Coach Darby: 'Troussier needs more time with Vietnam'

In the first two matches of the 2023 Doha Cup friendly tournament - also Troussier's first matches since succeeding Coach Park Hang-seo, Vietnam lost 0-3 to Iraq and the UAE 0-4 respectively. According to Darby, these two defeats do not say much, when the opponent is highly appreciated. "First, it is necessary to consider who is Vietnam's opponent and how strong it is," he said. "Assuming the last two matches Vietnam meets teams like Singapore or Laos and wins, will Troussier's team be praised?".

Iraq has twice participated in men's Olympic football in 2004 and 2016, in which they reached the quarterfinals in the first time. And the UAE also once played in the London 2012 Olympics, although stopped from the group stage. Meanwhile, Vietnam has never attended the Olympics, and also has a FIFA position that is at least 26 places lower than its two competitors.

The bad results of Troussier's teachers and students also attracted the attention of foreign media. Chinese news site Sohu was surprised when U23 Vietnam fell so low under Troussier, compared to the time of Park Hang-seo. "At least China U23 also does better than Vietnam. The team also scored in the second match when attending the Doha Cup last year, to save some face," an author wrote on Sohu.

However, Darby thinks that Vietnamese fans should be patient with Troussier, or any other coach. Because the French coach only led the team for two matches, again at the U23 friendly level and encountered a strong opponent. "What Troussier needs right now is the time and support of the fans," added the England coach.

In the past two matches, U23 Vietnam kept the ball 51% and 49% of the time, respectively. Coach Troussier was also optimistic when Vietnam played well for a longer time in the second match, drawing the UAE 0-0 in the first half. He boldly urges players to press high, grab the ball as soon as the opponent deploys from the back, and he will take responsibility for mistakes.

Darby also said that it is difficult for Vietnamese players to play at higher pressures, partly because of the climate. "This style of play is more suitable for European players, where it is not as hot as in Vietnam," the former Thailand U23 coach added. "The way you play to control the ball also depends on the opponent."

In the match against the UAE, midfielder Tran Van Thang showed signs of cramping and had to leave the field right from the first half. Vietnamese players also could no longer maintain the intensity of play in the second half, leading to four consecutive goals. Darby believes that the cramps may be due to the individual fitness of the player, and it is not possible to confirm whether Vietnam is capable of playing at Troussier's request or not.

In the last match at the tournament, Vietnam met Kyrgyzstan - the team also lost the first two matches. Kyrgyzstan is only two levels above Vietnam in FIFA, and has never attended the Olympics.

Doha Cup 2023 will take place from March 22 to March 28, with 10 teams participating, each team playing three matches. Although it is only a friendly, the teams use the strongest lineup to prepare for the 2024 Asian U23 qualifier. The 2024 Asian U23 tournament is also the 2024 Olympic qualifier, when the four semi-finalists will win places to go to Paris.