The dynamic duo of Miura and Guillaume - why not?

If the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) can persuade coach Guillaume Graechen to be an assistant to Toshiya Miura in the Vietnam U.23 team, then I'm sure the team will be very strong.

2015 was the year of the Vietnam U.23 team, as they would compete in two very important tournaments: the U.23 Asian Championship qualifiers and the 28th SEA Games.

Saying 2015 sounds far away, but it actually arrived in the blink of an eye, because in February the U.23 team had to gather to prepare for the Asian qualifiers in March in Malaysia. The 28th SEA Games also differed from previous SEA Games as it was hosted by Singapore in June, instead of at the end of the year as before.

Coach Miura favors an attacking style of play.

Therefore, the VFF must start planning the team's personnel now to ensure the best possible preparation for the U23 Vietnam team. Whenever the U23 team is well-prepared and performs successfully, it will help Vietnamese football regain the affection of its fans.

Preparing for the Vietnam U23 team, the most crucial step is preparing the top level, which is the coaching staff. The Vietnamese national team suffered a crushing defeat against Malaysia in the second leg of the semi-final, but Coach Miura didn't lose any points because he had created a fresh team that played with fiery passion in the previous matches. Therefore, Coach Miura will lead the Vietnam U23 team in 2015.

Guillaume is just as passionate.

The crucial question is who will assist the Japanese coach in creating a coaching staff that is not only skilled but also builds strong relationships with the players, enabling Coach Miura to manage the team in the best possible way?

Historically, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has often made mistakes in appointing assistant coaches for successive head coaches of the Vietnamese national team. Many jokingly say that anyone who is unemployed could become an assistant coach for the national team.

Assistant coaches are not just people who set up markers on the training ground, carry water, or retrieve balls… Instead, they need to have expertise, credibility, and be willing and confident in advising the head coach on player selection or tactical adjustments on the field…

Mr. Miura always focuses on each player, each play.

Many believe that if the VFF (Vietnam Football Federation) had managed to recruit Le Huynh Duc, Nguyen Huu Thang, or Phan Thanh Hung to assist coach Miura, the Vietnamese national team wouldn't have been so devastated against Malaysia. After the first goal conceded, Huynh Duc or Huu Thang would surely have confidently advised Miura to strengthen the defense. Alternatively, the experience of Huynh Duc and Huu Thang would have helped the players maintain their composure, preventing the chaos and loss of composure displayed by the Vietnamese defense.

Returning to the Vietnam U.23 team, if coach Miura calls up many HAGL U.19 players, then the VFF should boldly invite coach Guillaume Graechen to be his assistant.

Everyone knows that no one understands Tuan Anh, Cong Phuong, etc., better than the French coach currently leading HAGL. And Cong Phuong and Tuan Anh also trust Coach Guillaume absolutely. Therefore, Coach Guillaume's appointment as assistant coach for the U.23 team will greatly assist Coach Miura.

No one understands Tuan Anh, Cong Phuong... better than coach Guillaume (Photo: Doc Lap)

More importantly, the football views and philosophies of coaches Miura and Guillaume also share many similarities.

When taking over the Vietnamese national team, Mr. Miura built a fast-paced, attractive attacking style of play with few fouls, similar to what Mr. Guillaume achieved with the Vietnamese U.19 team. Therefore, this combination promises to create a strong U.23 team.

The remaining issue lies with the VFF (Vietnam Football Federation). Will the VFF consider this possibility, or will they still prefer assistants who are easily manipulated, as they have been doing in the past?

According to VOV