5 Unbeaten Matches... But No Future
What disappointed me most in Thailand's national team FIFA Day friendly, where they drew 0-0 away against mainland China,
was the post-match interview with coach Anthony Hudson, who spoke about the Chinese home team,
in a way that seemed contradictory to the feelings of Thai fans and appeared to overly praise the Chinese players,
especially when he said the Chinese league has improved and more Chinese players are playing,
making China stronger with great development; he suggested China is on the right path.
But the reality everyone saw clearly in that game was
that Chinese players still played in the same old style, unchanged,
bombarding the Thai team repeatedly but lacking the sharpness to score against us—just that.
Meanwhile, for our War Elephants, the question is: where does our playing standard stand?
Are we playing with a clear objective or just trying to survive each game… and that's it?
This led to massive feedback from football fans about our playing style during this away draw against China,
where we only defended against China's attacks throughout the match without lifting our heads,
and never attempted any counterattacks against the hosts.
It was arguably the worst Thailand vs. China game we've ever played.
Of course, no one blames the players because tactics and playing strategy are the coach's responsibility, in this case, coach Hudson,
and I admit I have supported this English coach from the start when he took over from Masatada Ishii,
because I admired his attacking style, distinctive character, and motivational skills with the players.
But ultimately, football must be judged by on-field performance and clear team goals,
and we have yet to see any of that from coach Hudson.
He has led the War Elephants for five matches, remaining unbeaten,
but looking at each game, none have impressed the fans.
Starting with last year's friendly win over Singapore 3-2 at Thammasat Stadium,
this was the most evenly matched Singapore team against Thailand in many years,
but we won because of "Ko Udom" Theerathon Bunmathan and a beautiful strike by Seksan Ratri,
which led many to overlook the overall team performance, thinking it was just the coach's debut.
Then we went to Sri Lanka in the Asian Cup qualifiers and won 4-0,
an easy win because Sri Lanka fielded only 3-4 dual-nationality players this time, unlike the previous match where most of the team were such players.
But the performance was still lackluster, nothing outstanding.
Next was the crucial Asian Cup qualifier at Rajamangala Stadium at the end of March, where we had to beat Turkmenistan by any margin,
and coach Hudson narrowly succeeded with a 2-1 win,
though the overall play was still subpar, with no creative attacking ideas at all.
Fortunately, luck favored us when Manuel Tom Bihr headed in a late winner just minutes before time,
securing Thailand's ticket to the final round, much to everyone's relief.
After these three matches with a 100% win rate, fans expected to see a clear development plan from the coach,
especially targeting the 2027 Asian Cup, where we were drawn in a tough group with Japan, Qatar (the defending champions), and Indonesia,
and even looking ahead to the 2030 World Cup qualifiers, which will mostly rely on a new generation of players.
So coach Hudson's task has shifted from merely surviving the honeymoon phase of the first three matches,
to delivering a clear style and team structure, which many hoped to see in this FIFA Day friendly series.
However, disappointment followed again, starting with his squad selection favoring many experienced players over 30, almost half the team,
and a playing style that showed no progress, sometimes seeming like "retro football" going in circles.
All this was evident in the two friendlies where Thailand drew 2-2 with Kuwait and 0-0 with China in the latest match.
Hence, the phrase 'unbeaten football that looks like it has no future' perfectly describes the current state.
Fans across the country see this clearly, but whether the football association executives and technical staff realize it is another matter.
I, too, cannot answer that.
- Bee Bangpakong -
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