When two talented generals go in opposite directions...

Coach Kiatisak's problem

After a 2-month hiatus to make way for the 2023 Asian Cup and the Lunar New Year holiday, the 2023-2024 V-League will return this weekend with round 9 matches. This promises to be a series of matches worth watching, as many teams have taken advantage of the break to refresh their squad, restructure their apparatus, and revive their spirits.

There was a notable change on the coaching bench, when coach Kiatisak Senamuang joined CAHN Club, and the seat Mr. Kiatisak left at HAGL was taken over by Mr. Vu Tien Thanh. Notably, Mr. Thanh had just coached Ho Chi Minh City Club at the beginning of the season, and now he has joined the new team.

Kiatisak và Vũ Tiến Thành: Khi hai 'tướng' tài ngược lối...- Ảnh 1.

Kiatisak và Vũ Tiến Thành: Khi hai 'tướng' tài ngược lối...- Ảnh 2. — Coach Kiatisak joins CAHN Club

The fact that coaches changed positions continuously after only the first 8 matches shows that teams (especially those with strong potential) are ready to change "generals" if the results are not good, especially in the first half of the first leg when there are many breaks, convenient for the new coach to have time to adapt. The teams that won the top position last season such as Hanoi FC and Viettel FC also made similar changes.

However, from this point on, the V-League will get into gear, requiring teams to have stability in terms of personnel. This is the time for coaches to show their talent, to prove that the changes that the club has made to "make room" for them are completely correct.

The story of Coach Kiatisak at CAHN Club is an example. The talent of "Thai Zico" is indisputable. Bringing HAGL to the top of the V-League table in the 2021 season, or helping this team have 2 seasons 2022, 2023 to finish safely despite the turmoil of the team, shows that Coach Kiatisak is very good at "cutting his coat according to his cloth", not needing too many resources to succeed.

However, CAHN Club is a very different team. This team possesses many stars (no less than 7 national players in each training session), and is ambitious. This is fertile ground for coaches to implement many tactical ideas. However, training a strong team always has many risks, and the number of 4 coaches coming and going at CAHN Club in 2023 is a warning for Kiatisak.

Kiatisak và Vũ Tiến Thành: Khi hai 'tướng' tài ngược lối...- Ảnh 3. — A lot of pressure for coach Kiatisak

The Thai strategist needs to skillfully balance relationships, gain the trust of his students, and restrain his ego. Because CAHN club players are not as "pure" as HAGL. If he is not skillful, Coach Kiatisak may not be able to control the locker room. How to ignite his students and maintain stability for CAHN club is the most interesting thing for Coach Kiatisak to watch in the rest of the season, rather than his professional mark.

...and the problem of Mr. Vu Tien Thanh

The case of coach Vu Tien Thanh at HAGL is completely opposite. Unlike Kiatisak, Mr. Thanh will coach a team lacking stars, even lacking personality and experience. If coach Kiatisak's concerns include issues outside of football, coach Vu Tien Thanh almost only works on issues related to pure football. That is expertise, player techniques and tactics, and improving physical fitness.

The former coach of Ho Chi Minh City Club shared with Thanh Nien : "HAGL needs to play with a closer squad, defend better, play with strict discipline, and have a good playing style."

The 2-0 victory over Hanoi FC has shown some of the image of HAGL under coach Vu Tien Thanh. He once brought Saigon FC to third place in V-League 2020 and helped Ho Chi Minh City FC stay in the league for two consecutive seasons thanks to the philosophy that this coach compared to Atletico Madrid: maintaining a tight, cohesive squad with high fighting spirit.

Kiatisak và Vũ Tiến Thành: Khi hai 'tướng' tài ngược lối...- Ảnh 4. — Coach Vu Tien Thanh

That is the opposite image of the splendor and dedication that Mr. Duc expected from HAGL when he cleaned up the team with young players in V-League 2015. However, 8 years of struggling in this playground has helped the mountain town team understand that very few teams can both play beautifully and win titles. HAGL's current players are not enough to play controlling or attacking, but need to choose a more intelligent and suitable playing style.

Two different goals, two different paths and challenges, but Coach Kiatisak and Coach Vu Tien Thanh will enter an exciting "battlefield" together, where the leadership skills of both will be pushed to the highest level.

Source link