Under-fire Rajevac shifts focus to Asian Cup
Embattled Rajevac promises change in team and style as FAT chief Somyot refuses to resign
>> Under-fire Thailand coach Milovan Rajevac yesterday hinted that a revamp of the national side was on the anvil following their semi-final round exit from the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup on Wednesday.
Rajevac and his coaching staff called on Football Association of Thailand (FAT) president Pol Gen Somyot Poompunmuang yesterday to discuss the team’s failure to defend their regional championship title and his plans for next month’s AFC Asian Cup.
The Asian Cup will be contested from Jan 5-Feb 1 in the United Arab Emirates and Thailand have been drawn in Group A along with India, Bahrain and the host nation.
Thailand will start their campaign against India on Jan 6 at Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Somyot spurned calls for his resignation, saying he cannot be judged on the basis of the national team’s performance in the Suzuki Cup, in which Thailand crashed out to Malaysia in the semi-finals on away goals rule following a 2-2 aggregate.
“Yes, I did say in the past that I would quit if I can’t help Thai football to improve, but by that I meant the overall picture.
“Every time we lose a match or exit a tournament we don’t have to go and start looking for a scapegoat,” said Somyot.
While Rajevac, whose performance will come under the microscope after the Asian Cup, won’t reveal the extent of changes to the national team lineup, he made it clear that he planned to recall Thailand’s foreign-based stars — playmaker Chanathip Songkrasin, striker Teerasil Dangda, left wing-back Theerathon Bunmathan and goalkeeper Kawin Thamsatchanan — to the side.
“Right now, I don’t want to give any details on changes in the team for the Asian Cup. I will discuss it with the staff coaches and announce the squad next week, but there will be some different faces in the side,” said Rajevac.
“I don’t have any pressure at all because during the Suzuki Cup, we did not lose to any team. We were just unlucky that we could not score from the penalty kick and missed the chance to qualify for the final.
“I said earlier that we needed the support of the Thai football fans. I am confident that we can produce a good result in the Asian Cup.
“We will make some adjustments to our tactics for the Asian Cup because we will have the foreign-based players in the team.
“I will use my experience from my coaching days in the Middle East to help the Thai team during the Asian Cup.”
The training camp for the UAE tournament gets underway on Dec 19.
Somyot, however, dashed any hopes for a return to the free-flowing style of Thai football of the past.
“The level of competition in the UAE will be much higher than the Suzuki Cup. The coach is worried that an attacking game could lead to us to getting punished as in the past,” said Somyot.
“I want the Thai national squad to qualify for the last 16 stage at the Asian Cup but if we can go further than that, it will be good for the team.”