Gian Chansrichawla
Football Tribe SEA Editor
Muangthong United find themselves second from bottom after seven Thai League games, and have turned to former Ulsan Hyundai and Cerezo Osaka coach Yoon Jong-Hwan in hopes of reviving their season.
The Korean coach first made his name with J.League side Sagan Tosu from 2011 to 2014, before returning for a two-year stint in his homeland with Ulsan. In his most recent post, coach Yoon guided a newly promoted Cerezo Osaka side to winning both the J.League Cup and Emperor’s Cup, while managing an impressive third-place finish in the league.
“He got us playing some decent attacking football but we really struggled defensively,” admits Daniel Croydon, the Ulsan columnist for kleagueunited.com. “I think fans can expect an animated presence on the touchline, a coach who likes to get involved in training, and a good brand of exciting football.”
“He’s very strict as a manager, and I’m not sure how that will go over in Thailand,” explains Dan Orlowitz, a football writer at the Japan Times.
Yoon Jong-Hwan faced the Thai media for the first time on Tuesday at the SCG Stadium and inevitably faced questions about how he intends to turn the club’s fortunes around after a poor start to the season.
“It’s too soon to start talking about our objectives,” coach Yoon admitted. “I need a chance to get to know the players first before we can go forward.”
“After leaving Cerezo Osaka, I was looking to take time off study more about coaching,” the Kirin’s new boss explained, “but once I got the offer from Muangthong, a club that I had heard a lot about before, I was interested in taking up the job.”
The former South Korea international will take charge of the team for the first time against Muangthong’s bitter rivals and league leaders Port FC on April 20th.