One change that is happening this season is Ekkachai. He is leaving after six years as a BU player. He is a fan favorite and has always been a good player for you. What is your best memory of him?
Yeah, I am very sad about that, I have been all the way along here with Ekkachai and I remember very very well when I arrived here, six years ago, that Ekkachai was not a regular first eleven player. And when I arrived, in the first game that we played, I used Ekkachai as a right-back because of his speed, and he had 2-3 great seasons in that position where we were really winning a lot of games.
And of course, he is not only a good player, but he is a fantastic guy. He is a guy that always coach needs in the dressing room because he is very funny, always making jokes, and very accepted by everyone; not only the Thais but also the foreign players. For me, he is one of the best players that I’ve met on and off the pitch and I am sad about that, but I know every player wants to play.
After we got Tristan Do, with a very good profile and part of the first eleven of the national team, he was getting less game time than usual. I think this is one of the reasons why this happened. But of course BEC Tero coming up, being also a good team in Bangkok where he has good connections and a good relationship with [coach] Rangsan. So, it was difficult for us but, at the same time, we are trying to have a squad that is a little bit smaller because as we all know, except with Madame Pang, every club is going a little bit lower on crazy investments or what we are paying, because the economy is a bit in a bad moment and [we] have to adjust a little bit. We have contracts finishing from high profile players that were on good salaries, and [we] have to find a way to have a financial balance, and this is also one of the reasons why we couldn’t continue with him.
Last time we met, which was about a year ago, you spoke very highly of Peerapat, who you had just signed from Muangthong. So, a year in, do you think you’ve got the best out of him? And, if not, what more is there for you to do?
I am very happy with Peerapat, and if I compare the season he was having with us in 2019 with the one he had before in Muangthong, I think we saw a much better player. Much more confident, and I am very sad and disappointed that he got this 5-6 game injury because I think we are getting almost the best out of him. He has been in a good shape, he is helping a lot offensively and defensively, we still have to be more compact, but in the second year, it is much better for a player to get used to their teammates. There were some goals last season that we could avoid, and these are the things we are still working on – to be in a better place, to be in a better body position, to have better communication with [his] partners. Overall, I am very happy with him and I saw a much better Peerapat than the season before.
