Thai Football Fans Pour Frustrations Online

[webfact]

Football fans pour frustrations online

By The Nation

Disgruntled fans resorted to the cyber-world to express their displeasure with the downfall of the national football team at the Asean Championship.

Thailand's floundering campaign at the tournament, which is held every two years, eventually sank after a 2-1 loss to hosts Indonesia in their final Group A match, which sealed the Thais' fate. It is the second time since 2004 that the country widely regarded as the front runner in the region failed to survive the group stage.

The premature exit at the championship provided compelling evidence of Thai football's sharp decline. It came hot on the heels of a first-round exit at the Laos-hosted SEA Games last year, the first time in 36 years the country bidding to win the title for the ninth consecutive time failed to survive the group stage of the regional sporting event.

Given such disappointing performances, the public's discontent appeared understandable. But people preferred to direct their criticism at the poor management of the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) rather than the players.

Much of the criticism was aimed at the head of the organisation, Worawi Makudi. There were calls for his resignation given that the Thai side are yet to achieve any significant success since his appointment three years ago.

The Thai side's latest failure was hotly debated by the online community. Fans have also used social networks to organise a protest at FAT headquarters in Supachalasai Stadium on December 19, with many already signed up to participate.

Another set of fans have opened a Facebook group inviting people to gather at Channel 3 television station at Maleenont Tower on Saturday. They plan to submit a demand for structural change at the FAT during the morning news talk programme "Rueang Lao Chao Nee".

One message posted on the page read, "The current FAT executive board should manage football at the kindergarten," while another said, "Withaya Laohakul to be the new FAT president."

Worawi, however, confirmed he had no intention to step down from the post and believed the association had nothing to do with the on-field failure.

"The schedule put us in trouble, resulting in poor preparation of the team," he said. "We cannot blame anyone because the political problems and the weather caused congestion of the games towards the end of the domestic season."

Worawi said the new League Cup competition was "not a problem" because there was a rule forbidding national players from competing in the event.

"I think the refereeing decisions more or less played a part in our failure in the championship," he said. "We should have been given a penalty not only in the game against the Indonesians but also the Malaysia fixture."

The FAT boss also insisted former Manchester United and England captain Bryan Robson should remain the national coach. "We still want Robson to continue his coaching role. To qualify for the World Cup remains our target, and we need to give him a chance to do that."

Kitinan Sanguansak, the nation

-- The Nation 2010-12-09

[MSingh]

I don't know enough about the structure of the Thai FA nor the structural set up of the League & if it had an effect ( there wa sa rule forbidding National Team Players playing in the Cup apparently ) but if it's anything else like anything else " structured " here then i can see why it has problems..

Here's the best line from Thai FA's top man, it jumped out at me right away..

" We cannot blame anyone because.........."

[RickBradford]

From Sport MThai:

Worawee Magudee, head of the Football Association of Thailand, has said he will definitely not seek to replace Bryan Robson as coach of the national side, despite the team's failure at the Suzuki Cup.

"We must sympathise with him because the time for the team's preparation was too short, because of the domestic football program. There have been political and weather problems, meaning that the program has become congested towards the end of the year."

Having watched two of the games, I also have sympathy for Robson; the only Thai player who seemed to understand the game (as opposed to being skilful on the ball) was Therdsak Chaiman, who is 37 years old and so only played the final 20 minutes or so.

[MSingh]

From Sport MThai:

Worawee Magudee, head of the Football Association of Thailand, has said he will definitely not seek to replace Bryan Robson as coach of the national side, despite the team's failure at the Suzuki Cup.

"We must sympathise with him because the time for the team's preparation was too short, because of the domestic football program. There have been political and weather problems, meaning that the program has become congested towards the end of the year."

Having watched two of the games, I also have sympathy for Robson; the only Thai player who seemed to understand the game (as opposed to being skilful on the ball) was Therdsak Chaiman, who is 37 years old and so only played the final 20 minutes or so.

I think the actual standard of Football & understanding of the Game is probably worse in SE Asia than that of 13/14 Year Old's at home to be honest..

I'd have anyone's money that in fact there would be 13/14 Year Old Team's at home that would beat Teams like Thailand & Indonesia, irrespective of their elder Years & they'd probbaly be about the same stamp physically too..

[RickBradford]

^^

Yeah, the most noticeable thing was the appalling decision-making in attack. They seemed to have no awareness of the situation and how to exploit it, no awareness of the players around them -- a major lack of a football brain.

Poor old Robbo was doing his nut in the dugout as the team wasted one promising position after another. He eventually had to be restrained by some official.

His opposite number, Indonesian coach Alfred Riedl, has been coaching in this part of the world for ages -- he was Vietnam coach for several years in the 1980s.

Maybe he's figured out a way to paper over the deficiencies in the players, though to be honest, it didn't much look like it against Thailand, winning with 2 late penalties, the second of which was a joke.

[MSingh]

^^

Yeah, the most noticeable thing was the appalling decision-making in attack. They seemed to have no awareness of the situation and how to exploit it, no awareness of the players around them -- a major lack of a football brain.

Poor old Robbo was doing his nut in the dugout as the team wasted one promising position after another. He eventually had to be restrained by some official.

His opposite number, Indonesian coach Alfred Riedl, has been coaching in this part of the world for ages -- he was Vietnam coach for several years in the 1980s.

Maybe he's figured out a way to paper over the deficiencies in the players, though to be honest, it didn't much look like it against Thailand, winning with 2 late penalties, the second of which was a joke.

I can only agree..

Ok he earns good money but can you imagine Coaching in the Prem, them teaching this lot ??

Honestly, it must be incredibly infuriating whether you earn good money or not..

I remember talkign to Peter Reid about it here once, he told me that they used to have them all together on say for example Defending Set Pieces ( i can't remember the example he used but it was a scenario of play ) & he'd notice two start talking, then 3 would be talkign, then 4 & 5 & he'd try to get their attention when the shout would go up " Gin Khao " & that'd be it, they'd all hear it & HAVE to eat...

They believed they HAD to eat, if they was in the middle of a drill about Defending Set Pieces or whatever, they'd make it stop to eat.....

He said that at times they would remind him of the Chimps that you see on the Fcatory Line Adverts, they could all concentrate for a certain amount of time then one would lose concentration, then another one, then none of them would be listening to him & they'd all be laughing & joking be more interested in doing their hair..

I have no reason to disbelieve the above based on what i have seen & experienced in my 7 Years here..

[smokie36]

You mean like this?

[MSingh]

I don't know what he menat, i didn't say it..