by Gian Chansrichawla
1st April, 2017
Kiatisuk “Zico” Senamuang shall always be remembered as a legendary player and manager for the Thailand national football team. The release of news on Friday 31st March, 2017, detailing his resignation as coach of the Thai national team came as a shock. Despite recent results in the World Cup Qualifying being rather poor, for various reasons as I outlined in a now irrelevant editorial detailing the reasons why Zico should absolutely not be relieved of his position.
It is fair to point out that this is, on paper, a ‘resignation’ from Zico. However, suspicion exists that the decision may have come following pressure from the higher echelons of the Thai FA. Recent quotes from Zico, reported by the Bangkok Post, corroborate this statement. “We are all answerable to the Thai fans,” Zico claimed, “ so let them be the judge and if they are not happy, I am ready to be sacked.”
While these quotes do indicate that Zico was looking nervously over his shoulder at the possibility that he may not be in a job following the dismal results, they do not sound like a man who is going to turn his back on his country after devoting so much time to it. Whether or not Zico’s decision was made with complete autonomy, it is clear that the Thai FA have developed an uneasy relationship with their boss in the last few weeks. A dramatic scenario concerning the coach’s new contract weeks before the World Cup Qualifying matches against Japan and Saudi Arabia served to highlight this rift.
Despite the recent results, the Thai FA have absolutely no justification for even considering action against their manager. Thailand’s next game of significant consequence is set to come at the AFC Cup in 2019, 2 years from now, in a tournament which they have already qualified for. This given Zico an unprecedented time to sort out the squad and build for the future.
Zico was not concerned about the results in those two matches. If he was, we would have seen a defensive performance against Japan, sitting back in a resolute row of five and refusing to come out of the defensive area, reducing the attack plan to long, meandering runs from Chanathip or Siroch. Instead, Zico wanted to test his team against the best - by playing the expansive, attacking football that he was always striving for. Thailand didn’t go to Japan for a result, they went for a test of their limits. While the result would not have been positive, Zico is turning a dead qualifying campaign into something that could lay the groundwork for a successful future for Thailand.
Sadly, the Thai FA have completely refused to see that. They want immediate results in a business where it almost impossible to get immediate results. Despite seeing that Zico had already given them the moon, the gluttonous hierarchy of this nation’s football association wanted him to give them the sun as well.
Inevitably, the conversation must shift to Zico’s replacement. Obviously, a new managerial option is not limited to a Thai. The notion that a national team can only be managed by a coach from that country is outdated and plainly wrong. However, the learning curve for a foreign coach would be steep, as can be seen with the previous foreigners which have taken charge of the Thai national team. Not many top managers on the market that would take the job are significantly better than the ones Thailand have had before, and Zico has already outperformed most of them. Adapting to Thai football could be an issue for any manager that they bring in.
Local options may be limited, but it may be the best way to go. Zico is arguably the best Thai manager. While Muangthong United’s coach Totchtawan Sripan has elevated the side to new levels of professionalism with a rhetoric of hard work and determination, his appointment would not be much of a departure from Zico’s regime. Sripan has an unbelievable record as coach of Muangthong, but there are times where it seems like he is reading from Zico’s tactical playbook, such as his set up against Korean side Ulsan Hyundai. Thai being said, recent results such as the home victory over Kashima Antlers surely put him on the radar for the job.
Another good option for the Thai FA is Bangkok United’s coach Mano Polking. Despite being a foreigner, Mano has worked with many of these Thai players before as an assistant coach to National Team boss Winfried Schafer and has been in Thailand for more than four years now. Bangkok United have improved every year under Mano’s stewardship, going from 13th to 2nd in his three years at the club. While his side may have gotten off to a poor start this season, it is difficult to question Mano’s ability as a manager. At just 41, he has time on his hands, but experience may count against them. His charismatic personality and attack-minded philosophy, coupled with his team’s inability to close out games defensively remind me somewhat of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. Taking the job could be a steep learning curve for Mano, but he is a more than capable option for the Thai FA.
Zico’s resignation leaves a team that was going on an upward trajectory now rather lost and derailed. While more options from outside the country are available, it may be wiser going with a coach who is already familiar with the national team setup. However, any of these appointments would reduce the competitiveness of the Thai T1 League, another competition which the FA is responsible for. A difficult balancing act follows for the Thai FA.
A record goalscorer as a player and an overachiever as a manager, Kiatisuk Senamuang will always remain in the hearts of Thai football fans.
No comments:
Post a Comment