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.

mtutd.com

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

mtutd.com

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.

Rainy, but happy days

It's been as close to perfect as real life can get for MTU over these last few days. Despite downpours on both occasions - one causing a 30 minute delay to kick off - a great 2-1 away win at Korat in the TLC was followed by yesterday's highly efficient 3-0 win over TTM with goals by the Super one and Teerasil. To ice that cake, Chonburi lost at home to lowly Samut Songkhram and Buriram drew at home to Police Utd.

The battle is far from over, Buriram unveiled six highly rated players on the weekend to re-invigorate their title push. I'll stick with the squad we have, thanks.

Zesh Rehman is back in the LOS on a pre-season tour with Kitchee FC and witnessed our storming win.

TLF informs us former MTU and Rajpracha favourite Wisarut has joined Bangkok United. Meanwhile former Rajpracha head and then MTU assistant boss Josic has been sacked by Phuket. The Islanders have suffered heavy defeats recently but this is mainly due to dire financial circumstances, Josic is a very good coach.

A quick catch up with Zesh

When Peter Crouch left Southampton, then manager Harry Redknapp said: "He's a rare guy, he's the only player that called me to say thanks after the transfer was done". Perhaps we can add Zesh Rehman on to that list of rare players, as Zesh was good enough not only to offer an interview but to see it through after he left Muangthong for Kitchee FC. This is what Zesh had to say:

www.zeshrehmanfoundation.org

"I'm really grateful to Muangthong for giving me the chance to come out and play in South East Asia. I wouldn't rule out a return to Thailand in the future."

"I hope the players get a chance to rest. The internationals have a lot of games to play and it can affect them. Hopefully things are settled now and I'm sure Muangthong will be back next season."

"I'm staying near the airport [on Hong Kong Island] it's nice here, it's all a bit hectic downtown! The fans are good and I'm enjoying the football. I'm very lucky that I'm young enough and have the opportunity to do this."

"Thanks again to all the supporters at Muangthong and I'll be looking out for Muangthong in the future."

Thanks again Zesh and if you're reading, don't forget to visit The Peak and if you know any good players back home that want to play out here, send them our way!

The Zesh Rehman Foundation

Zesh moving on?

A Hong Kong team's fan site have stated that Zesh Rehman is arriving at the club for a medical today.

www.footymatters.com

All fans at MTU should thank Zesh for his service. He joined at a tumultuous time for Muangthong and took some time to settle in to a new style of play but once settled he provided solid air cover.

Zesh was also a positive influence off the field, offering experience to youngsters, getting involved in the community and always willing to talk to fans. It's sad we won't see him on a fresh start for another season.

Ali Diarra now has a chance to step up to the plate and make a claim for long-term glory.

Charlie Wyett meets Zesh Rehman, who is starring with Robbie Fowler in Thailand

From thesun.co.uk

ZESH REHMAN speaks English, Urdu, Punjabi, French and is on the way to becoming fluent in Thai.

The first ever British Asian to start a Premier League game, former Fulham defender Rehman has even launched a phone app which helps footballing nomads by translating well-known phrases in six different languages.

Currently playing for Muang Thong United, the biggest football team in Thailand, Rehman admits his team-mates have a new language problem which a phone app could not solve.

And that's how to understand Scouse.

Rehman, 28, left Bradford to start a new life in Bangkok at the start of the year before having a new team-mate in July when Robbie Fowler arrived.

Yet Rehman now also has a new boss with the former Liverpool and England striker having taken over as the club's player-manager.

A fascinating character who grew up in Birminghan, starred for England at youth level yet chose to play for Pakistan, Rehman is still on the PFA's management committee and believes more players should become Brits abroad.

He said: "I am really enjoying it. It was one of the best footballing decisions I made.

"I was lucky enough to play in England for 10 years in all four divisions but it was time for a new challenge. Here is a different lifestyle and different culture. It is also a different style of football but I am learning about it all the time.

"Muang Thong is a suburb of Bangkok, 20 minutes from all the madness of the city centre.

"We get between 15,000 and 20,000. We are second in the table, six points behind Buriram with 12 games to go. But Muang Thong have been champions for the last four years so they are basically the Manchester United of Thailand. Football here is growing rapidly and the levels here are better than people may think.

"Robbie came as a player two or three months ago. The board decided to change the coach so he is now player-manager. He is really enjoying it and I think he will be a good coach in the future.

"As soon as he got here I helped him settle in. He is a really top bloke and we are getting on really well.

"He has only be in charge for two games but we have won both so it is a good start. He has played for some top managers and I am sure he will be a good manager as he has been there as a player.

"His man-management skills are quite evident. It is not easy being here but he is handling it very well. He also scored his first goal last weekend so is flying.

"it was a challenge for Robbie at first but he knows that he needs to speak a bit slower and they understand then. There has been a great atmosphere throughout .

"It definitely helps speaking Thai. I am 60 per cent of the way to being fluent and it makes everything easier. I was the only member of the back five who could not speak Thai.

"I have now developed my own phone application that will hopefully help players, manager and fans who move from different countries. At the moment I have several different languages using football phrases, with more to follow soon".

Being part of a cultural melting pot is nothing new to Rehman.

He said: "I grew up in a mixed community. Everyone was playing football and I was no different, despite my Asian background.

"My dad Khalid supported Villa during the 1970s which I think was quite rare for a second generation Asian. His love of the game filtered down to me and luckily my family have been my best support mechanism throughout my career.

"I have never made excuses for my background. It's frustrating that there are not more British Asians playing football but I'm hopeful that history will repeat itself.

"In the 1970s there were one or two black players. Go forward 40 years and it is 25 per cent. I am sure it will be the same with the third and fourth generation British Asians who do not perceive themselves as any different, they will be the significant breakthrough makers because they have a better understanding of how to embrace both cultures which is important.

"I have started The Zesh Rehman Foundation and one of the arms is to develop future players, coaches and officials across all levels of the game to help address this issue."

Rehman also believes more English players should leave the country who are finding it difficult domestically should consider their options abroad and in his case the Far East.

He said: "I am on the management committee of the PFA as an overseas member. I am up to date with the stats and the number of players out of contract is alarming. Players need to realize the football world is a global world and their are wider opportunities out their for them to continue their careers, particularly in Asia.

"I am only 28 and want to play for as long as I can. I want to stay in the game as a coach or manager. The next progression is to manage the Pakistan national team in the future.

"I also have offers from four or five other Asian clubs for next season and one or two from Europe but for the time being I am immersing myself into the Thai culture and I've got used to the weather. Here, it's either rainy, hot or very hot.

"As for Robbie, I think this is just the start of what will be a very good managerial career."

Kuwait SC Vs MTU - AFC Cup Qtr final 1st leg - Preview

 

It was this stage of the competition last season that MTU really turned on the style. Back then the opposition was Al-Karamah, can the Quilins go one better this time around at 2230 local time on Tuesday?

The squad is hitting form at the right time, and at least some of the players hurt during  the ongoing injury crisis should return. Kawin may be available, Nattaporn should be back and Panupong is an outside chance, though Zesh is still struggling to recover from his sprain received in the swamp-like conditions from the Osotspa game.

Kuwait SC - so named because the club also plays water polo, squash, handball and many other sports - have already won two domestic trophies this season. They play at the 18,500 capacity Al-Kuwait Sports Stadium and, unlike MTU,  are veterans of Asian level competition, having won the AFC Cup two years ago.  They won their last match 5-0.

But if anyone needs reminding of what we can do at this level......

TOT Vs MTU - Saturday

"To spit on your own fans, please press one......... To move stadium, please press two..........."

TOT are not a well run football outfit. The club moved to Kanchanburi where they acquired good support in a good catchment area, only to move "home" to Cheang Watthana the next year. Once arriving " home" (and not a day beforehand) they realised their stadium was not ready and spent one and a half seasons using the Thunderdome as the pitch of choice.

That 18 months was not enough though and upon leaving, the club had to use Army's ground until their own was ready.

Now the Cheang Watthana stadium is in use but there's one problem before Saturday - it's so small that TOT can only offer 400 tickets to away fans, many of whom will live closer to this ground than the Thunderdome. I can only hope other fans will be able to stand around the unterraced sides of the stadium and that there will be no safety issues.

TOT feature former Quilins target man Kone Muhammed in their ranks. The visitors still face a multitude of injury and fitness issues. Zesh will be out, Nattaporn and Panupong are only in with an outside chance of being ready.

Saturday 1800 (according to MTU OS) @ Cheang Wattahana TOT Stadium.

Casualty:Nattaporn

From the OS:

Muangthong United skipper Nataporn Panrit is getting better following his collapsing during the 2-2 Toyota League Cup last 16 second-leg draw against Kasetsart University FC on Tuesday before has been taken to the hospital urgently.

“He’s getting better now and he has been looked after by doctors closely.” Kilins’ general manager Ronnarit Suewaja insisted. “Today (August 3) the doctors will monitor him meticulously including the causes of his collapsing and his Electrocardiogram, then the result revealed that he is fine but maybe the hot condition has caused him dehydration and then he collapsed.

"Oat" is the second mysterious casualty this season after Miroslav Toth "nearly died" when he collapsed on the day of the Navy game. Nattaporn will be sorely missed as he's been a great captain and excellent rearguard throughout this season and Panupong also seems to be suffering from some tweaks.

Luckily, Zesh is on form and probably benefiting from his rest earlier in the season. As they strive to return to fitness, there could be competition for the second CB slot. Diarra looked much improved in recenntr TLC games and other defenders can also play at CB.

On a brighter note, Zesh Rehman is expecting his first child later this year and is enjoying his time in Thailand.

Signings review

While the mid-season break continues on, punctured by only by cup games featuring mostly reserve players, I thought now a good time to look at some of the players signed in pre-season and assess their “hit or miss” status to date....

Ahnon Sangsanoi:
Probably the most exciting acquisition of the close-season, the two-time TPL Golden Boot winner has seen those boots turn to plimsolls since his arrival at MTU. Most fans have, like myself, hoped that the occasional goal - such as his strike against Hanoi T&T - would spark a run of goals but it simply hasn’t happened yet.

Ahnon hasn't found his feet yet

Why the drought? It could just be bad luck, or it could be a change of role. It’s very notable that Ahnon plays behind Teerasil in attack, which strikes me as very unusual, since normally the poacher would play ahead of the target man. Could it be that BEC Tero were prepared to build their style of play around a prolific striker, while a bigger club like MTU expect him to adapt?

In any case, someone with Ahnon’s record doesn’t lose his class overnight and we’ll continue to get behind him. Perhaps his ironic selection in the national side will give him the boost he needs.

Verdict: A miss, but definitely capable of turning it around.

Jakkapahan Pornsai:
The little guy from Police United looks like a winger, plays like a winger and calls himself a winger...... so it was surprising and frustrating to see him played in central midfield on so many occasions after his move to MTU. When played in his natural position, he troubles defenders and puts in telling crosses, such as the set-up for Issofaou’s first goal in last week’s cup game. I hope he’ll get more chance to play his own style in future.


Verdict: A hit when allowed to play his own style, a miss when not. (Yes I’m copping-out!)

MTU's air-traffic controller

Zesh Rehman:
As if adjusting to a very different style of football wasn’t enough of a challenge, Zesh was publicly introduced by the club as the “record salary player” (no pressure there, then) and like his teammates, was thrown into a bizarre and confused system of play by coach Carlos. The ensuing time away from the first team was probably a blessing in disguise and it’s not by chance that Zesh’s return coincided with a run of clean sheets and very low rates of goals against the champions. He’s now well-established in a rotational system of centre backs along with Panupong and Nattaporn.

Verdict: A hit.

Bobubacar Issoufou:

Should I stay or should I go now?

The unknown quantity of Bobuacar immediately leapt out as the “Will he or won’t he make it?” head-scratcher for this year in place of Jakkaphan Keawprom, who answered that same riddle last season by joining Buriram PEA. He looked strong, fast and motivated. Unfortunately he also looked erratic, uncomposed and a frequent liability. The debate looked to be over when the shock of his introduction into the game against PEA was matched by his withdrawal shortly after. He disappeared for a while amid reports of a loan/sale (there seems to be little difference in Thai football) to Suphanburi but returned with a great cross to set up a desperately needed goal against Police United and followed that with two MOTM awards in a row in TLC games. Too little, too late? You’d have to ask Calisto and the board. And in case you’re wondering, yes I have given up trying to spell his name correctly.

Verdict: A miss, that might just have turned into a hit.

Miroslav Toth:
The white boy from TOT was never going to be the signing to sell season tickets, but after seeing his early chances limited, Miroslav has proven himself consistent and able. The eastern-European may not be the fastest or most prolific scorer, but he has a good first touch, a good reading of the game and can play as a supporting striker while banging in a few classics of his own like this one. A very good squad player, why would we want to lose him to Bangkok United for the sake of Kris Bright?

Verdict: Hit.

Weera Koedpudsa:
Bangkok United’s player of the year was designed to replace Kawin, but the number 26‘s broken hand and subsequent recovery have prolonged his stay with MTU and limited Weera’s chances to date. He's dropped no clangers but I did notice he seemed to prefer punches and parries in last week’s cup game. I hope that was just down to the very watery conditions.

Verdict: Way too early to say.

Other players:
Diarra Ali: A return from Phuket FC. Like everyone else involved, he suffered from the Community Shield debacle and disappeared from first team view. Played last week and looked more composed. Not enough exposure to reach a verdict

Phaitoon Thiamba: A Thai signed from an Indonesian team, I think. Plays right back but it’s hard to see what he has to offer over Arthit or even Pakasit. Could be of value as a reserve player if the economics are right.

Santi Chaiyaphuk: As above, except he’s a left-sided player from Pattaya United.

Khapfa Boonmantoon: A highly-rated player from Osotspa who hasn’t really settled in, though I felt his performances have been good. Now transfer listed by the club.

Muangthong United 2 Pattaya United 0 - report

For Chiang Rai fans

Before the match a collection took place for the Chiang Rai fan club and a moment of silence was observed to honour the deceased. Of course, other tragic deaths occurred at the weekend but what struck a cord with us football fans is that we instinctively felt: "That could've been any of us.".  One moment you're on your way to a match, having fun and feeling good, the next minute your life is taken and your loved ones are left behind. It's a horrible thought,

The game itself was a fairly one-sided affair, especially in the first half. Pattaya looked low on confidence and saw very little of the ball. About half way through the opening forty five, a long forward ball found Teerasil who just touched it past the goalie and finished from an awkward angle and an awkward bounce.

We should have pushed for more but looked content to play patient, possession football. Pattaya looked stronger in the second half so it was a relief when we earned a penalty for a goalkeeping foul in the box. Dagno converted, though the penalty was not his best.

The game fizzled out from there, though Pattaya United belted a strong shot against the bar and had a penalty claim refused. Still, the result was a fair one.

The team was: Kawin (GK), Kayem (LB) , Zesh (CB), Nattaporn (CB,capt), Pakasit (RB), Datsakorn (MD), Buntao (MD), Siaka (MD), Toth (LW/RW), Teerasil (ST), Christian (FW). Jakkaphan, Ahnon and Panupog all appeared as subs in the second half.

Man of the Match: Zesh Rehman is now well settled in Thai football and proved it today. His reading of the game resulted in a consistent and comfortable control of the back line.

Zesh Rehman interview

Edit: The interview has been translated here.
After months of dithering, I finally took the chance to speak at some length with Muangthong's Pakistani international defender Zesh Rehman. Thanks to the person who helped to arrange it and of course to Zesh for being so amiable.

Thanks for your time, Zesh. First off, are you happy with yesterday's (Tuesday's) match?

Rehman and co. shut out the Lebanese champs

Yes. It was a bit frustrating for a while because we had so many chances but the goal just wouldn't come. We just had to keep patient. The goal in the second half helped us to settle down. It was nice to get a clean sheet, too. It was a good team effort.

I've noticed that in all our home AFC games, none of the opposition strikers seem to have given you too much trouble....

Yes, I also felt that I played well in Vietnam, too. But you can never get a clean sheet without a solid team effort. We've all worked hard and played for each other in every game so the whole team deserve credit.

Do you think we can go all the way this year?

There’s no easy games but if we play as well as we have done and as well as we know we can do, then I think we have a chance.

Both last year and this year the AFC Cup seems to be dominated by Arabic teams in the quarter final stages. Last year we were just edged out in the semis, I hope this year we can go one better.....

Yes, the guys have that experience now and have a taste of getting close to the big win. That can drive us on.

What about the league campaign? We got off to a shaky start didn't we?

Sometimes it didn't go exactly as we'd hoped but we're steadier now. Again, there’s no easy games, everyone is playing for something. We know a bit of a gap has opened up and we need to make up the distance but we're just going to keep working hard. The TPL and AFC Cup have been big priorities for us and we just want to do well in every game. Yes there is some ground to make up but anything can happen in football.

Off the pitch, how's your Thai coming along?

It's getting better. I'm learning new words every day. It's important to study and learn about the culture and language wherever you go.

I've heard about your passion for your foundation. Can you tell us what the inspiration behind it was?

I was getting lots of emails and calls from kids, players and parents, especially from Asian families. I wanted to give something back to the sport and we [at the foundation] want to do something positive to help people. We want to encourage community cohesion through sports and football and help anyone develop themselves. Who knows, I might have the chance to do something similar in Thailand in the future.

Was it started from a sudden moment of inspiration or was it an idea that built up slowly over time?

It was an idea we built up. My friend and I had been thinking about doing something like this for some time.

You've got some impressive ambassadors at the foundation such as Andy Cole, Luis Boa Morte and [the only goalie to save a Le Tissier penalty] Mark Crossley to name but three...

I try to keep in touch with people I've worked with in my career and these guys are not just good players, they're good people. They're happy to help and we're happy to have them on board.

Is it a challenge to be involved in the day to day running of the foundation from over here?

I'm not involved in the day to day running, we have good people in place to do that. Of course I keep up to date with everything that's going on with it.

Where do you see the foundation in five or ten years time? Will you be working full time in the foundation when you retire?

We'll always be helping people in one way or another. It could be developing them as players, improving their diet, helping them socialise or anything else. It's just good to help people improve and develop themselves. I'm twenty-seven so I'll be playing for a while yet but I'll certainly be putting more time into it when I do hang up the boots. 

Looking at your career, what's been the best moment so far?

There's been a few special moments. My Premier League debut, taking the captaincy at Bradford, my international debut for Pakistan in 2005 when we beat Sri Lanka 1-0 and of course moving over here to Thailand.

Alan Shearer - a tough opponent, but not Zesh's toughest. 

And as a defender, who's been your toughest opponent?

When I was in the EPL I played against Thierry Henry at Arsenal. He and the team were peaking at that time and he was almost unplayable. We lost two-nil though, so it could've been worse.

I'm a Southampton fan so I was hoping you'd say Matt Le Tissier! I don't know if you've played against him?

No but I've played against Kevin Phillips, he's a good striker in a different way. I have a good record at [Southampton's ground] Saint Mary's. I've won there with QPR and Fulham.

Finally, I've been comparing the English and Thai leagues on my blog. You're the ideal man to tell us, how do they compare?

In terms of technical ability, Thailand compares very well. The different style of play would take some adjusting for Thai players. The English leagues are more direct and have less build-up play. Skill wise though, Thai players are good.

So if Muangthong played Bradford, what would the score be?

It would be very close. I think we could out-pass them and keep possession well but we might struggle with their physical and direct game. They might muscle us off the ball but I like to think that wouldn't happen with me playing! I think if we played at home, we'd win.

***************

Thanks again to Zesh for his time. Do take a look at the excellent and inspiring work of his foundation. It's something I hope to feature in more depth in future, as football in the community is also something I'm keen on.

As with most interviews, I've done a little paraphrasing for conciseness. Any errors are entirely my own.

Image credits: www.thaileaguefootball.com , www.articlesbase.com

Rayong 0 MTU 3 - Photos and goals

(I understand some major news may break from MTU in the next 24 hours. I have a hunch based on this blog's traffic in the last week but I'm not sure.)


From the man and the legend Tor at the Bangkok Post:

Two-time defending champions Muang Thong United continued their revival with a comfortable 3-0 win at Siam Navy.

In a one-sided match in wet conditions, two goals from Miroslav Toth and the other from Narupol Arom-sawad gave the Kirins the maximum points.

Notice Zesh started and played his part in a clean sheet.

Pictures from Jirawat Srikong:

Goals:

 

Jakarta Casual interview with Zesh Rehman

Credit: http://jakartacasualtv.blogspot.com/2011/02/zesh-rehman-muang-thong-united-pakistan.html

Zesh Rehman leaves Bradford City for Thailand champions

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/bradford_city/9305900.stm

"I met the club officials over the weekend and my gut feeling was to sign. 

"I have been made to feel very welcome by everyone and there is an extremely professional set up, excellent training facilities, 25,000 seater stadium and very passionate fans. 

"I had offers from other clubs both here and abroad but Muangthong United made me a great offer and expressed the strongest interest in signing me. 

"They want me to help them continue their impressive run of winning the Thai Premier League for a third consecutive year and further progress in the Asian Champions League."

Pakistani international joins the champions

siamsport.co.th

Centre-back Zesh Rehman has joined MTU from Bradford City. Rehman has a lot of experience after a long spell playing for several English clubs including Fulham, Bradford and QPR. He left the 'Bantams' after a disagreement with the management.
Welcome to Zesh, another name on the "must try to interview" list.