Coach Troussier wishes the Vietnamese national anthem would be heard at the World Cup

- Happy birthday to you! On this occasion, what would you most like to wish for?

- Thank you to everyone who sent me birthday wishes. I am very fortunate to have had a very long coaching career and coached many national teams around the world. I feel fortunate that I am strong enough to take on the job for such a long time.

I have a lot of ambition and dedication to Vietnamese football. I am willing to share my experience not only for the team, players but anyone in Vietnamese football. I want to help Vietnam achieve its biggest dream, I want the Vietnamese national anthem to sound in the biggest football field in the world - the World Cup finals. That goal is huge and I will do my best to make it a reality.

- Many friends in Qatar came to take pictures with you today. How do you feel about coming back here and attending the Doha Cup?

- I am very happy to attend the Doha Cup, to return to Qatar - where I assumed the position of head coach of the national team from 2003-2004. I have many friends, many long-term relationships here. With the Doha Cup, this is a good opportunity for the U23s of Vietnam, a stepping stone towards the 32nd SEA Games. The upcoming opponents show that this is a very high level tournament. The tournament has many different football backgrounds, possessing a different style of play. The players will recognize the shortcomings to adjust and improve.

- What do you think about the first opponent - U23 Iraq?

- Iraq, then the UAE in the next match, are quality opponents, helping Vietnamese players gain more experience for the upcoming journey. I expect players to show solidarity, adjust to fast and slow play and make reasonable decisions. I will focus more on seeing if the players on the team can do what I ask for during the last training period or not.

Both Iraq and Vietnam do not have much information about each other, because in fact, both teams have not had much experience of rubbing to know where the level really touches.

- You once said the players showed improvement during training. But how much does this level of progress meet your criteria?

- The players have improved significantly, but of course only through practice. We need to understand that there is always a difference between training and competition. The opponents will create a lot of difficulties, and I can't wait to see how the players react to the variables that inevitably arise in real combat. More importantly, all players must be on the field to learn the lessons.

- What goals do you set for U23 Vietnam in this friendly tournament?

Personally, I expect players to show their individual skills well and connect with the team play. After the matches, the players and I will observe the actual collision to make adjustments accordingly.

Observing during practice, I see that players always try to listen and absorb the maximum knowledge I provide. They create a positive atmosphere, are very determined and want to show their ability over the past three weeks. Since there are not many friendly matches, me and the players can't wait to go to the first match to prove the ability of the whole team.

- What is the style of play you will apply and shape throughout Vietnam U23?

- For me, counter-attacking is part of football. We can apply this strategy depending on the opponent and the game situation. If we face Japan and Korea, we can guess that our ball possession time is only 30 to 40%. Therefore, the team must defend and counter-attack more.

And when we meet an opponent of the same level as in Southeast Asia, for example, of course we are considered stronger, can control the ball completely. At that time, I wanted to apply the philosophy of controlling the ball, playing with tempo. The team does not always have to attack quickly, but rather quickly depending on the situation, must do not lose the ball easily. The players have to make the right decisions to handle the situation, and I appreciate efficiency in the last third of the pitch on the opponent's side.

In the past many training sessions, I observed that the players often made hasty decisions, could not keep their composure, so the handling phase was not really quality. I hope in the future the players will show better playing thinking so that my philosophy is conveyed.

- U23 Vietnam now has five players taking turns as captain. Why did you choose to do this?

- Personally, I have not yet determined which player will definitely be captain. I need time to properly evaluate the players, especially in the leadership role. I consider myself the current captain. The players have to show themselves to contest positions and impress me.