Experts: Troussier is outdated, VFF will pay a heavy price.

"We are increasingly aware of Coach Troussier's decline despite his past reputation. Coach Troussier hasn't coached a team for about 10 years. He's been interrupted in his professional life, so there are signs of him falling behind in his problem-solving skills," commentator Ngo Quang Tung said in an interview with VTC News.

Exactly 13 months after appointing Philippe Troussier to lead the Vietnamese national and U23 teams, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) announced the premature termination of the French coach's contract.

Coach Troussier parted ways with the Vietnamese national team immediately after their 0-3 defeat to Indonesia at My Dinh Stadium last night (March 26). This was the "last straw" that prevented the 1955-born expert from continuing his work, after numerous promises to elevate the Vietnamese team towards World Cup qualification.

Vietnam team 0-3 Indonesia

Why did Coach Troussier fail?

"The head coach must bear the ultimate responsibility for a team's failure. He makes all the decisions, from personnel and playing style ideas to tactics and tactical adjustments. The Vietnam Football Federation or anyone else can only provide the foundation; they cannot make the decisions for him," commentator Quang Tung stated.

Coach Troussier bears ultimate responsibility for the performance and results of the Vietnamese national team. After a series of three consecutive defeats against Indonesia, the French coach's departure was inevitable. According to commentator Quang Tung, the key reason for Troussier's dismissal was not one or a few specific matches, but the entire process.

"Troussier's adjustments and usage are inappropriate. If the problem occurs in one match, it could be due to luck, but if it becomes a process without improvement, then it's a systemic problem. Troussier built the system, so he must bear the ultimate responsibility," commentator Quang Tung said.

The Vietnamese national team declined under coach Troussier.

Commentator Quang Tùng questioned coach Troussier's approach in the first leg. At that time, the Vietnamese team was two points ahead of their opponent and didn't need to win away from home. However, pushing the team forward put them in a difficult situation.

" Facing Indonesia in the group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup, the Vietnamese team might be surprised by the opponent's capabilities. However, after two matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Coach Troussier is very familiar with Indonesia's strength. I questioned why we had to adopt an attacking approach in the first leg. The situation allowed us many better options."

"It depends on the goals and the approach. The Vietnamese team set the wrong goals and adopted inappropriate methods, so the risks are higher. If you lose the first match, it will be very difficult to play the second one ," commentator Quang Tung wondered.

Mr. Troussier's work life was disrupted, leading to signs of a decline in his problem-solving abilities.

Commentator Ngo Quang Tung

The expert also reiterated the issue related to the Vietnamese national team's performance cycle. When the team is on a downward spiral after its peak, Coach Troussier, despite having ideas for a fresh start, is unable to implement them effectively to create momentum for improvement.

" This is a period where the competitiveness of Vietnamese football is affected. Indonesia is getting stronger, while the Vietnamese national team is stagnating, or even regressing."

The Vietnamese team's performance has also stagnated. The players' form and enthusiasm are inconsistent, failing to create the momentum needed to push the team to play better after a loss.

"The team has had several consecutive poor performances. That's a sign of stagnation and declining form ," commentator Quang Tung assessed.

Coach Troussier rarely leaves the dugout to instruct his players during matches, and his tactical adjustments often don't produce a noticeable effect.

A big lesson for VFF

" In reality, we are increasingly seeing the decline of Coach Troussier despite his past reputation. Coach Troussier has gone about 10 years without being a head coach of any team. He has been interrupted in his professional life, so there are signs of him falling behind in his problem-solving skills," commentator Quang Tung remarked.

Mr. Troussier is the highest-level coach to ever lead the Vietnamese national team. He aims for a modern football philosophy and has a positive view of development. However, putting his theories into practice is something the French coach has failed to do.

The reality is that Coach Troussier's choices and adjustments during the match were ineffective. Commentator Quang Tung and many other experts have pointed this out on numerous occasions.

" That's a costly lesson for the VFF. A coach's background is incredibly diverse. Choosing a foreign coach is difficult. Mr. Troussier maintaining a consistent coaching rhythm with Vietnamese football is an advantage, but he was the technical director of an academy and only worked with young players. He hasn't worked with the stars of Vietnamese football," commentator Quang Tung said about the reasons why Mr. Troussier didn't achieve the expected results.

Coach Troussier's failure is a costly lesson for the VFF (Vietnam Football Federation).

The head coach position of the Vietnamese national team is temporarily vacant after parting ways with coach Troussier. The VFF (Vietnam Football Federation) has about two months to select a replacement before the Vietnamese team's next match (against Iraq away on June 6th).

Commentator Quang Tùng believes that appointing an interim head coach is a reasonable option. The VFF needs time to consider and find a suitable person to take on the role of "captain" of the national team with long-term goals in mind, and about two months is not enough for the selection and negotiation process.

" I think a long-term solution right now is difficult. Suitability is key. In the short term, the Vietnamese national team should find an interim coach because our major goals are no longer relevant. The youth team could be temporarily entrusted to Coach Hoang Anh Tuan."

However, the Vietnamese national team must give their all in the two matches in June. Finding a long-term coach is not easy, so it's highly likely they will use an interim coach. That position will probably be given to a domestic coach," commentator Quang Tung predicted.

A domestic coach could take on an interim role, similar to the case of Mai Duc Chung in 2017. However, according to commentator Quang Tung, the VFF should still aim for foreign coaches. There are not many domestic experts with the necessary qualifications and experience to handle the responsibility of leading the national team.

"The professional competence of Vietnamese coaches has not yet been proven at the international level. They have all undergone training courses, possess knowledge and practical experience, have ideas, organize people, and even understand Vietnamese people better than foreign coaches. However, there are specific limitations that can affect their work."

"The limitation is the distinction between public and private matters. Domestic coaches are easily swayed by emotions in their decision-making. Besides, I'm not sure they can withstand the influence of public opinion. I want to emphasize another point: foreign coaches have authority. Whoever utilizes that effectively will achieve results," commentator Quang Tung analyzed.

Regarding the option of finding a foreign coach, commentator Quang Tung believes that the VFF must carefully consider the cultural compatibility, approach, and psychological approach of the new head coach.

" I've noticed that foreign coaches, whether from the West or East, pay a certain amount of attention to the psychology, thoughts, and feelings of their team members. However, each person's approach to building rapport is different. They come from different cultures, so their approaches to psychology, team management, and creating bonds between members are different ," commentator Quang Tung shared his perspective.