What role are you playing in bringing in new players, and what sort of traits are you looking for that you do not have in your current squad?
I want a player who is more aggressive. I want someone who is faster. Someone who can break the lines more quickly, and someone who can run with the ball. I want one player to put their foot inside the box. Gallo could only organize, I want someone to come and surprise behind the striker to score goals. One ‘number 10.’ I want one guy to really take the responsibility to organize the game, help the team and score goals. It is not easy. This position is very difficult to find.
Editors Note: Since this discussion, Muangthong have signed attacking midfielder Willian Popp (Pictured)
Are you getting a choice in who you want to bring in, and how are you working with the club?
It is my choice. I am the coach, I need to choose the players. If I go to a club and [other people] choose my players, I can’t work. But I listen to the club. We will work together. I will show which players I want, sometimes they will say ‘oh, very good’ and other times they will ask ‘why do you like this player?’ And we will talk about it. Sometimes they can’t bring [the right player] because with the budget it is not possible, but most of the time we work together.
I never go to the club and say ‘I want this player, and if you don’t bring this player I won’t work.’ We sit together, with the management, the coaching staff, and I show what I want.
Previously, Muangthong have had a lot of players who have come through with the youth academy but ended up having their best years elsewhere. For example, you had many players at Chiangrai who were from here. What are you going to do going forward to make sure those players have their best years at Muangthong?
Yeah, for me Muangthong players haven’t just gone to Chiangrai – Samut Prakan also have many players from Muangthong. I think the academy here is very good, the players are very good. The club really has one characteristic, and every player who comes to train here has this style. I like to work with the boys, the young players, but they can’t lead the team. They can’t take the responsibility because it is too much for them. We must mix.
What I tried this year is to use the players which I think can really improve in the season with me. I start to look towards the future and think ‘this guy, if I do this kind of training every day and I talk with him every time, he can.’ I select the players to stay with me, and then some players will go on loan to play in division two or division three. Maybe if they go and play very well, they can come back. But I try [to work with] many young players.