Chanathip: 'Thailand will not lose to Vietnam'; Messi is not in Ligue 1's best squad

Dinh Trong is at risk of missing the big match between Vietnam and Thailand.

Center back Tran Dinh Trong is at risk of missing the two big matches between Vietnam and Thailand in the semi-finals.AFF Cup 2020because of adductor muscle strain.

Center-back Tran Dinh Trong missed the 4-0 win over Cambodia in the final match of the 2020 AFF Cup group stage due to injury and will likely continue to be absent in the semi-final match against Thailand due to not recovering in time.

Center back Tran Dinh Trong may miss the two matches against Thailand in the semi-finals of the AFF Cup 2020.

It is known that Tran Dinh Trong suffered an adductor muscle strain during the training session before the match against Cambodia, although he did not collide with anyone and did not perform any difficult movements. This injury has prolonged the unlucky period of the central defender born in 1997.

In November, Tran Dinh Trong missed two matches against Japan and Saudi Arabia due to an ankle injury. Before that, the central defender had to be an involuntary spectator in the matches against Australia, China, and Oman in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

Looking more broadly, Tran Dinh Trong has been struggling with injuries since the beginning of 2019 and has not been able to reproduce his peak form as in the journey to conquer the AFF Cup 2018 championship with the Vietnam National Team.

The last time Tran Dinh Trong played was in the 2-0 win over Laos in the opening match of the 2020 AFF Cup group stage, when he replaced Ho Tan Tai in the 86th minute. After that, this central defender sat on the bench but was not used in the 3-0 win over Malaysia and the 0-0 draw with Indonesia.

Messi is not in the best Ligue 1 team this season

The superstar born in 1987 has modest statistics and cannot be included in the squad with impressive performances in the French national championship since the beginning of the 2021/22 season.

The CIES Football Observatory has released its best Ligue 1 XI for the 2021/22 season, based on Opta data. Only players who have played at least 900 minutes in the league are eligible to be included in the squad.

Lionel Messi is an indispensable star in the PSG squad. However, a slow start in the 5th ranked tournament in Europe (according to the latest update from UEFA) caused the Argentine superstar to be removed from the best squad of the season. Meanwhile, PSG still has many names honored such as striker Kylian Mbappe, midfielder Idrissa Gueye, full-back Achraf Hakimi and center-back Presnel Kimpembe.

The best squad from the start of the 2021/22 season voted by CIES. Graphics: Minh Phuc.

So far, Messi has only scored one goal in Ligue 1 after 10 appearances. That was against Nantes in a 3-1 win on November 20. In addition, he has 4 assists. However, this number is not enough for Messi to be on par with Mbappe, who has scored 9 goals, assisted 8 times after 17 matches or Dimitri Payet of Marseille with 6 goals, 7 assists after 15 appearances.

This ineffective performance could cost Messi some of his advantage in the race for the 2022 Ballon d'Or. Currently, Robert Lewandowski is temporarily dominating. The Bayern Munich star is the top scorer in the top 5 European leagues with 30 goals and 3 assists after 24 appearances since the beginning of the season.

Chanathip: "Thailand will not lose to Vietnam"

Chanathip Songkrasin affirmed that Thailand will do everything not to lose to Vietnam in the semi-finals of the AFF Cup 2020.

“We didn’t expect to meet Vietnam in the semi-finals. Thailand thought they would meet Indonesia. Anyway, all the teams in the semi-finals are strong, so we will play with focus,” Chanathip Songkrasin shared.

Vietnam only won second place in Group B due to a lower goal difference than Indonesia. However,Vietnam National Teamcurrently has the best defense of the AFF Cup 2020. Up to now, coach Park Hang Seo's team has not conceded any goals after 4 group stage matches. However, the captain midfielder of Thailand affirmed that he is not interested in the defensive index of the Vietnam team.

Chanathip Songkrasin affirmed that Thailand will do everything not to lose to Vietnam in the semi-finals of the AFF Cup 2020.

“I don’t care about Vietnam’s clean sheet statistics. Thailand is ready for any situation and is 100% prepared to win,” Chanathip emphasized.

After being eliminated in the semi-finals of the AFF Cup 2018, Thailand is determined to reclaim the throne from Vietnam at the AFF Cup 2020. Chanathip and his teammates are focusing all their efforts on this year's tournament. Although he highly appreciates the Vietnam team, the "Thai Messi" affirmed that he will aim for an undefeated record to win the championship in Singapore.

“Thailand will not lose in this tournament. We came here to win the AFF Cup 2020 final. The semi-finals will definitely be more difficult than the group stage,” the captain of the Thai team confidently affirmed.

In the last two meetings in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Thailand under coach Nishino had a 0-0 draw with Vietnam. Those were also matches in which Thailand had "strong soldiers and generals".

The two semi-final matches between Vietnam and Thailand will take place on December 23 and 26 at the Singapore National Stadium. The Vietnamese team will be at a disadvantage compared to Thailand in terms of rest days and adapting to the pitch.

MU has a CEO after 8 years

The Old Trafford outfit have their first chief executive since 2013, with the appointment of Richard Arnold, a move that will catapult the club's former commercial director into the ranks of English football's most powerful figures.

According to Reuters on December 20, after the official appointment ceremony in the next few days, Mr. Richard Arnold will replace Vice President Ed Woodward but in the position of CEO. MU's decision means that the team will officially have someone to take over the position that has been vacant since the departure of Mr. David Gill in 2013.

The latest development marks the second time the "Red Devils" have made changes to their personnel this year. Previously, the Reds of Manchester fired coach Solskjaer after a series of matches that did not meet expectations.

Mr. Richard Arnold (right) is the new CEO of MU Photo: Sky Sports

The decision to appoint Mr. Richard Arnold is expected to lead to a series of changes in MU's operating methods. However, it is likely that this will not lead to a comprehensive official reform.

In fact, the news that Mr. Richard Arnold would become CEO of MU was predicted in advance, after Mr. Ed Woodward announced in April that he would step down from his role as Vice President at the end of 2021.

During his 9 years as Vice President, Mr. Ed Woodward was highly appreciated for his important contributions in the commercial aspect, helping MU's value increase sharply through major sponsorship deals.

However, the troubles surrounding the plan to bring MU to the Super League, a tournament gathering 12 top European clubs that has faced harsh criticism from fans and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), were the main reason why Mr. Ed Woodward had to announce his resignation.