Opening Day: 2018

TPL

Chiang Rai Utd 1-0 Chonburi 

United Stadium, Chiang Rai

Saturday 10th February, 2018

Attendance 6,158

Match Preview

With a new coach and many new and untried faces in the squad, it's virtually impossible to preview this match. So I'm not going to try. However, I will focus on a few things that I'll be keeping a close eye on.

Firstly, our style of football. For all his qualities as a player, Therdsak couldn't really get the team playing in an entertaining - or effective - way. We had to sit through some dire performances - and some downright embarrassing ones - during his two year tenure as head coach and would like a break from the monotony. Hopefully, Goran will at least give us something to get excited about.

Secondly, the new lot. With one or two exceptions, we haven't really seen enough of them in pre season to form any sort of opinions. As much as I disliked Renan, he did score important goals and we would have struggled without them. Are the recent acquisitions to the forward line able to provide the same level of scoring feats? Hopefully, we'll get some pointers this evening.

Next, the retained players. As with the aforementioned Renan, I've also been hyper critical of Kroerkrit. I've always felt that he is vastly overrated and often goes hiding during games. However, he showed flashes of what he's capable of in the Chang Chonburi Invitation tournament. I'd like to think that he can be a lot more consistent this season and earn his reputation.

Prince is another one who needs to step up this year. Everyone talks of his "potential", but now is the time for him to prove himself. He's a popular figure at the club, and the fans love him, but this goodwill will only extend so far. This is a big year for him.

Finally, the opposition. Chiang Rai Utd have spent big and are considered by many to be genuine title contenders this year. They gave a good account of themselves in the recent AFC Champions League qualifier against Shanghai SIPG and will be tough opening day opponents.

Whatever happens tonight, I just hope we can take some positives from our performance. The club is at a crossroads right now and desperately needs some success - even a reputation as an entertaining team will do. Please don't disappoint us.

Match Report

Chonburi's 2018 campaign opened with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of the FA Cup holders, Chiang Rai Utd. And, judging by the way we were set up, I have a feeling that this is a scoreline we could see a lot this season - both for and against. The game plan was clearly to get men behind the ball and try and catch the home side on the break. It only half worked.

We did look a lot better organised than we have done for a couple of years and played some neat football at times. However, there was absolutely no attacking threat whatsoever. I can't recall the Beetles goalkeeper making a single save and the closest we came to scoring was when Chonalatit hit the post, following a corner.

The front two of Apichai and Prince was so ineffective, I'm still wondering why it took Goran more than an hour to realise it and replace them both in a double substitution. Prince in particular had a stinker. I mentioned in my preview that this is the season when he needs to realise that much talked about potential, but he was so poor yesterday, that we might as well have been playing with ten men. Something clearly wasn't right with the youngster and he looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. Hopefully, it was just an off day.

As for the rest of the team, Gyeong Min looked solid at the back and is clearly the main reason for the improvement in the defence. He's going to be one of our key players this year and a big influence on those around him. Chanin - much maligned on this site - had one of his better games and pulled off a string of good saves. Maybe the big Korean's presence in front of him has provided a welcome confidence boost.

Noppanon looked to be back to his old self, tackling and harrying, and his marauding runs down the wing will obviously be a big feature of our tactics under Goran.

The two substitute strikers, Worachai and Ciro, looked livelier than the duo they replaced - which wasn't difficult - but didn't do enough to convince me that they'll be bangin' 'em in on a regular basis.

The latter also needs to cut out the histrionics. He'd only been on the pitch a few minutes before he was rolling around on the floor, following an innocuous tackle from Chiang Rai's Freddie Mercury lookalike centre half. Stay on yer feet, lad.

So, overall, the signs were promising, however, doubts still remain. Where will the goals come from? Do we have enough quality all over the pitch? Will the fans tolerate less entertaining football if we grind out a few results? Will Goran be left alone to do his job?

We now have two winnable home fixtures so we might see a different, more expansive, Chonburi in the next couple of weeks. Two victories, some entertaining football and a new wave of optimism might - just might - see the crowds returning in their numbers. We live in hope.

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