Expert Doan Minh Xuong: 'Coach Troussier should put aside his ego'

According to Mr. Doan Minh Xuong, coach Philippe Troussier needs to review his use of people and strategy at the 2023 Asian Cup, if he does not want to fail when facing Indonesia again in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Coach Troussier directs Vietnamese players in the match against Iraq in the final round of Group D of the 2023 Asian Cup. Photo: Lam Thoa

- As a former football instructor, coach and youth training expert, how do you feel about Coach Troussier giving many responsibilities to young players at the recent Asian Cup?

- Not until the Asian Cup, but before that, through friendly matches and two 2026 World Cup qualifiers with the Philippines and Iraq, we saw that Troussier always prioritized using young players. Typically, players like Phan Tuan Tai, Vo Minh Trong or Nguyen Dinh Bac were always sure to play in the starting lineup. Through the tournament in Qatar, we also recognized the progress and efforts of these players, but I affirm that they are not good enough to replace their seniors.

Troussier is in the phase of generational transfer for Vietnamese football with the goal of the 2026 World Cup. But in my opinion, that is hasty. Except for some injured or out-of-form players, the remaining veterans such as Nguyen Van Toan, Vu Van Thanh, Ho Tan Tai, Do Hung Dung, Nguyen Hoang Duc... are not used much. I think, if we want to transfer, we should also use the mature generation of players and "implant" more young players. Rejuvenation is good but there must be a clear roadmap. For example, we can let them play the second half, or the last 15 minutes of the match to accumulate. Rejuvenation does not mean putting out a squad with many young players. Without seniors to lead, they are easily overwhelmed. This was acknowledged by Troussier himself when he took Nguyen Thai Son off the field at the beginning of the second half of the match against Indonesia. Obviously, through three matches, we have seen that young players have not met the pace and style of play in the continental playground.

- Before the tournament in Qatar, you think that Vietnam should consider this an opportunity to train towards practical tournaments such as the AFF Cup 2024 and the World Cup 2026 qualifiers. So, what can the team actually learn?

- In my opinion, Troussier did not have a specific strategy. I emphasize this, after drawing lots, knowing the opponent and having the match schedule, he needs to start building a clear match scenario. In this group, we determined that our main opponent was Indonesia, not Japan. But he sent out all his best players, used all his strength to play against Japan, and then ran out of energy in the match against Indonesia. I also do not understand why Hung Dung played impressively against Japan, but was on the bench when playing against Indonesia. I was also surprised when young striker Nguyen Van Tung was in the starting lineup, while Van Toan was not used despite his experience and speed. Obviously, when Van Toan and Van Thanh entered the field in the last minutes, we had a chance, which shows that Troussier was wrong to trust young players too much.

In addition to the unreasonable use of force, Troussier also did not have a specific strategy. The philosophy of ball control is good but it cannot be applied to every opponent. Against Japan and Iraq, playing ball control is not reasonable. Because when you control the ball, what is the next step? Attack the center or attack the side. If you build a side attack, you must have a tall striker pressing inside to finish. But here, no player is built like that.

I also don't understand why he let Van Khang play as a striker against Iraq. He is just a full-back with a tendency to attack. But Troussier "experimented" playing as a striker against Iraq's tall defense, which is unacceptable. The proof is that Van Khang was completely harmless and then received a red card for silly mistakes that he rarely encountered in those positions.

- Vietnam left the tournament with three losses, four goals scored, two red cards and three penalties. What do those numbers say?

- Football is all about numbers, but numbers on a scoreboard. Looking at the scores of all three matches, we lost all of them, so it doesn't mean anything.

Four goals against Japan and Iraq were commendable. But three of them were from set pieces. What was the point of a possession-based philosophy when the goals were coming from set pieces? I joked with my colleagues that Troussier should abandon the possession-based style and focus on corner kicks and free kicks.

As for red cards and penalties, in my opinion, they come from the consequences of the V-League and the First Division. In addition to the lack of experience of the players, the domestic tournaments are too lenient, the organizers are not strong-handed, the referees are weak, the technology is rudimentary... All of these things make the players unable to keep up in the big arenas and lead to consequences.

Vo Minh Trong (red) dribbles while being chased by Indonesian players in the second round of Group D of the Asian Cup on January 19, 2024. Photo: Lam Thoa

- Currently, the team's fans are clearly divided. One side still has faith and wants to give coach Troussier more time. The other side wants to fire Troussier immediately. What do you want?

- I am a professional but also a fan of the national team, so I am very sad with those results. However, replacing Troussier cannot replace a football foundation. Instead, we must accept, be patient and build a synchronous infrastructure from the club to the national team. Besides that, we must train professional coaches, do a good job of youth training, and perfect a truly professional national competition system. The Vietnam Football Federation needs to cooperate with localities and clubs to join hands in building Vietnamese football so that the national team can reach out to the big sea.

More importantly, VFF needs to review the process of selecting Troussier's assistants. I found that the assistants under him were ineffective. They mostly just helped out during training sessions and did not have a common voice with the head coach. Even the interpreters, I do not see any role when the match is taking place. Is Troussier good enough in Vietnamese to be able to direct the players, or are Vietnamese players now good at English and French to understand what he conveys? I think VFF must solve this problem soon, the assistant team must truly be an "extended arm" to bring about positive results.

- After the recent losses, what are your predictions when Vietnam plays the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Indonesia in March?

- Too worried. Because the team's morale is down. The players will take a break for Tet, then return to the V-League for a few rounds and then gather with the national team to play two matches with Indonesia. I think many players will lose their form and get injured. As mentioned, young players are not good enough to play and "play fair" with the opponent.

On the contrary, Indonesia has made great progress, their young players have been trained by coach Shin Tae-yong and have been together for the past four years. They are now using naturalized players to play well in positions that were previously weak. Therefore, if Troussier continues to build a young force, I am afraid the results will not be positive.

So what he needs to do now is to seriously review how he uses his players, put aside his ego and build the foundation of the national team based on the senior players and combine them with the younger generation. To be honest, Hoang Duc, Hung Dung, Tuan Tai, Van Thanh, Van Toan, Tien Dung, Duy Manh... are pillars at big clubs, but when they join the national team, they are substitutes and watch their juniors play, how can they stand it? From there, they easily lose their motivation and dedication to football, causing many consequences.

I think, if we can improve those problems, Vietnam will still be able to beat Indonesia to enter the final round of the World Cup. If we fail, Troussier will definitely have to leave.

Duc Dong

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