Expert: Don't rush to fire coach Troussier even though he lost to Indonesia

The Vietnamese team is about to enter two important matches against the Indonesian team in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup. Coach Troussier and his team are under a lot of pressure regarding their performance and are in dire need of a victory to regain the trust of their fans. In the near future, the Vietnamese team will have a difficult away match at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.

- Coach Troussier is facing many difficulties, what is the cause?

In my opinion, "first blame yourself, then blame others". There are many reasons, but the most fundamental reason is that Mr. Troussier wanted to make a big revolution. But for both subjective and objective reasons, he was unable to build a collective with good transition from Quang Hai's generation to Tuan Hai's generation.

The sudden and excessive changes in personnel over the past time have caused the Vietnamese team to fail to ensure both quality and experience.

This, perhaps Mr. Troussier needs to learn from experience soon, especially with his team of assistants and analysts.

Coach Troussier leads the training session of the Vietnam National Team in Indonesia.

- Is it true that VFF set a World Cup goal, but only stopped at passing the second qualifying round? If this goal fails, what will happen to coach Troussier?

In football, if you cannot do your job or complete your tasks, you will be fired. However, the compensation factor can also create certain concerns. However, we should also look at the reality that Mr. Troussier, despite his great ambition and efforts, has not yet met the expectations of his fans.

Here, I am not talking about achievements but about the eye-catching factor. We have not yet convinced the fans and once trust has not been firmly built, Mr. Troussier must face professional risks, which is natural.

- When unable to win the next two matches against Indonesia, should coach Troussier be given one last chance at the U23 Asian Cup in April?

Unfortunately, I am not the president of the Vietnam Football Federation. But if I had the power to decide, the results of the two matches against Indonesia are not enough for me to make a hasty judgment on Mr. Troussier. I will look at how the Vietnam team operates first.

If the results are not positive but the operation shows positive factors in the long term, Mr. Troussier should be given the opportunity to continue at the upcoming U23 Asian Cup. Moreover, from now until the end of April, there is still too little time.

A sudden change in coaching position is not necessarily a wise decision.

The matches between Vietnam and Indonesia are always exciting.

- In the past, were matches between Vietnam and Indonesia as tense as they are now?

Actually, when it comes to competition, tension always exists and comparing something like that is very difficult. It is not easy for each person to assess their own feelings about the tension today and that of the 90s. But honestly, the circumstances of each match that create tension, we can compare differently.

In the past, to conquer Southeast Asian football, the Vietnamese team always had to look at equally strong opponents such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore before thinking about facing Thailand. Now, we almost only see the Thai team as the only challenge in the region.

However, we cannot underestimate other opponents even though they have had certain low points, while Vietnamese football has achieved some successes.

In such a context, after many times failing to win against the Vietnamese team, the Indonesian team seems to have the ambition to surpass us to find a way to conquer the number 1 position in Southeast Asia. This is the position they once had when competing equally with Thailand before. And once entering the match with such a mindset, the tension is pushed higher.

In addition, Indonesian fans are always more enthusiastic than fans of other opponents of the Vietnamese team. They will certainly add more fire and make the match more tense.

- What is the pressure on Gelora Bung Karno Stadium for generations of Vietnamese players?

From what I have observed on television, I am sure that Gelora Bung Karno Stadium is not an easy place for any opponent of the Indonesian team. Many Vietnamese players have faced pressure.

This time, coach Troussier has called up many experienced players who have played at Gelora Bung Karno, so I hope they will support their younger teammates to play confidently away from home.

Coach Troussier encountered many difficulties.

- The Vietnamese team has never lost on such a pressured field, what is the reason?

I think we have to look directly at the quality of the two teams. At the time when the Vietnamese team had the most mature and quality players, Indonesian football was in the process of rebuilding its force. It can be said that the Vietnamese team has never lost because we are stronger than them in many aspects.

But the upcoming meeting will be different. The Indonesian team has new naturalized players that the Vietnamese team should be very careful of.

- How will the balance of power between the two teams change when Indonesia naturalizes more than 10 players?

I think the Indonesian team is stronger than the Vietnamese team in terms of personnel at this time. Most of their naturalized players play in major football leagues in Europe. And if we look at the failures of Vietnam's top stars when they went to Europe, everyone will understand the difference in class.

In general, Indonesia should not be underestimated. They want to challenge the number 1 position in Southeast Asia and seek continental achievements, not simply compete with the Vietnamese team.

Thank you!

Mai Phuong

Source