Coach Mano Polking ‘out of post’ when the Thai team was absent from Chanathip Songkrasin and Supachok Sarachat?

These are the 2 key players who helped Thailand team champion AFF Cup 2020 rematched late last year, in which Chanathip Songkrasin scored 4 goals and was the best player in the tournament, while Supachok Sarachat scored 3 goals and played a key role in the attacking front built by coach Mano Polking.

The thoughtful face of Coach Mano Polking before the day the Thai team left for Uzbekistan FAT

After AFF Cup 2020, because Chanathip Songkrasin was always absent because he had to focus on playing for the Kawasaki Frontale Club in the J.League 1 Japan tournament just joined, Supachok Sarachat was brought up by Coach Mano Polking to take the role of commander and organizer of the match. for Thailand in a friendly match that was considered perfect at the end of March when they beat Nepal 2-0 and Suriname 1-0.

Supachok Sarachat last season still played for Buriram United club, was also targeted for the possibility of replacing Chanathip Songkrasin after the star midfielder was suddenly injured at the end of April, to lead the Thai team to find tickets. Attend the 2023 Asian Cup Finals.

However, all calculations of coach Mano Polking failed after recently Supachok Sarachat confirmed that he could not participate in the Thai team because he had to take care of the procedures to join the new club Consadole Sapporo on a 6-month loan from Buriram United. and prepare to compete in the J.League 1 from the second leg (starting on June 18).

This made Coach Mano Polking completely frustrated after convening a list of 30 Thai players to prepare for the friendly match at the end of May and the third qualifying round of the 2023 Asian Cup. In addition, 5 key players ( in which there are 3 attacking stars including Ekanit Panya, Thanawat Suengchitthawon and Suphanat Mueanta) moved to the U.23 team to attend the Asian tournament because Mr. Polking previously believed that Supachok Sarachat was still there.

Chanathip Songkrasin and Supachok Sarachat (right) are the two best stars in the Thai team today. AFC

But then this star did not appear at the last minute, while Coach Mano Polking’s recent trials with Bordin Phala or Chaowat Veerachat (also just joined Cerezo Osaka from BG Pathum United, but was kept playing for Thailand after that. new club on June 14) hardly made any significant impression.

In the recent 2 friendlies on May 27 and May 31, the Thai team played very weakly, only winning against Turkmenistan 1-0 thanks to Adisak Kraisorn’s lucky goal in the 88th minute, and the reverse defeat to Bahrain 1-2 with a goal. Teerasil Dangda’s penalty spot opened the scoring.

In the third qualifying round of the 2023 Asian Cup, the Thai team in Group C only met the Maldives (June 8), Sri Lanka (June 11) and the host Uzbekistan (June 14). The ability of “War Elephants” to compete for the first place with a strong opponent Uzbekistan is temporarily left open, because the first goal as set by Coach Mano Polking with 1 of 2 possibilities to get tickets to the finals is that they must win very boldly Maldives and Sri Lanka first to be able to be one of the 5 second-place teams (6 groups) with the best performance to have a place.

However, with the current attack, the ability to score many goals is very difficult, not to mention the Maldives or Sri Lanka even though they are below range, but they are also teams that are not easy for opponents to bully. Therefore, if a solution is not found after both stars Chanathip Songkrasin and Supachok Sarachat are absent, it is easy for the Thai team to break the attack when relying only on 2 veterans Adisak Kraisorn (only scoring 2 goals last season). and Teerasil Dangda is about to turn 34.