{"id":19451,"date":"2019-08-25T14:50:20","date_gmt":"2019-08-25T05:50:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/?p=19451"},"modified":"2019-08-25T17:27:23","modified_gmt":"2019-08-25T08:27:23","slug":"tribe-talk-tetsuya-murayama-samut-prakan-city-head-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/2019\/08\/25\/tribe-talk-tetsuya-murayama-samut-prakan-city-head-coach\/","title":{"rendered":"TRIBE TALK – Tetsuya Murayama, Samut Prakan City Head Coach"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Credit – Samut Prakan City FC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unlike many of his counterparts, Tetsuya Murayama is not one for the spotlight. Despite his success, he remains a mystery to many Thai League fans, although the keen-eyed among them have been eager to discover how he has so quickly moulded a side of young players to play open, attacking football.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Murayama\u2019s Samut Prakan City started the season surrounding with the wrong kind of publicity. Having moved at the behest of their owners from the beachside resort town of Pattaya, the club effectively started afresh with no tradition, no history, and no idea of how the whole experiment would turn out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is seen as a lack of roots by many was taken happily as a blank canvas by Murayama, who was keen to paint a new and unique picture upon it. Having arrived at the club as a Sporting Director, he was tasked with overseeing the club\u2019s entire direction and ensuring cohesion between the first team and the budding youth setup.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the Japanese stepped into the hot seat after coach Surapong Kongthep resigned, further galvanizing the team and spearheading what was starting to be seen as a potential outsider\u2019s title challenge. Inviting us to his training complex two days after a difficult 4-1 defeat to defending champions Buriram, Muryama\u2019s side have since been on a decline, but there is no doubt that thanks to his influence, they have outdone what was expected of them by many viewers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To understand more behind one of the most intriguing yet undiscovered stories of the Thai League, Tetsuya Murayama explained:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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Credit – Samut Prakan City FC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why Thailand?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Having spent many years coaching various youth teams in Japan, including in the academies of famous J-League clubs like Gamba Osaka and Sanfrecce Hiroshima, a move to a Thailand seems like a move far out of left field.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have been working in Japanese football for more than 20 years,\u201d Coach Murayama revealed. \u201cMy first exposure to Thai football was working with Teerasil in the J-League. From there, I started [watching] and seeing how the Thai League teams were playing, and that got me interested.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Cutting the figure of a man simply tired of the pace of life in his homeland, his ambitions are big for what he can achieve on these foreign shores.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought, it would be hard to make any changes [and make an impact] in Japan. But, if I were to take up a job in Thailand, I feel as though I could implement more changes in Thai football,\u201d Murayama explained.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What are the differences between the Thai League and the J-League?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

With more Thai League players now interested in moving to the J.League, the gap in quality between the two divisions has become a hot topic of interest for fans.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFirstly, there is a difference in quality, as the J-League has better, more professionalized players\u201d Murayama admits. \u201cAlso, there is more organization in the J-League, as the players are more tactically aware, maybe one or two steps ahead of the Thai players.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

On these two fronts, lifestyle choices and tactical understanding, we prodded further to understand the nature of these differences.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To discuss lifestyle, Murayama recalls his experience working with Teerasil Dangda, explaining that \u201cwhen he moved to Sanfrecce Hiroshima. The Japanese players would normally arrive an hour before training was scheduled to do their own stretching and pre warm-up routine. So, when the session starts at 4pm, everyone is ready to start from the get-go. But Teerasil was surprised – why is everyone here so early? It was a new thing to him.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In terms of tactics, Murayama mentions that \u201cin the J-League, you can see a clear pattern in defense and attack. But, in Thai football, the same pattern and structure only lasts for on average 60 minutes. After that, things go into chaos!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThai players can\u2019t maintain full intensity for 90 minutes because they weren\u2019t educated to play within a system,\u201d the Japanese coach adds. \u201cSpeaking from experience, players under the age of 12 should be given the freedom to play and express their playing style. But once they hit 13, that\u2019s when you put them together as a group and teach them the overall structure of the game. This stepping stone allows for their development into a fully professional player.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSpeaking about Thai players, there is not much difference between them and the J-League players in terms of individual talent. It\u2019s only about how we adapt those good individual abilities into a team structure. If we can fit those individuals well into a team, Thai players could grow and eventually play in the J-League.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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Credit – Samut Prakan City FC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How does it feel to be a head coach?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

With his prior experience coming as a youth coach and sporting director, sitting in the hot seat and being responsible for the day-to-day results of the first team could be a daunting prospect. However, Murayama\u2019s approach to management has mitigated these differences and has allowed him to adapt very well to this new role.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFirst of all, it is fun,\u201d Murayama admits. \u201cI feel like this job is the continuation of my previous roles.\u201d He goes on to add that he has confidence in his skills based on his previous work experience, which has prepared him sufficiently for this job.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The major added dimension of this job is dealing with pressure – from the media, from fans, and from the board, especially after a hard run. However, the Japanese coach has been coping well and is unfazed by this aspect of the job.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDue to the language barrier, I honestly don\u2019t know what goes on in the Thai Media, and how they portray me as. The only pressure I feel is about my communication with the players themselves. The pressure is to get the best out of them in every training session. There is no <\/span>external<\/span><\/i> pressure. As long as you work to your own philosophy, and follow through with your own work process, the result is likely to go your way. This is what I focus on\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How do you improve young players?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Unlike their Premier League namesake, Samut Prakan City\u2019s success has been built without a major investment in the playing squad. Instead, various players have pushed themselves well beyond what was expected of them, moulded into a functioning unit by a coach understandably obsessed with youth development.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The most remarkable success stories of Murayama\u2019s man-management have surely been Picha Autra and Jaroensak Wonggorn. Both sparingly used attacking players last year at Pattaya United, they have been turned into wing-backs with both defensive ability and attacking prowess, covering the flanks as a vital cog in Samut Prakan\u2019s system.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe set the players small goals, and once they achieve those small goals and targets, they start to piece things together and follow the plan better. Take, for example, Jaroensak. Before, he only played a couple of games. But then, we played a friendly match against Kasetsart. Before bringing him on, I said to him that he is a quick player, and he doesn\u2019t need to do so many tricks. Just use your speed, get to the by-line, and put in a quick cross. That\u2019s it. He followed through with the advice, and he racked up a few assists in that game. Since then, he\u2019s become a key part of the Samut Prakan City team.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe other wingback, Picha Autra, was previously someone who never offered any defensive cover. But now, he helps out a lot in defense. He has to sprint up and down 105m over the course of the game, because our three central defenders can\u2019t completely take over of the defending on their own. Most teams in the Thai League play with a front three, so we can\u2019t end up with a 3-vs-3 situation most of the time. So I asked Picha, are you fine with leaving your friends on 3-vs-3 situations against the opponents? His response was to say that it was not ok, so from then on, there was no need for any further instructions. Picha knows why he must sprint up and down to help his teammates back in defense.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe let a lot of young players train with the first team, and we let them play in cup games. They might lose the game, but the players can know the pace of the first team is and they know what to expect at an early age. [This lets them know] what they need to do to improve in the future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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Credit – Samut Prakan City FC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Are you surprised by your success this season?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Expected by many to be in the other half of the table, Samut Prakan City were launching an unexpected title bid just a few weeks ago, and now look to be on course to finish amongst the big sides at the top of the table. While this has taken many fans and journalists by surprise, Murayama isn\u2019t in the least bit taken aback.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am not surprised by this,\u201d Murayama revealed. \u201cBefore the season started, the board wanted to finish this season in the top 5. This is what everybody at the club agreed upon at the beginning of the season. However, I believed that the side could make even make it the top three – even before the season started. I mentioned this after the meeting was done, that we could realistically aim for a top three spot this season.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Most people at the time would have thought that the then Sporting Director\u2019s ambitions were completely out of step with reality, but he\u2019s come far closer to making it happen than many expected due to the belief he has instilled in this squad.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt the start of the season, most of the staff members or board members were not confident that the team could make it to the top five, let alone the top three,\u201d Murayama admitted. \u201cBut the club was more confident, and the mood around the club started to improve as we began playing good football and getting results.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

However, he has been careful to stress that this belief does not come with the added weight and pressure of expectation. \u201cThe key this season was to focus on our plan. Keep working towards our philosophy, and that is how we could achieve our targets. If we expect too much of ourselves, it is just going to put unnecessary pressure on yourself. That is why I have never told my players that we are going to win titles or lift trophies. All I want is for the players to grow step by step in every training session.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Your countryman and former Gamba Osaka colleague Akira Nishino is now leading the Thai National Team. What should we expect from him?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cFirstly, I am delighted that another Japanese coach is here working in Thailand,\u201d Murayama stated. \u201cWe were colleagues at Gamba Osaka. Nishino is a famous coach, and once led Japan to a victory over Brazil.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe fact that Nishino will also take over the U23 team will make the pathway from the U23\u2019s to the senior team more smooth and more effective.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nishino once paid a visit to Murayama\u2019s Samut Prakan City, to observe a training session and presumably discuss the differences between Thai and Japanese football with his old colleague. \u201cThere is a big working difference between Thailand and Japan,\u201d Murayama explained. \u201cI discussed with Nishino about how Thai football works, but I know he has the ability to improve Thai football.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tetsuya Murayama\u2019s Samut Prakan City continue to upset the more established sides in the Thai League, with a side that continues to play attractive football by expanding the skillsets of budding players. It is a project worth keeping your eye on, as is the man in charge.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unlike many of his counterparts, Tetsuya Murayama is not one for the spotlight. Despite his success, he remains a mystery to many Thai League fans, although the keen-eyed among them have been eager to discover how he has so quickly moulded a side of young players to play open, attacking football.\u00a0 Murayama\u2019s Samut Prakan City started the season surrounding with the wrong kind of publicity. Having moved at the behest of their owners from the beachside resort town of Pattaya, the club effectively started afresh with no tradition, no history, and no idea of how the whole experiment would turn out.\u00a0 What is seen as a lack of roots by … Continue reading “TRIBE TALK – Tetsuya Murayama, Samut Prakan City Head Coach”<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":19459,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,1627],"tags":[1757,95,1758,68,1756],"class_list":["post-19451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-thailand","category-tribe-talk","tag-samut-prakan-city-fc","tag-slider","tag-tetsuya-murayama","tag-thailand","tag-tribe-talk"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/90"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19451"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19451\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19515,"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19451\/revisions\/19515"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}