Here's my pre match interview with Port fan, James.
Hi, I'm James, currently residing in Australia, though I’ve lived all across Asia in the past. Hoping to return to Thailand in the near future, but in what capacity… I'm not sure yet. At the moment I'm working in the wine industry, but as a licensed coach, I'm hoping to (at some stage) break into the football industry in a full-time role.
How long have you been following Port?
Since 2016. I travelled to Thailand to meet up with a good friend of mine, who’d played in the league system, and he took me to a few games. I went to Air Force (Thupatemi), Bangkok United (Thammasat), and Port (PAT) on my first trip. From the moment I stepped into PAT: I was hooked. They played Ang Thong that day, with a few of the Ang Thong lads being former teammates of his, so we caught up with them post-game. The next time I ventured to Thailand, I already knew how to get to PAT Stadium from my hotel, and from then on… that was it.
What are some of the things that you like about supporting them?
A football specific (and size appropriate stadium), as well as the friendly contingent of expat fans, which (for me) makes the matchday experience that little bit better. When you’re at PAT, it almost feels as if you’re hovering just above the players on the pitch at times, and it can (quite easily) be one of the most hostile atmospheres in the Thai pyramid when we play certain clubs.
What have been the highlights of your time supporting Port?
Honestly: the friends I've made. There have been some unreal matchday experiences along the way (the cup game in 2019, at home to Chiangrai stands out immediately), but it’s the ability to go to PAT on a matchday, have a few beers with mates, and just talk about what we’ve watched. It’s tough to stay awake for games due to the time difference at the moment, but at least I’ll get a highlights package to watch at the minimum.
And the low points?
The many false dawns. The numerous sackings of head coaches, the numerous re-hirings (and re-sackings) of coaches, and so on. There's no doubt that it’s a circus at times… but it’s our circus. The club should be doing a lot better than it does (in my opinion) when you consider the money we’re (rumoured) to spend on the squad, etc. Money doesn’t equal success though, and that’s something that club management fails to understand.
What are your opinions on how the team has performed this season?
It’s been dysfunctional, as always, but what Port season isn't? The Scott Cooper era didn’t exactly set the world alight immediately, but it was (in my opinion) clear to see that he had the players grafting, which is something that we hadn’t seen under previous head coaches. Too many draws, that should’ve been wins, were his undoing, and the only question that I really had of him during his spell with us were his game management. It is what it is though, and he duly departed.
For me, things went from ‘okay’ to ‘bad’ under Matthew Holland, and I took a bit of a step back during this time.
Things have definitely improved whilst under the duo of Choke and Surapong, which I'm pleasantly surprised by. I really expected things to go from ‘bad’ to ‘worse’ under them, but the revival of sorts that they’ve led has been great to see. To get an away win at Buriram was a good result for the club, but it’s imperative that we build from it.
How does this year compare with previous seasons?
It’s been just as dysfunctional as every season I've followed the club, so ‘much of the same’ is probably the fairest response.
What are your hopes, and what would you like to see happen during the close season?
Stability. There are players at the club (eg. Dolah) that need a multi-year contract extension sorted ASAP, whilst there are players that we need to say “thanks for everything, but it’s time for us to part way.” Sergio Suarez and David Rochela have already announced they’ll be departing, which signals a real ‘changing of the old guard’ so to speak. It’s crucial to replace them with players that are better, rather than just a shiny toy that’ll look nice on the bench.
On top of their departures, there's at least half a dozen Thai lads that we should be letting go, as their contributions to the club just haven’t been enough to justify keeping them around. That said, I'm sure they’ve done wonders in terms of a marketing sense.
What your expectations for next year?
It’d be nice to mount a proper title charge, but the reality is… we’re not a club that’s run in a ‘normal’ sense, so it’s wise to go into a season with minimal expectations, and just hope for the best. It’d be great to make a cup final if possible, but it all depends on the moves we make during the off-season.
Please can share your opinions on Madam Pang
I've got to be careful with what I say, in order to not get into any real trouble!
Look, Pang’s a polarizing figure, and for obvious reasons. I appreciate the money that she's invested, and that she pays the bills on time, but that’s about it. It’s a bit humorous the level of ‘hate’ that she gets from opposition fans to be honest, especially when there are owners of other clubs that do very similar things to her in terms of self-publicity, but that’s Thai football at the end of the day. My advice is quite simple: take a step back. We all know that this advice would immediately be dismissed!
I've always thought it better to ‘give a coach enough rope to hang himself’, so that when he is (inevitably) dismissed from his position… it’s justified. To handcuff someone by demanding certain team selections, and then punishing them when it fails… it’s mind boggling to say the least.
What have been your impressions of Chonburi this season?
It’s been quite a rollercoaster of a season for Chonburi. I wasn’t that impressed (initially) when you signed Danilo, but it’s a signing that’s worked out quite well for the club. I'm a big fan of Amadou Ouattara, and Dennis can be a clinical striker too, but the rest of your import lads… they leave a little to be desired. Maybe I'm being harsh though!
The performance in the first-leg was impressive, but then certain things happened off-field (which I won’t go into), and then things fell apart on-field with the performances throughout the second-leg. The shift in performance (results-wise) from first-leg to second-leg for Chonburi is something that we see almost every season from at least one club, and it’s usually a fate that we suffer at Port.
Which of our players are you most wary of?
I really rate Kritsada for obvious reasons, but it’s the young core (Songchai, Chatmongkol, and Channarong) that should have the Chonburi fans excited. Fortunately for us, the young trio are all unavailable!
We’ll have to keep an eye on Kritsada, and try not to give him too much time on the ball. Amadou has the potential to tear his fullback to shreds if we allow him to get to top speed, whilst I can’t help but feel that Sumanya will pop up with something special if he features.
Which of your players will pose us the biggest threat?
Hamilton and Worachit are the two danger men that should feature, whilst Suphanan and Negueba can also be major headaches for opposition defenders. Hamilton can score any type of goal, and he’s just a really awkward striker to mark it seems. You know Worachit’s qualities, so I won’t bother going in-depth, but he's surpassed my expectations since he arrived. Suphanan’s pace makes him unplayable at times, whilst Negueba is (in my opinion) quite underrated. I’ll admit I was a bit negative when he was signed, but he's a well-rounded player, and I'm more confident when he's in the XI.
What are your expectations for Sunday's match?
I'm just hoping for 3-points to be honest. How we get them? Doesn’t worry me at all! It’s always a tough game against Chonburi (you’ve won the last 3?), so the players just need to show up ready to work.
Would you care to make a score prediction?
2-1 to Port, though I’d happily take a mental game that ends 5-4!
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
I think we've covered everything, but best of luck on Sunday!
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