Winfried Schaefer says Thais played below their standard against Kuwait.
German remains defiant despite Thais' latest loss
Thailand's under-fire coach Winfried Schaefer remained defiant in the face of fresh speculation over his job, after his side's 3-1 defeat at home to Kuwait in their opening Group B match of Asian Cup 2015 qualifying.
The setback comes after Schaefer failed to help Thailand reclaim the title at December's Asean Championship, where they lost 3-2 on aggregate to Singapore in the final.
Speculation is now rife that the 62-year-old's future as coach hangs on whether he can guide Thailand through qualifying to the Asian Cup finals, due to be held in Australia in two years time. And with the comprehensive loss to the Kuwaitis, who raced to a 3-0 lead before leaking a consolation goal at Rajamangala National stadium, the omens look ominous for the German.
After admitting his team had been outplayed by a Kuwait outfit which picked them off at will with a string of defence-splitting passes, Schaefer quickly dismissed growing speculation over a job he has held for more than a year and a half.
"Kuwait looked fitter than us - they have prepared since January and they had the Gulf Cup tournament to play before this game. In the first half, they got five yellow cards, which showed the commitment of their players.
"We tried to stop the No 17 [Bader al-Mutwa], who played very well and caused a lot of problems to our defence. Many of our lads played well below their standard, but that's understandable because our league has not started yet.
"I am not concerned about my future. My task is to prepare the team for our second game. I don't pay attention to what happens off the pitch. I believe that if we prepare the team well for the trip to Lebanon, we can get our campaign back on track."
One of the few positives for the veteran trainer was the performance of diminutive BEC Tero Sasana midfielder Chanathip Songkrasin, who looked lively in his cameo role in the second half and gave the Thais a glimmer of hope with a goal from a long-range strike.
"He tried to change the game after he came on as substitute," said Schaefer of the player whose dribbling skills have earned him the nickname "Messi J". "He did score a goal for us. All credit to him."
Football Association of Thailand president Worawi Makudi, whose relations with the coach have reportedly been rocky since the defeat to Singapore, said he would discuss Schaefer's future with board members.
In contrast, midfielder Pichitphong Choeichiu made his future clear moments after the match, when the 31-year-old announced he was retiring from international duty after 12 years in the Thailand squad.
"I have thought about this decision for a long time. … After years with the national team, the physical fatigue starts to take its toll. I can't take it anymore, so I've decided to call it a day. It will give a chance for new talent to come through," he said.
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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/02/08/schaefer-shrugs-off-talk-he-faces-axe/
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