Coach Kim Sang Sik's opportunity to assert himself

Regarding the new head coach Kim Sang Sik, the Korean media also had many compliments and criticisms. But in general, most of them thought that leading the Vietnamese team was an opportunity for coach Kim Sang Sik to prove himself.

Coach Kim Sang Sik needs time

After the announcement of VFF, a series of Korean newspapers reported on the new destination of coach Kim Sang Sik. MK Sports headlined: "Will coach Kim Sang Sik be the second legend of Vietnamese football after Mr. Park Hang Seo?". Writer Kim Won Ik commented that Korean coaches continued their journey to create a legacy after Mr. Park set foot in Southeast Asia.

However, journalist Chung Ryu (LeeStar TV) expressed reservations when saying that whether Mr. Kim will be as successful with Vietnamese football as he was under coach Park Hang Seo or not still needs time.

Mr. Chung Ryu said: "Although he won glory at Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Club, Mr. Kim also left many disappointments. Therefore, leading the Vietnamese team will help him prove himself."

Although many Korean coaches have come to Southeast Asia and achieved success, Mr. Chung Ryu also believes that each stage is a different story. "Vietnamese football also has a different generation of players and is starting a new chapter. Coach Kim Sang Sik needs to solve professional problems when taking over a team. His strengths are leadership and connecting players," said Mr. Chung Ryu.

Meanwhile, the News Worker newspaper commented: "Kim's results are not too bad. But the most serious problem with Kim is his lack of tactical skills. Many experts have assessed that Kim's tactics at Jeonbuk Club are unclear. And he has also been criticized a lot for his player selection. Instead of taking advantage of the players' strengths, he often changes them to other positions without clear reasons."

However, journalist Chung Ryu also believes that the presence of coach Kim Sang Sik will also add to the influence of the Korean coaching wave in Southeast Asia.

He shared: "The pressure on Korean coaches is to always strive to make the team they lead stronger and more progressive than their regional opponents. It's not just about achievements but also about building a system for the future. This is what coaches Shin Tae Yong and Kim Pan Gon are doing well in Indonesia and Malaysia."

Mixed reviews

Korean press and fans are also divided into two factions when evaluating coach Kim Sang Sik. Many opinions highly appreciate coach Kim Sang Sik's coaching ability.

But there are also many opinions that Kim Sang Sik is an inexperienced coach, lacking in tactical variation, leading to being caught by opponents. He emphasizes defense, organizing two defensive layers (defensive line and defensive midfield pair) and then counterattacking quickly after winning the ball. However, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors' counterattacks are almost just overlapping the lines and then crossing the ball for the striker to score.

Another problem is that coach Kim Sang Sik only uses a certain group of players and is not willing to create opportunities for young players. This is also quite similar to what Mr. Park did with the Vietnam national team in the past.

As a result, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors lost and drew quite a lot later. This caused the club's fans to hang banners demanding the dismissal of coach Kim Sang Sik when the 2023 season started. He was then forced to resign after 10 rounds of the tournament.

Despite being in the middle of two streams of praise and criticism, Coach Kim Sang Sik still receives attention and expectations from the Korean media. Moreover, Coach Kim Sang Sik will not be alone in Vietnam when he has Mr. Park to advise him when needed.