There is a familiar saying "winning is the team's credit, losing is the coach's fault". That has never been more true for coach Troussier than at this moment. The audience also has their own opinions, because the Vietnamese team under his leadership in the past year has lost more than won. The defeat at the 2023 Asian Cup, with the lowest achievement among the Southeast Asian teams participating in the tournament, seems to have made the situation worse. For many people, not getting any points against Japan and Iraq is not a disaster, but losing to Indonesia and leaving the tournament with 3 consecutive losses, 2 red cards, and 3 penalties is something that is difficult to accept.
Coach Troussier and his colleagues are under a lot of pressure.
There have been many other questions about Coach Troussier and his off-field issues, about his relationship with his predecessor Park Hang-seo's veterans, about his attitude towards the press, and even about whether the interpreter has leaked his thoughts to the public.
It was a tense and suffocating atmosphere after a campaign that left many sorrows. Of course, things would have been different if there had been at least 1 point against Indonesia, or at least not lost in the last seconds against Iraq. Such results, if they had happened, would certainly have reduced the pressure on Mr. Troussier and the coaching staff. And in this context, with only nearly two months left until the two matches against Indonesia in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, it is implicitly understood as an important milestone that could decide Mr. Troussier's future. As a coach of his class, Mr. Troussier certainly understands that and of course wants to have two memorable matches to prove that the path that the team is on with him is the right one. The task would certainly be easier if the off-field issues were handled more gradually and gently.
There have been opinions that the National Coaches Council needs to have critical views on the way Coach Troussier implements his playing style and uses his players. There are also other opinions that Mr. Troussier needs to be less extreme in placing all his trust in the young players he is using in order to create a team where youth is in good harmony with experienced and classy players (who still have a lot of fighting spirit). Of course, people expect the 68-year-old coach to respond to those requests, although they clearly know that the authority in choosing the playing philosophy as well as choosing the players belongs entirely to the commander, who is the one with the ultimate and highest responsibility. That is still a delicate and sensitive matter, and if both sides are not receptive, the conflict will become increasingly larger and put Mr. Troussier under even heavier pressure.
But more than anyone else, no matter which path he takes and how much he wants to revolutionize, Coach Troussier knows exactly what situation he is in and how to handle the problem. The Asian Cup journey was not complete from the beginning, when the number of experienced players he called up had to go home due to injuries to form a squad. Moreover, the very young players he trusted to create miracles, such as in the match against Japan, destroyed the achievements that they and their teammates created, just because of the regrettable red cards in the matches against Indonesia and Iraq.
But come March, expectations will rise significantly as the team and Troussier will not be allowed to make mistakes. The veterans that Troussier needs will return, while the young players will be expected to learn the valuable lessons of the Asian Cup.
If we consider what we have just experienced and its consequences as motivation, along with positive adjustments from coach Troussier, it means that the team will enter the two pivotal matches with Indonesia in the best way. Hopefully, everyone's patience will be rewarded.
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