Coach Huu Thang: 'Saying I'm immature is somewhat insulting...'

That is the sharing of Coach Nguyen Huu Thang. This is also a rare interview of Huu Thang with the media, since he ended his job as head coach of the Vietnam team after the 29th SEA Games in Malaysia.

Huu Thang says goodbye to the Vietnamese team after the U-22 team's defeat at the 29th SEA Games. Photo: NK

First, Huu Thang said he was not invited to attend the press conference on September 12 in Hanoi organized by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF). It was attended by Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan - Vice President of VFF, Mr. Le Hoai Anh - General Secretary of VFF, Mr. Nguyen Si Hien - Chairman of the National Coaching Council.

Huu Thang said: “I attended the meeting on the afternoon of September 12 with the leaders of the VFF and the National Coaching Council on the issue of the U-22 team at the 29th SEA Games and expressed my opinion as well as taking full responsibility as the head coach of the team. When it came to the discussion regarding finding a new coach for the Vietnam team, because it was not related to me personally, I asked permission to not attend the meeting and the members of the meeting also agreed to let me leave early. I did not know and was not invited to attend the press conference organized by the VFF after the meeting with me. There is no way I shirked my responsibility and did not attend the meeting.”

National Coaches Council comments insulting

* If you were invited to a press conference, what would you say?

- I think I will speak out publicly so that the public can have a broader view. After nearly two years as head coach of the Vietnam national team, fans have also evaluated what I have done and what I have not done for Vietnamese football.

* Mr. Nguyen Sy Hien, Chairman of the National Coaching Council, gave two reasons for the U-22 team's failure at the 29th SEA Games, which were tactical mistakes and psychological factors. According to Mr. Hien, the shortcoming that led to the U-22 team's elimination was head coach Huu Thang, who used only one main squad for almost all matches, leading to players not being rotated and being physically overloaded. The head coach also did not know how to choose "punches" in decisive matches, but wasted a lot of energy in matches against weaker opponents... How did you receive these comments?

- In the first four matches of the U-22 team, I used four different formations and won three matches. In the group stage rules of the 29th SEA Games, the goal difference is calculated first, so scoring many goals is very important. We won the first three matches with a resounding victory, but no one commented when the team won. No one told me that even though the team won, the formation was not good and needed to be adjusted. It was only at the meeting on September 12 that this was mentioned.

I don't want to argue back and have an argument with the National Coaching Council. However, let's ask how they could predict our game against Indonesia. The U-22 Vietnam team imposed their playing style on them, created many dangerous situations, but they just couldn't score. SEA Games 29, because the host Malaysia considered Vietnam to be a strong team, arranged a very difficult schedule for the U-22 Vietnam team. The first two matches were played at 3 p.m., and the next two matches were played at nearly 8 p.m. In the late match, the players didn't get back to the hotel until 12 a.m., and some players didn't rest until 3 a.m. The players only got one day off and had to play again the next day when their recovery wasn't good. Therefore, it was right that the Vietnamese players were exhausted in the 5th match against Thailand.

Mr. Nguyen Sy Hien said that there is no need to win 3 goals against a weaker team, even if you score 1 goal. However, the group stage regulations calculate the goal difference. For example, the U-18 team was recently eliminated from the U-18 Southeast Asian Championship in Myanmar because of the goal difference. Mr. Nguyen Sy Hien's analysis had some things that were somewhat insulting to me, saying that I was immature and could not calculate... In the two years I was the head coach of the Vietnam team, Mr. Hien never gave me any advice on professional matters. I think the analysis must be thorough, and the words must be used with respect.

* During the 2 years working with the National Coaching Council and VFF experts, have you ever been given advice on professional matters, whether the team won or lost?

- Never. Mr. Hien, the chairman of the National Coaching Council, has never given me any professional advice before or after a match, but only after everything has been decided.

* What is the role of the head of delegation Le Hoai Anh in relation to the head coach of the national team? According to VFF, Mr. Hoai Anh is the person who is always by the head coach's side, encouraging and working closely with him?

- That's for the journalist to comment on, I don't want to say.

* Public opinion says that you do not trust technical director Jurgen Gede. Is there any conflict between the two or is it because VFF did not assign Mr. Jurgen to support the team?

- VFF assigned the technical director to closely follow the team, but I think the team's coaching staff already has it. Before the tournament, he played the role of scouting the other opponents of the Vietnam team. Before the match between U-22 Vietnam and Thailand, I had a meeting for him to provide information about the opponents Malaysia and Myanmar, then Mr. Jurgen returned home.

Stop working until the gameplay is complete

* What do you think is the reason why U-22 Vietnam could not get past the group stage at SEA Games 29?

- If Tan Tai had scored in the last minute of the U-22 Vietnam - Indonesia match in the penultimate round of the group stage, the situation would have been different. U-22 Vietnam could not resolve the match against Indonesia, so in the match against U-22 Thailand, the players' mentality was tense and things happened beyond our plans. Having chosen the coaching profession, I have to accept that honor and disgrace always go hand in hand.

* What are the things that make you satisfied and regretful during the two years leading the Vietnamese team?

- Two years is not a long time for a national team coach. During that time, I spent a lot of time and effort to build the playing style for the Vietnamese team. Up to this point, the playing style has been shaped, but unfortunately, it was not really perfected, so I had to stop working. This is what I feel most regretful about.

As for what I have done, let the players and fans judge. But I feel that there has never been a generation of teams where all the members of the team are as united and professional as this time. I have never had to discipline any player during my 2 years working for the national team, which shows that the current generation of players has made great progress in terms of expertise and professionalism, which is something that I am very satisfied with. I also think that Vietnamese football currently has the best generation of players and recently the best players have been called up to the team to contribute.

According to Khuong Xuan/tuoitre