Boss Doan Nguyen Duc said that coach Philippe Trousssier was too conservative and jealous for not inheriting the previous generation of players and then failing at the 2023 Asian Cup.
Mr. Duc (right) chats with former coach Park Hang-seo at HAGL Club headquarters on March 1, 3. Image: Duc Dong
– How did you feel when watching Vietnam's loss to Indonesia last night, leading to early elimination? in the 2023 Asian Cup group stage?
– Like all Vietnamese fans, I am very sad and somewhat frustrated. Because the team played too weakly. Over the past four years, we have always "overwhelmed" Indonesia, always going from drawing to beating them in every competition. And yesterday, we were at the upper door but the lower stone was colored. I think we should not blame midfielder Nguyen Thanh Binh's mistake, because the team lost in every aspect, the whole system. Our lines appear to lack cohesion, without specific pieces, the players cannot put pressure on the opponent. Many players selected by coach Philippe Troussier appeared inexperienced, playing the whole match did not solve anything. On the contrary, in the technical area there are also experienced players such as Do Hung Dung, Nguyen Van Toan, Vu Van Thanh or Do Duy Manh who are not used, or only enter the field at the last minute, not having enough time to change. change the situation.
– So in your opinion, the reason for the failure was Coach Troussier's way of using people?
– I won't take credit for it, but in 2017, when I was still vice president of the Vietnam Football Federation, the criteria for choosing a coach for the team was set to be Asian, because they fit both the culture and the environment. our football. Therefore, we went to Japan and then Korea with Coach Park Hang-seo.
It was Mr. Park who created history for Vietnamese football that no one has ever done before. To have that history, with the Southeast Asian championship, two SEA Games gold medals, the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup, the third qualifying round of the World Cup, the Asian U23 runner-up... thanks to a group of players like Duy Manh, Hung Dung, Hoang Duc, Que Ngoc Hai, Tuan Anh, Cong Phuong, Van Toan, Hong Duy, Quang Hai, Xuan Truong Tien Linh... I can't mention them all, but they are the people who make history. So why are they ignored now?
When Park is no longer coach, someone else must take over and inherit those achievements. Over here, Mr. Troussier is jealous, envious, conservative, and denies all history, so how can he succeed? I'm very sorry for a talented player like Hoang Duc. This tournament could not participate due to injury, but it was not used in previous rallies. Or the experienced Hung Dung, Van Toan, and Van Thanh were just on the bench yesterday. And many other players who have become famous and are in the ninth year of their career are also not being used under coach Troussier. Having said that, Troussier is destroying Vietnamese football. Seeing the players who have made Vietnamese football famous, our pride, now being left out, makes me feel very sad.
– But Coach Troussier stated his reason is to rejuvenate the force to help Vietnam fulfill the World Cup dream. What do you think about this strategy?
– I tell the truth, kicking like this is just a dream, there is no World Cup dream here. Park Hang-seo talks less and does more, while Troussier talks a lot but does little. We are just being lulled to sleep by him. If you want to inherit, you must respect the old. A harmonious combination between the two generations will bring results. Here, I see him using young players too much, there are even many people whose names I don't even know. But let me ask you, this is a national team, not a youth team, where does the U team use young players? For a national team to be strong, it must use elite football players.
The other day I watched Thailand play and had fun, but let's see which players they use? Do they use young players? They only use experienced players because they respect the tournament and respect the fans. On the contrary, let's not say Coach Troussier doesn't have time, that's a mistake. He has been the head coach of Vietnam for a year, but the SEA Games only won a bronze medal while Mr. Park previously won two gold medals in a row. The same goes for this Asian Cup, early elimination from the group stage.
Many people support him because they think there is something beautiful about his controlling style of football. But I do not. Because, while stones control, there must be results. Park knows whether to play with a team that has the right tactics and people for that team, not just every team that controls the ball like Mr. Troussier. I said not far away, when Park took over the team, Vietnam drew 1-1 with Japan, and now Troussier lost 2-4 but was praised again. I really don't understand, it's so wrong.
– Do you think Vietnamese football is in a period of transformation? amount Indonesia, on the other hand, made great progress, which led to the defeat Yesterday?
– I agree that Indonesia is progressing, but if they are progressing, we must also progress, or should we regress. That depends on the way managers do things. We are leaving it to an individual to make their own decisions without a critical voice. Remember, Troussier is also a salaried employee, his manager is VFF. Therefore, if we leave it to him personally, we will lose the football foundation we have worked so hard to build over the past decades.
It's time for us to voice our opinion that coach Troussier is not suitable for Vietnamese football. If he is still conservative and does not inherit and respect history, we will not dream of the World Cup, and even in Southeast Asia we will not be able to maintain our position. It's time to wake up.
Duc Dong
