Todays Results - 12th July

Premier League (Round 15)

TOT 1 - 1 Chonburi
BEC 0 - 1 Army
Nakhon Pathom 1 - 1 KTB
Chula-Sinthana 5 - 0 Port Authority
Coke-Bangpra 3 - 0 Tobacco
Samut Songkhram 1 - 2 Bangkok Bank


Division 2 Group B (Round 14)

Thonburi Coll. 0 - 0 Fleet Support
Lopburi 0 - 2 BKK Christian Coll.
Air Force TC 2 - 3 Bangkok Bravo
BKK North Central 0 - 0 Marine Coll.


Druryfire Comment

Well, BEC ceetainly lost a match they would have thought they should have won. But the Army are a strange team, they've picked up four points off the top two, but come a game against another team battling at the bottom then they will more than like fall over.

BEC, the team of stars with the biggest budget, they did this last year, losing games, they simply should win, if they want the title. Do they want it? It would seem not.

But who does want it? TOT and Chonburi could not be seperated in the top of the table clash, but this match does not get the headlines this week. That goes to Chula-Sinthana, who somehow came away with a 5-0 victory over relegation battlers Port Authority. PAT have recently been coming out of the early season slump, but this has just set them right back to were they started, and Chula were on earth did that come from?

Coke got a resounding win against Tobacco to keep there heads above water. But if you look at the league closely ( http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thailand_Premier_League_2008&diff=225225043&oldid=225194203 ), it's all starting to get tight in every direction.

Do we have a Premier League champion in their? Tomorrow we have another top clash with PEA visiting Osotspa. It seems we currently have our top 6, Osotspa must win this to cement the top 6 spot, if they lose, it would seem they would be playing for 6th on their own. PEA certainly have it in them to gain victory and move upto 2nd.


In Division 2, the days action saw Bangkok Bravo once again score some points, they certainly don't want to get relegated into the Provincial Leagues. Lopburi, my favorites for the title, once again slipped up.

It seems, that most teams just can't string enough wins together to clear away from the pack, and that keeps every week just as exciting!

Today's Results - 5th July 2008

Thailand Premier League Fixtures - 5th July

Krung Thai Bank 1 V 1 Coke Bangpra
Bangkok Bank 0 V 0 TOT
Samut Songkhram 0 V 0 Provincal Electricity Authority
Royal Thai Army 1 V 2 Nakhon Pathom
Bangkok University 1 V 0 BEC Tero Sasana
Chonburi FC 4 V 1 Chula-Sinthana

Division 2 Group B - 5th July

61 Si Saket FC 5 V 1 Airforce Training College FC
62 Bangkok Bravo FC 1 V 0 Bangkok North Central ASSN FC
63 Marine College FC 2 V 2 Lop Buri
64 Bangkok Christian College FC 4 V 3 Kasem Bundit University FC

Druryfire Comment

It's approaching the middle of the campaign in the Premier League. Who really look's like they want to win it?

Chonburi had a morale boasting victory today with their biggest result of the season, whilst BEC once again wobbled and got beat in games they really should win if they want to be crowned champions.

Nakhon Pathom got a much needed victory today, a first in a while and a game that was a true 6-point. The Army were starting to gain a bit of momentum, but after this defeat they will be devastated. They have to pick themselves up again for next Wednesday in what is now becoming a congested fixture list for them.

Finally, in Division 2, Bangkok Bravo picked up their first victory, will they start to raise up the table, i doubt it, but it's possible they could have a good second half of the season.

Si Saket get a worthy mention after thumping the Airforce Training College 5-1 and moves them up to second in the table, could they gain promotion this year?

Domestic League Snippets

Transfers

Following transfers have been made in the last week.

Nigerian Ajayi Gdenga Samuel left Cambodian League side Phom Penh Empire for Krung Thai Bank for $8,000 dollars, thanks to www.jakartacasual.blogspot.com for this info.

Bangkok Uni striker Kraison Panjaroen has joined Chonburi.

Stadium Changes

Chonburi & Coke-Bangpra have been kicked out of the Chonburi Municipality Stadium. Chonburi have moved back to the Princess Srintorn Stadium for the rest of the season and Coke-Bangpra have moved back to The Coke Stadium for the reminder. Thanks to sriracha from the forum www.bigsoccer.com for this snippet

Looking for a new national coach??

Comments from national coach Chanvit Phalajivin on the bangkok post website (http://www.bangkokpost.com)would/ appear that we will soon be looking for a new coach after the summer.

Here's his comments:

'People criticise me on the Internet that I did not show spirit by resigning as Thailand's head coach,'' Chanvit said. ''Actually, I told Thai FA secretary-general Ong-arj (Kosinkha) that I wanted to resign but he wanted me to carry on until after the World Cup qualifying round.''

So, he wanted to resign, he nearly did this once before but was encouraged to stay on, now it seems that FAT are maybe interfering too much, especially with the recent appoitment of Peter Withe as a scout (what good that did for the Oman match!)It seems once the nation start performing well, everyone wants to have a say, and know there's too much interference and we could loose a good coach in the process, who could replace him?

There's of course Peter Withe, but please, he's been their before, yes he did well, but lets not go back over old ground.

I'd much rather see a domestic coach take up the reigns.

I'd throw the following current domestic based coaches into the hat: Jadet Meelarp and Gawin Kachendecha.

Jadet currently coaches Chonburi and has taken them from playing in the Pro League to the Premier League, winning the title in the process and showing that he can be tactically dept at playing in the Champions League, i'd be very tempted to throw him in, and i'm sure he's have no fear. He has led Chonburi from a provincial team to a team that could possibly be suggested as the best in South East Asia at this current moment, along with possibly the Armed forces of Singapore.

Gawin Kachendecha coaches the Tobacco Monopoly club, this would be a long shot, but an opportunity not to be missed. He's maybe not won a league title, but he has Tobacco constantly playing in the top 6, the onlt thing that goes against him, is that he isn't a proven winner, but we know he can make up a side and possibly break into the top 10 in Asia (we seem t obe on the fringes but never quite break it).

One last guy i would consider would be the current manager of Japenese club Gamba Osaka, Akira Nishino.

Nishino has been with Gamba since 2002, he's managed to win a few trophies over in Japan and i reckon that one day he could turn out to be Japan's national coach, here i feel, that he he was offered such an opportunity with Thailand, he would probably jump and take it. He has previously coahed the Japanese Under 23's and also coached Kashiwa Reysol, so he's been around a bit and i think he would just simply bring a different attitude to the Thai game.

He could use a backroom staff with the thai guy's i've mentioned earlier to get a good insight, but he might just add something tactically to our game and start getting a few minds thinking, that they can do this and that, etc.

What do you guy's think? Who would be your tip?