Thailand Head Coach: “Vietnam is a counterweight, AFF Cup is just a foundation for Asian Cup 2019”

Thai football stars playing abroad, Kawin Thamsatchanan (OH Leuven, Belgium), Chanathip Songkrasin (Consadole Sapporo, Japan), Teerasil Dangda (Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Japan) and Theerathon Bunmathan (Vissel Kobe, Japan) will not be in the Thai national team competing in the AFF Cup 2018.

The clubs that own the above players have not agreed to release them to serve the national team. However, coach Milovan Rajevac of this team still expressed optimism in a recent interview on the AFF Cup homepage.

Are you disappointed that all four stars of the Thai national team who are playing abroad will be absent from both friendly matches and the AFF Cup 2018?

“On the one hand, it is a great thing for the national team because they are improving, asserting their class at different levels of professionalism and in all aspects of football. On the other hand, they cannot participate in the AFF Suzuki Cup, but we have a lot of talented players here that we can trust.

We will have time to prepare for this tournament and fortunately Thailand will have the best players playing abroad for the most important tournament, which is the 2019 Asian Cup.”

What impact will their absence have on Thailand's chances of success in the AFF Suzuki Cup?

It will have a certain impact because Thailand is a team that attracts attention. In Southeast Asia, Thailand is probably the best team and if they have these players, conquering the AFF Cup will be easy because Thailand has dominated this tournament.

Without them, Thailand are still popular and I have faith in the other players' ability to handle the pressure so that they play according to my tactical ideas, to play well together and have a winning mentality, allowing them to confidently face any other team.

It is a great opportunity for young players to prove themselves. They will be supported if they perform well, thereby looking for opportunities to participate in the Asian Cup.

Who is expected to captain Thailand in the absence of Kawin, Teerasil and Theerathon?

“That is a good question for us and we are currently working on some options. We are always looking at players, their personalities and characteristics.

We are considering leadership qualities, influence and who has the respect and trust of the team. We always rotate the captaincy between three players and before the training session, we have not made a final decision. The captain is like a coach on the pitch, so it is a very important thing and we have to choose wisely.”

Since becoming head coach, you have shortened the squad list and increased discipline in defense against stronger opponents. Will you adopt a more attacking style of play in the AFF Suzuki Cup?

“We are trying to improve every aspect of the game and in modern football the most important thing is to be able to play well on both sides. Transitioning from attack to defence and defence to attack is the key to success and if you look at recent World Cups you can see that the advantage of a strong team is no longer important.

There are many factors that determine whether you adopt an offensive or defensive strategy. To play football effectively, the attackers will attack together and the defenders will defend together and be able to switch tactics quickly and smoothly.

Who do you think will be Thailand's main rivals at the tournament?AFF Cup?

“We certainly see Vietnam as the most difficult challenge for us.

Of course, other teams also have their strengths and we may face other fierce challenges from Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar and Singapore, all of whom have good players.

But we see that Vietnam are the toughest opponents to beat. They have a quality league, they have very good young players, they have had good results at the younger age groups. It is clear that they are a group of players with good prospects for the future.”

What do you expect from the friendlies in Hong Kong and against Trinidad & Tobago at home in October?

"Those are the tests we want before two important tournaments. The important thing is that we will play some matches at the AFF Suzuki Cup and we want to see how the players perform, prepare and prepare mentally in advance.

We don't have much time to prepare for these matches, just two days won't improve much but it's a good opportunity for the players to understand each other better."

You took Ghana to the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup. What advantages helped you achieve such success?

"It was a great experience, not only coaching at the World Cup but also at the African Cup of Nations and the African Championship. All these tournaments taught me a lot because a coach always makes some small mistakes and I learn a lot from them. I look back and think about what to do differently in the future.

These tournaments definitely give me a lot of knowledge and experience that can be used later in my career. It can be a key factor in important matches and I can apply that accumulation to turn it into an advantage.”

Thailand does not call up 'Messi' Chanathip to play in AFF Cup 2018

Coach Milovan Rajevac did not call up four players playing abroad for the Southeast Asian championship.