Coach Kim Sang-sik on the crossroads

When Mr. Kim Sang-sik was appointed as the coach of the Vietnam national team, he was immediately placed between the opposing extremes, half hope, half doubt.

Coach Kim Sang-sik will lead the Vietnam National Team in a situation mixed with doubt and hope. Photo: Minh Phong

Unexpected choice The image of Mr. Kim Sang-sik standing on the border of extremes, in fact, appeared right when the Korean media reported that he was being negotiated by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF). Because even in Vietnam, the media is only in a state of half-believing, half-doubting, uncertain. The appearance of articles about the 46-year-old coach with high frequency is just following the "trend", but people still cannot help but notice the message mixed in: "Be careful, the information is not 100% certain". And until the VFF officially confirmed the appointment of the former coach of the Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors club, the image "on that border" became even clearer, especially when people looked back at his career journey from when he was a player to the first years of his coaching career. Why Kim Sang-sik and not other candidates, including some more prominent names, closer to Southeast Asian and Vietnamese football? Obviously, when one of the criteria for selection is "suitability" and "understanding Vietnamese football", the former center-back of the Korean National Team is a surprising choice. In doubt The reason for doubting Mr. Kim Sang-sik's ability to succeed with Vietnamese football naturally comes from his limited coaching experience. As an official coach, he has only been in the profession for 3 years. The media has tried to list a series of trophies he won with the Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors club to make his CV brighter, but that was when he was still in the role of assistant coach. The team's success had his contribution, but he was not the main responsible role. So what about the trophy in his first season as head coach of the club in 2021? Not only did some fans in a state of disbelief not appreciate that victory, but the Korean people themselves thought so too. According to Mr. Bae Ji-won - who used to be an assistant to coach Park Hang-seo, that championship was only "the result of taking over the head coach's chair from Jose Morais, who built the team and maintained stable performance. And when it came to rebuilding the team, success did not come." Therefore, Mr. Bae Ji-won also commented that, "many people will expect the new captain of the Vietnamese team to be a more outstanding factor, more experienced or at least have a more outstanding career. He also assessed that Kim Sang-sik is not as good as Park Hang-seo or Philippe Troussier - his predecessor. Not only that, there is also hesitation when evaluating Mr. Kim Sang-sik's statements when he debuted, especially the fact that he "studied Vietnamese football 20 years ago". Or when he affirmed his philosophy as "winning football", people found articles in the Korean media that pointed out the opposite, even having similarities with Mr. Troussier's playing style. When experience at the club level is only the first bricks, and in the national team is zero. If someone puts all their faith in the success of the coach born in 1976 at this time, then they must very optimistic... In hope That optimism is not without basis. Although in the process of looking back at Mr. Kim Sang-sik's past as a player, people saw in him a part of rebellion (skipping the team to go to nightclubs), tough playing style (receiving 50 yellow cards, 3 red cards in nearly 400 matches at 3 clubs), but it seems that it also helped him mature. Therefore, we can also hope for a change in his perspective and philosophy when he comes to work in Vietnam. The advantage for the coach from Jeonnam is the connection with fellow countryman Park Hang-seo, who had a successful period with Vietnamese football, to receive support. The experiences from Mr. Park are of course very valuable to Mr. Kim Sang-sik, to create connections in the team. In addition, not being as old as Mr. Park or Mr. Troussier, Kim Sang-sik is only 46 years old, still young enough to have a different way of getting along with the players. The approach is more "youthful". With a coach who is willing to dance and celebrate with the players, it can create a quick integration, understanding and harmony in terms of ideas. As he shared, "I want to build an image of myself as the older brother of the players"... From a positive perspective, Mr. Kim Sang-sik's youth and lack of experience are also an advantage for his work with the Vietnam National Team as well as the Vietnam U23 Team. Not to mention the current problems of Vietnamese football itself, so expectations for the new coach are not too high. In the hope, fans certainly want to see adaptability and flexibility in coach Kim Sang-sik, while also showing the desire and enthusiasm of a young coach who wants to prove himself... It is impossible to blame those who still have some doubts, because in reality, compared to the time when Mr. Troussier was appointed, the excitement at this time has decreased quite a bit. Maybe that is a lesson learned from failure, from too much expectation on the French coach leading to a state of reserve. Therefore, standing on the border of these two states, people hope to see the new captain keep his promise, showing his determination to bring the Vietnamese team back on track.

Laodong.vn

Source: https://laodong.vn/lao-dong-cuoi-tuan/huan-luyen-vien-kim-sang-sik-tren-lan-ranh-trai-chieu-1338421.ldo