to work for it, we have to work for it,” Ynot concluded.
