With his future now in serious doubt following Thailand's disastrous start to their Asian Cup qualifying campaign, soccer coach Winfried Schaefer has sought to explain the reason behind last week's 5-2 loss against Lebanon, which sank the team to the bottom of Group B.
The Football Association is set to consider the veteran coach's future at its board meeting on Sunday. Pundits suggest it is highly unlikely that Schaefer's contract, which is set to expire in July, will be extended. Some have speculated that the German's tenure will end even sooner, after the team's dismal start to their bid for a place at the Asian Cup finals in Australia in two years' time.
Local media have already prepared Schaefer's obituary, after the debacle in Lebanon left the Thais without a point from their opening two matches.
The 63-year-old, who has been in charge of the team since 2011, yesterday sought sympathy via his Facebook page, citing injury problems that deprived him of the services of many firstchoice players for the Friday's clash against World Cup hopefuls Lebanon.
"I can imagine how painful it was for all of you to watch the game, read the result or hear about it - a great disappointment. I feel bad to know that you were angry and are probably still angry, posted Schaefer.
"But believe me; I felt the same and so did every player. Some of them cried after the game, but of course, that will change nothing.
"After five goals against us, there can be no excuses. The performance was bad, even when we fought harder in the second half and even when we scored two times. Every good action in the game fades in light of the many, many mistakes. There can be no excuses but I will try to explain a bit of the background of this terrible loss.
"Because of the injured players, we had to build a new team. That's a problem you have to face from time to time in every national team. It is important in such a moment that you can choose from a pool of strong players that are more or less on the same level. But we saw that some players are not so easy to replace."
Latest stories in this category
- Thongchai heads to Chiang Mai with Masters on his mind
- Thai star Thongchai Jaidee is seeking divine..
- Schaefer blames injuries for Lebanon debacle
- Shuttlers stay unbeaten in first week of Axiata..
We Recommend
- Not so enthused about solar panels, or wind power
- Re: 'Short-sighted energy plan' Letter, March 21.
- Senators to sue Thaksin for Skype orders to party..
- Life in Thailand not that bad after all
Comments conditions
Users are solely responsible for their comments.We reserve the right to remove any comment and revoke posting rights for any reason withou prior notice.
Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/03/27/schaefer-blames-injuries-for-lebanon-debacle/
0 comments:
Post a Comment