Sunday 8 December 2019

Interview With Ricardo Rodriguez: 2016

On Monday 27th June, 2016, I interviewed Ricardo Rodriguez, the coach of our next opponents, Suphanburi. Late on Tuesday 28th - the eve of our match - he announced that he had resigned from the role. Here is the interview:



Q - How would you describe Suphanburi's performance in the 1st leg?
I thought we played good football in the first leg, but the results didn’t always reflect the performances and the strength of the team.

Q - What aspects of your play have you been most satisfied with?
We defended very well and, at the other end, we created lots of chances.

Q - And where are you looking to improve?
I’ll be looking to change our style of play to accommodate our new players. I’ll also be introducing the players to more systems. I think that this is important, as it allows you to have more flexibility. We also need to improve in the last third. I’m hoping that the new players will help us to do this. We hope we can improve our results and finish the season in a good position in the table.

Q - Which performance would you say has been your best so far this season?
I was very satisfied with the way we played against Bangkok Utd. There is a big gap between us in the table, but we showed in this match that we can compete with any team. We did everything very well and I was very happy with the intensity at which performed. Even though we lost 1-0, we still showed that we have the capacity and determination to perform.

Q - What are the expectations for Suphanburi for the rest of this season?
The expectation is to finish in the best position possible. It won’t be easy, but we have to continue to believe in ourselves.

Q - How does working at Suphanburi compare to your experiences at your other Thai clubs?
It is very different. When I was at Ratchaburi and Bangkok Glass, I was only in the position for a short time. Now I can create my own philosophy with the team. I have time to get this across to the players and work on tactics. I am also able to sign the type of players I want to fit my philosophy.

Q - How have our two former players - Sinthaweechai & Nattaporn - performed this season?
I’m very happy with their performances. They are two experienced players and both of them have a winning mentality. They are very supportive of the rest of the team.

Q - Do you think they'll be more motivated for this match than any other?
They will both be motivated for this game. When you play against your former team, you can always find a bit more motivation. But they always have that motivation to wim. Maybe there’ll be a little more on Wednesday, but not much.

Q - Which teams have impressed you this year and why?
I think this year it has been Muang Thong. They have signed very good players and are having a good season. Also Buriram Utd, Bangkok Utd and Bangkok Glass. However, if I had to choose just one team, it would be Muang Thong.

Q - What are your impressions of the TPL overall this season?
I think there is now a big gap between the top teams and those at the bottom. And, overall, I think the standard of the league has decreased a bit. Maybe the fact that new signings have come in at many teams will help it improve.

Q - What are your thoughts on the recent success of the national team?
I think the performance of the national team is very good. They have moved up the FIFA rankings, using young players and a style of football that is very clear. It also helps that many of the national team players play at Muang Thong. The two coaches have a good relationship and this helps when the national team play.

Q - What are your thoughts on Chonburi's poor showing so far this year?
I think last year, Chonburi relied a lot on their strikers. Thiago was a very important player for them. It certainly helps when you have a twenty goal striker in the team. This year, Rodrigo is doing OK, but Thiago was very hard to replace. I think this is the main reason why things aren’t going so well.

Q - As an experienced coach, what advice would you give to Therdsak, who is in his first coaching role?
I thinks it’s true that when you start to coach, it’s totally different to when you were a player. I have been coaching since I was eighteen years old, but I realised that I didn’t have enough knowledge or experience. So I studied Physical Education and worked to get my UEFA licence. This was very important in preparing me for a job as a professional coach. I’ve also been lucky to have spent twenty four years in professional dressing rooms and this experience was a great help to me. If I was to offer some advice, it would be to be prepared and pay attention to other things connected to coaching. Fitness and diet, for example.

Q - What are your expectations for Wednesday's match?
I would expect us to play good football and get the three points. To win two matches in a row would be very important to us.

Q - How easy is it to prepare for matches when the fixture schedule is so crowded?
It is not easy to prepare when you are playing matches every three or four days. I use other methods, such as video, to help the players, but it is certainly difficult when you maybe only have one training session between games. It is also hard for the players to recover and then prepare for the next fixture.

Q - Which Chonburi players are you most wary of and why?
Chonburi have some very important players like Leandro and Rodrigo. But we have to prepare our tactics to play the whole team, not just concentrate on one or two players.

Q - What will be the last thing you say to your players before they take the field on Wednesday?
I will tell them to stick to the plan and play with heart and to their maximum level. If they play to their maximum level, they are good enough to beat the opposition. This is normally my last message.

Q - How would you like to be remembered as a coach?
This is not an easy question. I’d like to be remembered by my players as a coach who taught them something and helped them to get better. I’d like the fans to remember me as a coach who did everything for the team and helped it to be a better team, a winning team. I’d also like them to enjoy the game and go home happy afterwards.

Q - Is there anything else you'd like to add?
I won’t add anything else because this has been a good interview. I’d just like to give thanks to the Chonburi website for giving me the opportunity to talk and for their support. All the best for the future.

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