Match Report: Muangthong United 0 Thai Port 0

 

"Everybody acting bad when they up"

LeBron James

It's time to bake in the Bangkok oven again as the scorching summer sun rays crash down on two local sides at opposite ends of the table. In times past, it would be us pushing for the title while Port straggled behind. Things are very different now and we're staring into the precipice of relegation while the Lions sit proudly in second place. Football, like life, has a way of reminding you nothing lasts forever and in good times and bad, you just have to keep going and never give up. All I want tonight is for our boys to make a fight of it.

I've never really understood why some Port fans feel the way they do about Muangthong. They remind me of Pompey in the sense that a few of them seem to dislike their rivals more than they love their own
club. The events of sixteen years ago - sixteen years?! Where has that time gone?! - are ancient history to me.  I still remember making a run for it as Port fans climbed the fence, politely declining to teach English to one young fan who seemed oblivious to the fights breaking out around us and reading a text from Matt Riley saying he and his kids had been chased on to the MRT. No hard feelings from me though, Port fans were friendly to me at the away fixture last year. Bar a tiny number of wannabe hooligans, most people on both sides just want to enjoy the occasion.

To the game and the team news is that the new gaffer - more on that later - has gone for the exact same team selection I would and - as every football fan in history knows - the only correct team selection of any manager is the exact same one that you would choose. For us that means Melvyn and Tonktov stay benched and Saric plays up front with Popp flanking him. Kakana sits behind them and Kempster is  back in the team. In the stands, the "2 for 1" offer has worked quite well again and the turnout is notably healthy by recent standards. Fans of other teams frequently mention our empty stadium, but we still get turnout that puts us in the top half of any fan table. I'm in the south stand tonight so much of the action registers differently with me than it would do for TV viewers and their much clearer perspective.

                           

We kick off and it's clear that Port are starting on the front foot with an early curled shot hitting the side netting. Port have a couple more buildups battled away by the Kirins and then something cool happens: we actually launch a counter-attack. Korrakut makes a quick throw to Kempster and rather than taking a cheap sideways tap like players of Leg 1 would do, Kempster actually surges past the halfway line and looks for a quick cross before Port can regroup. It comes to nothing but the fact that we have a game plan is encouraging.

The game evolves into a scrappy, battling affair but it's not dull. Both sides are giving one hundred and ten percent and although there's no goals, it never feels like the one is far away. About 35 minutes in, Popp - who looks our best threat and most creative outlet - cuts inside not one but two defenders and finds space on the touchline to the left of the Port goal. He has two options: cross or shoot - he goes for the latter and attempts to curl the ball into the goal. The fans behind the goal - myself included - are gifted with a beautiful sight as the ambitious effort swerves past the goalie.......and hits the corner of the upright post. Its painfully close and everyone feels it. Somewhere out there in quantum world is an alternate universe where that shot went in and we survive in Tier 1. Popp continues weaving the dark arts for us and it doesn't feel like the ref is giving us much, but the goalless draw at half time is fair. 

The second half begins in a similar vein but it's clear that the mental fatigue of maintaining this much intensity is starting to wear on our young players. I'm wondering why we haven't utilised the bench but then again, who goes on? Melvyn is slow, unfit and out of form, Strauss is injured and there's no way any of this backline deserves to be taken off.  The reality team on the pitch are pretty much all we have. Maybe we can bring on a youngster for a quick energy boost for the last ten minutes or so so but that as Port attacks become unerring, that feels a long way away right now. To be honest, by the time we are sixty minutes in, I'd bite the hand off anyone offering a point from this one.

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There's some bright points, too, though. I can't remember who was marking Port's target man Perera at the reverse fixture in Klong Toei, but I do remember the big man bullied him around for most of the
game. Tonight though he's up against Kim Dong-Su, who's matching him for every test of strength and mettle. Midway through the second half Perera attempts to body-check Kim and pull him off the ball all in one motion but the Korean holds his balance and makes the clearance all the same. When play is held up to check on a downed Port player, Kim turns to the home crown and gestures for them to up the noise. I like this guy.

It's becoming more about Port though as the second half winds on. Our counters are becoming slower and rarer.  Port get a suspicious (to my biased mind) free kick near the edge of our box and once again I get a perfect view as a well-struck effort is tipped over by Korraut. Just like the back line guarding him, he hasn't made a single mistake tonight and he's shown a lot of courage.

As the final minutes approach I'm starting to feel some of the brain fog that the players must be feeling and it really becomes a blur. There's some more dubious decisions in Port's favour around our box and a 90th minute dive by a Port forward clearly deserves an award for the lamest penalty attempt of all time but the ref just ignores it all. We manage to make a late push and win a corner but nothing comes of it and the ref then blows for full time at 97 minutes. The home crowd growl at the ref and the away fans growl at Popp for what they perceive as a fake injury in the dying seconds but I think that's an injustice to all involved. 

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This was the best goalless draw I've seen since we played Buriram at home about 15 years ago. Before tonight's game, I really considered simply not turning up. The pain of giving up time and money to suffer endless misery and disappointment was really starting to take its toll. I'm so glad I did the right thing. Tonight, for the first time in what feels like years (but is actually a few months), I was proud of
the team and I can't fault a single player for anything they did. After months of calling out the squad for a lack of gameplan, counter-attacking movement or fitness they finally produced all three in one night and got a fully deserved point against the team in second place. If I was being hypercritical, I'd say Popp got himself an unnecessary booking for pushing the dark arts too far but it was the result of a leader past his physical prime doing everything he could for his team. It's hard to pick fault with that and if the ref had been more consistent Port would have collected at least one more yellow, too.

Will that draw be enough in the long run? I don't know, but it gives us that dangerous thing called hope, for the performance as much as the point itself.

The manager situation

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The build up to tonight was covered in chaos, too as we parted ways with Mario Ivanovich just over 24 hours before kick off. I initially chastised the club for a bad decision but in hindsight, I was wrong. My fears of Uthai being returned to the hot seat were unfounded as Mario's replacement was announced within hours in the form of Jose Borges. Honestly I don't know much about him beyond his experience
with TTM but this was a heck of a way for him to make a first impression. I like the refreshing honesty of his post match press conference. In particular, he was candid about his personal position: if we stay up he's a hero, if we go down it wasn't his doing anyway. It might not be the most noble response but when he says it, it makes me believe him when he also says that we have a chance to stay up, too.The only thing I disliked about Borges' interview was his slight dig at his predecessor. When Thai Football Podcast asked me to say a few words about Ivankovich's appoint over the Christmas break appointment, I said the big test for him would be how quickly he could adapt to the upside-down world of Thai football and the different psyche of the country, including its football. That was probably his downfall. I don't think he is a bad manager, he was thrown into a difficult situation and with the beautiful thing called hindsight, we probably should have gone for Borges in the first place.

Man of the match

A case could be made for almost any player on the team tonight. The obvious choice would be Popp for leading the line physically and mentally, providing the inspiration, experience and leadership we have been crying out for. Likewise, young (for a keeper) goalie Korrakut showed real courage and concentration for 97 minutes, never shying away from his responsibilities in a gruelling encounter.

In the end though I have to choose Kim Dong-Su who battled like ....umm....what's the Korean version of a samurai? ......(checks google)..... a Ssaurabi the entire night! Every challenge, every cross, every tussle, he was there in the thick of it, reminding the fans to give the team the energy they needed to keep battling. Love it.

Next up is Prachuap away. A single loss now will probably be the final nail. But we can take pride in the performance tonight and solace in denying Port the outcome they were gagging for.

Kirins chai-yoo.

Tier 2 here we come: Questions for the board at Muangthong

Yesterday's one-all draw at home to Lamphun Warriors means relegation is extremely likely. A team that hasn't been able to keep a clean sheet, let alone hold on to a win for a long, long time is not going to get the points needed for survival up against the likes of Buriram or Thai Port. 

Do miracles happen in football? Yes. I've seen a few great escapes in my time but I've seen plenty of relegation, too. What's the difference between the two? Well quality, obviously, but also an organised and disciplined back line - even if it isn't the most talented - and that intangible ability to show mental resilience and fight. Quality has returned to the side in the form of William Popp but the defence has been highly suspect all season. As for resilience, like I said last time, these youngsters need guidance and support. Hold that thought.

Now is the time the owners and leaders of the club must learn from the past to prepare for the future. Here is a list of tough, painful questions the board needs to ask to bring Muangthong back to the top. 

1) What's the plan for the club and the stadium?

Rumours of a lease expiry have been around for a long time. In fairness, there has been no credible source suggesting the club will be forced out, but the coinciding relegation naturally makes fans fear the worst. So what's the latest news? Do we have a plan B and a plan C if we need it? The rest of these questions are moot if we don't have a club in its current form, anyway.

2) Who will take responsibility for past recruitment?

You will be hard pressed to find a fan that doesn't feel the foreign quota of players has been a total failure this season. Recruitment in general has been bizarre, with some of our best players in positions we lack cover for being allowed to go out on loan. How were these players chosen? How can we be sure this won't happen again?

3) Who takes responsibility for fitness levels?

I highlighted huge concerns over coaching in my last post. When Mario Ivankovich stepped in as head coach in midseason, he immediately highlighted the disturbing lack of fitness in the first team. If he's correct, that is a catastrophic failure. A squad of young players halfway into a season were not up to fitness. How was this allowed to happen? Which coaches were responsible for first team fitness? 

There's a general culture in Thai football that individuals should not be singled out for criticism. In many ways, that's a very admirable mindset. But the downside to that is that problems and mistakes can't be addressed if nobody is held accountable. What if the squad struggles for fitness again next season? Do we still say "mai pen rai" because our coaches smile when the camera is on them?

4) Who will guide the youngsters next season? 

It's no secret that in the post-SCG era, our strategy is to raise talented youngsters with a couple of marquee players to guide them. The problem is that guidance hasn't always been there. We've already covered the lack of fitness and I discussed a lack of game plan and on-pitch guidance last time around. I wish I had been proven wrong.  

Will it be William Popp? I doubt it, unless he already has all the money he needs and is willing to play out of loyalty to the club. Popp has been the model professional on and off the Thunderdome pitch and nobody could blame him if he moved on. Without him, we desperately need a couple of seasoned, top tier veterans willing to stick it out in T2 and lead by example. Who will they be? 

I hope I'm wrong. I hope the glass is half full and somehow we pull off a miraculous escape. I'd be delighted to apologise and acknowledge my pessimism to everyone involved. But if I'm right, the questions above absolutely must be addressed if we are ever to return. It's not about being negative or unkind, it's just being real. It would be perfect if the club responded publicly to fans who've had to endure this season but that's not essential. What is essential is that someone at the top does the right thing and asks themselves.

What is wrong at Muangthong and how to make it right

 

There’s been a few sweet moments over the last few weeks where it felt like the good times were back at Muangthong. The long queue for tickets ahead of the game against Kanchanaburi accompanied by the obligatory speakers just loud enough to vibrate your body without actually crushing it, the escalating crowd noise in home and away fans at Thai Port, and the sea of blue-shirted Chonburi fans disembarking the coaches and posing for photos before El Classico. All fleeting flashbacks of a once great era at the club all had one thing in common: they occurred before a ball was kicked.

The on field trouble with the Kirins is not new in itself. We’ve slipped dangerously close to the relegation trapdoor a few times in recent seasons but this time around feels particularly risky, if only for the fact that “we’ve been here before” is a line being used by the actual head coach himself as a defence, as if playing badly in the past means we don’t need to be alarmed if it carries on. In fact the on pitch results are not a drop in form, they are the natural outcome of several factors that have all taken their toll. So with the defeat in El Classico in recent memory along with dreadful form and performances, it’s time for me to take a look at the main problems behind Muangthong’s demise and offer a few ideas about how they can be fixed before it’s too late.

1) It’s not lack of effort.

kirin red zone

Before we look at the problems, let’s remove one of the easy excuses off of the table. I’ve seen a team of unmotivated players in action before and that is not what we have at Muangthong, at least not for the most part. To the contrary: it’s clear that some of the younger players are giving it their all to the point that when the chips are down, they try to do too much. The physical commitment isn’t lacking either: by Thai standards the players are not afraid to get stuck in. Likewise, I don’t see any signals that backroom staff are complacent or lazy. After the Prachup game there was an altercation between the head coach and some of the crowd when the supporters refused to sing the customary club anthem to players after the game. The message was that the fans didn't want to sing for players not doing their best, to which coach Uthai responded by saying he would not bring the players over to thank the fans next time. I actually supported coach Uthai on this: the worst thing we can do is lay the blame for our troubles at the feet of young players who are clearly striving to perform but not receiving the guidance they need. 

2) Loss of investment

The obvious one. When the Kirins were winning games for fun, they were backed by the might of SCG, a business managed by the Crown Property Group. Top players of the era such as Teerasil and Kawin made their name as part of a title-winning side packed with quality and no doubt commanding a hefty wage bill. Nobody outside the boardroom knows why the sponsorship suddenly got cancelled. It would be easy to suggest that the sponsors simply saw the spike of popularity in Thai football ebbing away, yet other big brands such as True continued to fund Bangkok United even when they drew crowds of under 1,000. It goes without saying that having less money to pay players with will attract a lower calibre of athlete.

3) Poor on and off-field leadership.

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This is one that irks me because it’s surely the easiest to fix. Mario Djuvoski was not a great coach or a great leader but he was competent. We let him go. Milos Joksic constantly overachieved at Rajpracha and Muangthong. He had an insight into tactics and mentality that he somehow transfers to players of different cultures and mindsets. We let him go. Since then I have truly struggled to find anything positive about our head coaches. We look tactically inept when things aren’t going well (more on that later) and substitutions seem random. On the field the club takes pride in having a young squad, but a young squad needs on field guidance and leadership, which our veteran players are simply not providing.

4) Potentially poor coaching and/or poor tactics

Lack of transitional movement, especially in counter-attacks

This one may be harsh as I haven’t observed any training sessions but there have been several moments this season where I rack my brains to think what is going through the minds of players. At Port, during one of our very first counter-attacks (the only type of attack we managed in the entire game and even then, rarely) a few players surged forward in a straight line without a single overlap or single player getting behind their marker. In the Clasico, the only overlaps we managed were hectic and unplanned, caused by players trying to make something happen by themselves. With ten minutes remaining in a vital game, we took position down Chonburi's right flank left with almost every home player on the attack. Not a single player made a run or movement and not one of our foreign quota called for the ball. It was a moment so appalling the anger from the crowd was instant. 

That exposes a bigger problem...

No identity or game plan in adversity

We don’t seem to have any overall identity of cohesion in our game plan. The younger players knock it around quite well in early stages of a game but when things go against us - which is often these days - their heads drop. Unified movement gets forgotten, the foreign players tend to go through the motions and younger players display the most common symptom of destroyed confidence by trying to walk the ball into the net. When Zesh Rehman was our player, I remember him sending signals to his fellow defenders to calm down or switch their position just slightly. Nothing spectacular, just simple reminders. I don't notice our veteran foreign players doing that these days. 

Possible lack of coaching impact in games

Again, maybe I’m being harsh as I don’t have a microphone at the dugout so I can only surmise. Going back to the Chonburi game, it became clear the player’s heads were dropping and the youngsters resorted to trying to create openings so simple they couldn’t miss. This approach may work in some situations for some teams but it's not working for us right now. Like many fans I was yelling at our lads to simply have a crack. Guess what? Our first goal came from Annas clearly thinking “f**k it!” and blasting a long shot into the top left corner of the net.  The second was scored by Melvin hitting a rebound because you know what else? Sometimes if you take a shot against an average team it will go in, get deflected or get cleared poorly.

What worries me though is that none of this basic insight was notably transferred from the coaching team to players during games. If it was, it either didn’t stick under pressure or had no solution to go along with it. None of these outcomes are acceptable. The predictable result was the return to the “walk it in” approach we saw after our second goal last week and the utter drop off in movement and support that came with it. All of the above raises the question: what are Uthai and long-term coaches Dagno and Datsakorn doing and saying to players before, during and after the games? 

Then again, some of their best names on paper aren't delivering....

Poor performance of foreigners

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I will be quick here as I don’t like singling out individual players for harsh criticism. It goes without saying that any team that loses their best player to injury before the season even starts will struggle, and so it turned out for us. The club has recently confirmed Popp will return for the second leg but we’ll analyse that message again in a moment. Looking at our other players: Gremsci has been fine and not to blame for any goals that I recall and I actually think Nelson is effective at this level. The rest of the foreign quota have been putting in performances ranging from average to poor. Melvyn actually looked good in early games but has been frankly dreadful recently. His commitment is not in doubt but he looks slow, clumsy and without ideas. Being played out of position - this guy is not a winger on his best day - doesn't help either. Tristan Do is another player who looks jaded and was very lucky to avoid a second yellow against Choburi with his constant pulling, nudging and generally scrappy style of play. As club captain and one of our oldest and more experienced players, does he not have any encouragement to offer the youngsters when the chips are down? Can he not offer feedback - calm or passionate - to the rest of the backline when it is hopelessly loose at times? Maybe he does but I don't see it.  As for Tonktov, all I will say is that he should not be playing for Muangthong in my opinion. 

It would be unfair to compare these foreign players to some from our past, but I find it very hard to believe that the money they presumably draw for their salaries could not be far, far better spent elsewhere. I would happily let any of them except Popp go if it meant we could get a quality foreign head coach through the door.

Lack of communication with fans

Now in fairness as Dale at Thai Football Podcast will tell you, this isn’t a Muangthong thing so much as a Thai football thing. The local culture is one of posting “happy birthday” messages to players and reminding people to cheer for the team. That’s by no means a bad thing and it suits the approach of many fans who simply want to enjoy the experience of wearing team colours and cheering the team no matter how good or bad the performance. Mind you, it hasn’t always stopped us from posting cheeky speculation, such as the time we announced on our official website that we had offered a contract to none other than Alessandro Del Piero.

But in rough times the lack of clarity can be really frustrating, especially when things don’t always come to fruition and some problems seem glaringly obvious. The head coach is not the right fit for the job: are we looking for anyone? Why is it taking so long? Are we conducting interviews? Do we have a timescale? Any particular type of coach we are after? Who knows? We haven’t been told a single thing.

What about investment? Last season the club hyped up a big new mystery sponsor and finally announced Fuji as a "main photography sponsor" or something similar. I haven't seen a single Fuji logo since then. How did we not get the details and numbers on paper before an announcement like that?

I should point out we have performed much better in some other channels of communication. The club's official X account is fast and responsive with ticket news and score updates as well as responses to questions. Even more importantly, when speculation over the future of the Thunderdome stadium itself resurfaced again, there was a low key but official response from the owner who clearly detailed contingency plans in case the worst happened. Likewise, when speculation about yet another venue change for the Chonburi game spread online, the club made a firm statement denying it. Let's hope the promise of Popp's return and a change of foreign players is also kept. Failure to keep to their word right now could have really long-term consequences for fan relations.

What's the solution?

With the problems laid bare, the obvious question is what’s next? It would be foolish to think an problem as deep as this is one to be fixed easily or quickly. Still, for what it’s worth, here are some fixes that any fan would probably be able to offer up and which the club almost certainly have in mind anyway.

1) Overhaul the coaching staff

'ello Muangthong, made a few fu*kups did we?
(lavenir.net)

Get Milos, Mario or better yet Rene back. Any of those three would be able to quickly forge some basic transitional tactics and team structure. Mario will never be accused of lacking passion, Rene always provides an added bonus of touchline drama and certainly won’t tolerate a lack of commitment and with Milos I sense that he would most likely get the youngsters responding to pressure with more stoicism. For the rest of the coaching staff, I think we need to thank Dago and Datsakorn for their excellent performances and history with the club but inform them now is the time to find new staff to take us forward.

2) Find investment

Easier said than done, I know. But with that said, Muangthong surely still makes an attractive opportunity for a big business or Thai elite to play with. Not so much as a profitable business perhaps - I’d be surprised if any club in Thailand isn’t running at a loss - but as a promotional and profile-raising opportunity. In that sense we still have a lot to offer with a large following on social media, a fierce rivalry with Thailand’s now most successful club up north, a history (not present) of big crowds and hype and a large stadium surrounded by hugely popular event centres and an MRT link. Is there not a single influential figure out there with money to play with that wants to give Newin a run for his money? A big enough investment to bring in three or four key players could change things quite quickly.

3) Bring back the vibes

Remember these days? (kirin red zone)

This might not happen without the other two fixes but if word could get out about the buzz returning to MTUTD, the crowd should follow. It’s not that long ago that the Thunderdome would see helicopters landing in the centre circle, professional singers on the pitch at half time, parties outside the gates starting hours before kick off and players being featured in fashion ads in every shopping mall.
Somehow, some way, a return to that would make investment all the more likely. How do we achieve it? That’s one answer I can’t think of. There must be celebrity fans out there, a sponsor or investor willing to collaborate or people involved with Impact that know the tricks. We are literally right next to the most modern and popular exhibitions centres and event halls in the country. Have we at least asked their advice? Let's get sold out matches again. Any news fans can get to the stadium with my updated guide.

One thing I’ve seen a lot of on social media recently is Kirins fans feeling like they might lose the very existence of their club. For them this isn’t their second team or their “foreign team”, its their team. I don’t think that risk is probable yet, but I do think that it’s possible. And yet things could still be changed around and changed quickly if we can just get some big decisions and backroom manoeuvres in our favour. Will it happen? Time will tell.

Book Review: Thai Football Tales: A Beautiful Madness

 

When this blog was in its zenith many years ago, a lot of information on transfers and behind the scenes news came from one person whom I would often watch games with or bump into at Muangthong matches. That person was Matt Riley and now, long after leaving the Big Mango and returning to Blighty, he’s released a fantastic book looking back on the surreal experience of Thai football or as he more poetically tags it, “a beautiful madness”. 

Let’s be clear: if you’re looking for a match-by-match, stat-by-stat, fluid report of the action from a team sweating it out in the minnow leagues that make up ASEAN, this is not the book for you. Don’t feel bad though, it was an assumption I myself made as I perused the opening chapters of the book. Matt had been good enough to ask me for feedback and I made an early note that his timeline seemed somewhat jumbled in the opening chapters before realizing it wasn’t by error so much as by irrelevance. 

That's because in capturing the “madness”, author Matt has used football as a microcosm of expatriate life in Thailand, primarily through reciting a collection of flashbulb memories of his incredible experiences. He doesn’t implicitly state this however, and I can only recall one moment where he actually stops to explain a specific aspect of the local culture, known as “greng-jai”. Perhaps he feels it’s self-evident or perhaps he wants to let his experiences in football simply speak for themselves.

Fortunately, as we might expect from a head of English at a prestigious international school, Matt is better equipped than the average punter to elucidate a sequence of moments that sometimes read like something out of a David Lynch movie. The experiences themselves are not embellished though, in many cases I can vouch for them first hand. The most striking (in more ways than one) memory recited by Matthew in the book is of the moment that the Charity Shield game between Muangthong and Thai Port FC was abandoned as riots started in the crowd. Like Matt, I had to run out of the stadium and across one of the most touristed areas of Bangkok to escape an ass-kicking. Was that the end of the saga? Far from it. The match was replayed in Bangkok at the peak of the political upheaval and fighting across Bangkok. Days after public transport in the city was suspended, fans had to make their way back to the stadium to see Muangthong and Thai Port play “behind closed doors”. When Thai Port scored, a section of the crowd dressed in neutral colours cheered. I remember saying to Matt “I’m not running again”. Luckily, we didn’t have to and the game passed peacefully. The animosity from those days is the reason why games between these two teams still exclude away fans to this day.

Other memories are even more dreamlike, including tigers in cages, (alleged) assassin referees, team managers calling Matt to ask him when the game starts, Godfathers, astronauts, exploding shoes and more. Matt remains humble - the exploding shoe story will confirm this - and doesn’t try to draw conclusions, moral teachings or anything else more than a truly remarkable set of encounters.

Those who are familiar with Thai football or simply “falang” (foreigners in Thailand) will crack a knowing smile of understanding at many of the cultural concepts - some enjoyable, some less so - that are covered in the pages of “Madness” while those who are not may find them even harder to comprehend, but no less gripping. Although the book is certainly not designed as a guide to Thai culture or sports, it still paints a picture of both.

I should note that there are some experiences I recall differently to Matt. That’s only to be expected. There are also some people, motivations and viewpoints I saw, and continue to see, differently to him but hey, it’s football. It’s people. It’s Thailand. 

In summary, Thai Football Tales is the book I would write if I had a slightly sharper literary knife. It serves as an extended look at Thailand and Thai football from the eyes of one person who has since returned home and can at least try to make sense of it all. It’s a short, entertaining and enjoyable read at an equally enjoyable price. 

Buriram ref suspended and six pointer coming up

The referee from the Buriram game suspended for two weeks following a Muangthong complaint. This is, of course, sticking a band aid ("plaster" as we Brits say) on a much more serious wound. Thai refs need much more training, monitoring and integrity.

Muangthong face BG Pathum tomorrow in a six-pointer. I personally preferred the club when they were known as Bangkok Glass and wore green as their main colour. They had a far more unique and fresh feel to them then, as well as their own superhero. I predict a MTUTD victory in this one.

A big win at Chonburi

 United were down to ten men but still clinched a big win at Chonburi yesterday. Mario celebrated by jumping the fence and celebrating with the away fans. More to follow.

Without Me

 No sooner had I posted about some memories of Rene on the touchline at Muangthong do I see that Robert Procurer has called in an old friend at Nonthaburi United...

Do yourself a favour and imagine Eminem's "Without Me" playing in the background right now. I hate DRM.