1. What are your expectations for your club in the season ahead?
I expect another varied season of results. I hope Ratchaburi can achieve a top 10 finish, but turn that upside down, and I’m hoping to stay outside of the bottom 6. Such is the Thai League – very little difference between success and failure. A couple of injuries or too many suspensions can see a team fall into the danger zone very quickly, and it’s a long way back to safety. My philosophy (too many years supporting Plymouth Argyle) is every game is a relegation battle until you have achieved enough points to be safe. Only then can you relax and look towards a decent finishing position.
2. How have your pre season preparations gone?
A very difficult question this season. Normally I would have travelled from Hua Hin to watch every pre-season match, and would have a great knowledge of the team’s ability. However, this season, my own personal morals will not let me enter a stadium imposing draconian admission rules. (For pre season matches, Ratchaburi introduced a policy stating that home and away fans wanting entrance to Mitr Phol Stadium, must wear their club's replica shirt - ed).
We can’t really judge a season by pre-season, but the results have been about what I’d expect. Losing to BG Pathum, draws against other similar T1 opposition and hammering a couple of lower league sides. It doesn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know. I am hoping to survive to play another season in T1.
3. What are your thoughts on your team's opening four fixtures?
Muangthong at home will always be an interesting start to the season. I would hope for a narrow victory, especially as I’ll be driving from Koh Samui for the match (shirt anomalies permitting). The next 3 fixtures will be against ‘also ran’ teams this season. If we can take 5 points from games 2 to 4, I think it will be a good omen for the rest of the season. 8 from 12 would be a very acceptable start, but anything less than that and we will have a few relegation battles to look forward to.
I am actually impressed with the way Ratchaburi’s fixtures have been put together this season. They have got the home/away balance almost perfect with no excessive periods of constant home or constant away. I don’t praise the Thai League very often, but well done.
4. What do you make of your new signings?
Normally, I would be quite an authority by this point in the pre-season, but I’ve not really seen more than the players promotional videos. Of course, they look good, but nobody will put bad bits into their promotion video. I hope they are as good as their videos suggest, but I guess I’ll have to wait until 13th August to see the truth.
5. And what about the players you've let go?
The biggy was Steeven Langil, who I’d been told was very unhappy at the club. So, while I’m very sorry to see him go, it is no good working where you aren’t happy, life is too short. I hope he does well, and doesn’t punish us on 13th August. It should be an interesting battle, seeing him up against 2 of the league’s best defenders, Rafael Da Cunha Jansen and Pawee Tanthatemee.
Jakkapan Pornsai was a good servant (at his best when he was a Ginger), but wasn’t getting played after coming back from serious injury, so I just wish him well with his new team along with Phakhin Khamwilaisak.
Ekkalarp Harnphanitkit was a steady player, but was never going set the world on fire.
Daisuke Sato will be a HUGE loss. Always gave 110%, and I will miss him. I was disappointed when he departed after such a short period.
Sanrawat Dechmitr always promised a lot, but never really reached his full potential in my opinion. I often wondered if his heart was in Ratchaburi.
Raja'ei Ayed Fadel Hasan definitely had some ability, but regularly tried the spectacular option, when the simple option was best. I always thought his desire for the spectacular was a weakness.
6. Which players will have the most impact this season?
There is no doubt in my mind that Rafael Da Cunha Jansen will be a key player again this season. It is my honest opinion that his arrival half way through last season saved our place in T1. He is one of the best centre halves I’ve seen in Thailand. I hope the coach is working now to extend his contract.
We are starting with a coach this season, so hopefully Vanderley Dias Marinho will have some decent support when playing up front. Many times last season, he was left alone up front, and was our only attacking option – it didn’t work. Give the guy some support, and he can do a job for us.
Hopefully, some of our new blood will be as good as their promotional videos, and also be a great asset.
7. If you could bring back one of your club's former coaches, who would it be?
A very difficult question – they rotate so quickly, none has ever achieved any of the usual things an English football supporter would normally judge a coach by. Even results, I don’t think I’ve known a coach last for more than 17 matches at Ratchaburi (I’m getting old, so maybe my memory fails me). Results with an inherited team are not a good yardstick by which to measure a coach’s capability.
The coach who has impressed me most has been Marco Simone. He took on a bunch of players whose spirit seemed low, and they had trouble putting more than 3 passes together. In a short period, he transformed them in to a good footballing unit.
8. If you could give your current head coach one piece of advice, what would it be? And your owners?
Don’t forget where you’ve put your suitcase! Seriously, try to ignore any outside interference, and do the job you have come to do. Hopefully you will still be here at the mid-season break, and can strongly influence any necessary additions to the squad, and make the team your own.
To the owners - Please consider football in the Western world. It is coach continuity that brings success (decent players help as well). Please give the guy a chance. In the real world, a coach’s success is usually measured over 3 years. If he hasn’t achieved some level of success in that time, consider looking elsewhere. We must remember, our coach has inherited a team put together by somebody else. If the team isn’t right, the coach needs to recruit the tools he needs to gain that success. If he isn’t given that opportunity, changing the coach is not really a reflection on the coach’s ability. The real failure is the person who put that team together in the first instance. It is like the coach trying to unscrew a bolt with a hammer. The coach has to be given the chance to get the right tools for the job. If he fails after a longish period, then yes, he needs to go. Please remember, it is the coach who has the professional qualifications to do the job, and hopefully that is why you have hired him.
9. Which home games are you most looking forward to?
Any game with a vociferous travelling support. I sit behind the choir at Ratchaburi for the atmosphere – I’d love to sing along, but they sing in Thai. This makes for a great atmosphere, and the only thing that can enhance it is when the travelling support is just as loud. Unfortunately, Buriram are the only club guaranteed to provide this.
10. And which away games are you most looking forward to?
Because of the distances from Hua Hin, travel to away games is often a challenge. However, I have always promised myself a trip to the Chang Arena, and I hope to fulfill that ambition this season on 26th November. I’ve visited many football stadiums around the world, and it is crazy that I’ve never been to Thailand’s premier stadium.
The one away game I always attend, even though I hate it, is the match at Sam Ao Stadium. Away supporters get the worst view in any stadium in Thailand, and have to provide their own tin opener to get out of the sardine tin style seats afterwards. An unlucky few always have to clamber under the framework of the stand to retrieve their shoes. A really awful experience. The only plus side at Sam Ao is you get a free ice cream at the turnstiles.
Visiting supporter accommodation plus stadiums not designed for football is a problem throughout Thai football. Running tracks (are they ever used?) don’t help when watching football, and away supporters are always put behind a goal. I didn’t travel much last season because of Covid, but one of the stadiums we chose was Chonburi. OK, it wasn’t as bad as Sam Ao, but I drove 5 hours each way for a very obstructed view of the game. Sam Ao is too small, so has few options, but most of these municipal type stadiums are generally less than half full. A good example is Bangkok Utd – massive stadium, minimum support. Surely, better accommodation could be found for visiting supporters, who are also charged top Dollar. When considering travel, one of the first things I do these days is look at an overhead view of the stadium. If municipal style, I try to avoid.
11. What do you think of your club's new kits?
A very sore subject. However, my woes from last season regarding fatboy shirts were overcome.
One step forward and 2 steps back. The day before the club introduced its strange stadium admission policy, the Away shirt was released. It was Plymouth Argyle (sad, I know, but somebody has to support them) green. I was thrilled. I immediately ordered all 3 of the new kits without seeing the home and 3rd kit. The next day, upon hearing the unusual admission policy, I immediately cancelled my shirt order, and couldn’t care less if they play in skins this season.
12. Who are your favourites to win the league?
I think it will be Buriram again. I’m not a great fan of the cynical way Buriram have played in the past. However, when I saw them last season, they were brilliant. They played some beautiful football – something I always knew the likes of players in the Diogo era could do, but they always wanted to cheat the ref to win something they didn’t deserve. If they carry on playing the way I saw them last season, they will be a pleasure to watch. I don’t think any other team in Thailand will be able to match them.
13. Who else do you think can challenge?
Season after season I am repeatedly impressed by the attacking style of Bangkok Utd. However, they seem to go strong every season, but then just fade away when it matters. However, I think this will be another season where the league’s elite 6 can only challenge, I don’t think they will be able to compete with a Buriram team who plays football.
14. Who is going down?
As usual, I’d love to see PT Prachuap relegated from the top flight. I can’t get the events of 2014 out of my mind – such events in football always weigh heavily, and I won’t/can’t forget. However, I think they have recruited wisely, and will survive. Likewise, I hope Ratchaburi have recruited wisely, and will be good enough to survive.
My honest, unbiased opinion is I don’t have a clue. The league has its elite teams such as (in no particular order) Buriram, Bangkok Utd, BG Pathum, Chiang Rai, Muangthong and Port. The rest are there to make up the numbers, and with a bit of bad luck, any of them could be relegated, but likewise they could surprise us and actually challenge. This is really a question that should be asked a few games into the season.
15. Which team would you most like to beat this season?
That answer will always be PT Prachuap. I’ve seen them play live many times over the years, but after the Hua Hin incident in 2014, I simply do not like them. In all of the times I’ve seen them play live, I’ve only seen them lose once, and that was against Ratchaburi last season. I hope we can capitalize on that victory again this season.
Outside of PT Prachuap, I just like to beat every team – no real preference. Unfortunately, beating EVERY team doesn’t happen…….…. yet.
16. Who will be this season's surprise package?
A very difficult question. I don’t know much about my own team this season due to a self-imposed boycott of the stadium, so I’m not really qualified to answer this one. However, it would be nice to see one of the new boys such as Lamphun Warriors take the league by storm. Let’s see one of the elite 6 knocked off their perch.
17. What changes would you make to improve the Thai league?
One of my biggest gripes is the Thai League’s inability to produce a full fixture list at the start of the season. When they do produce fixtures, we have to wait for the regular changes. It is impossible to plan ahead more than a couple of weeks because fixtures are changed so regularly. Already, with the announcement of the first 3 fixture K.O. times, there has been a date change for one of Ratchaburi’s matches. Does nobody talk to their counterparts?
I would also like to see more teams in the top level. This is probably a throw back to my English origins, but it would make for a longer, more exciting season if there were more games. Maybe a bit of additional gate money as well.
Maybe minimum stadium standards should be introduced. OK, I guess there are already some standards in place, but the standards need to be raised to make watching football more comfortable, especially for visiting supporters. Maybe the Thai League could use Mitr Phol Stadium as the measuring stick.
18. Which visiting fans are you most looking forward to seeing at your stadium?
I always like to see Buriram fans in the stadium. There are always so many of them, it creates a great atmosphere. Last season it was one of the few matches at Mitr Phol where there was a half decent turn out by Ratchaburi fans. However, I would also like to see a lot more Ratchaburi fans in the stadium. Last season (Covid restrictions) was a very droll affair. No drums, no singing, no flags, no fun, etc.
19. What are your match day superstitions and routine?
All Hua Hin Dragons start their matchday experience with a sausage roll, stop for a ‘posh pee’ en-route to the stadium and then pay homage to the Hua Hin Dragons beacon just North of Tha Yang on their way back to Hua Hin.
20. Is there anything else you'd like to add?
I was going to give a full explanation of the shirt debacle here, but have decided the problem is between me and the club. It is probably not good to air dirty washing in public. Sorry, guys.
