STY is ridiculous. He calls up JDW who hasn't played one minute yet, saying he's in a good form While leaving out KCH (okay he had one bad game, but so do others all the time) and SHJ (who at least got playing time as a sub). Also he calls up SJH who is not even a straight regular for a relegation placed J-League team (Nigata) while he could have selected JSH or KMH from the same league.
no problem. i had to double check too because it seems like something STY would have done haha. I just can't believe he wouldn't use this prime opportunity when he has no K League players available to test out PSH, LSW, and KJH and actually prepare the KNT for the future... and also saying that he would accept any help from Hiddink only if he doesn't have an ulterior motive (aka his job i assume) that pissed off a lot of people.
In SJHs defense, he is a "straight" regular for Niigata this season. I stated before, it is obvious Shin TY rates SJH... and tbh, is better defender compared to JSH (who is on the reserve list w/ PJW) based on J League performance. The problem.. of course.. is ignoring Kim MH for two awful defenders. I can understand the inclusion of Jang HS (who can be used as FB), Yun SY (based on need for FBs in general), Oh JS, Kimbo and 3 GKs... but for other J League based selections? Makes absolutely no fcuking sense to me (Hwang UJ ) when he could have used October friendlies to experiment/test young players like Lee SW. Yes, guys like Lee SW is adjusting to new league/clubs but it makes far more sense to call them up for friendlies in Europe than forcing them to travel to Korea in November (if Shin TY is actually willing to call up Lee SW) edit - on Suk HJ, again.. obvious Shin TY doesn't rate him. might require Suk HJ to score double digits in Ligue 1 just to be called up & play some garbage mins under Shin TY imo..
Granted Shin Tae-yong's media skills aren't that great, he's awfully been talking out of his ass lately, especially since his whiny/cat got his tongue YTN interview and the "헹가래" claim. 신태용 "히딩크 때문에 힘들다" Nah man, it's you, 호르곤, and the KFA that are making it difficult for the fans and Korean Football.
It means what it says: Hiddink's advice + 2 additional coaches added to the coaching staff. In other words, Shin's insisting on managing at the WC without Hiddink.
way to easy to look at just the few clips shown in this short piece but it just illustrates how poor we are in front of goal. it's long, long been our NT's problem but we often can't finish for our lives even if we create the chances.
Korea vs Morocco will be on 10/10 at 9:30am ET/8:30am CT/6:30am PT/10:30pm KST. and will be held at Tissot Arena in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland.
At this point, I think we can all agree that we will likely be the worst and least prepared side in the world cup. Let's do a biopsy. 1. The KFA. Where is the accountability? Where is the leadership? Where is the guidance? Where is the vision? Where is the plan for the future? At this point, it's become a tax funded retirement club for idiot ex-players to make a second living. Without a rich benefactor to bring in a foreigner that will offset the inaction of these bloodsuckers, we are seeing the rotten fruits of their self-serving, self-preserving corruption. We've entrusted half-witted pigs as stewards of the game's development in our country. 2. The K-league. Every year it gets worse. Every year the league and the clubs care less and less as their benefactors cut off their funds. Yet all the clubs and the league does is point fingers elsewhere rather than look at their product and their management to figure out how to establish a viable business not reliant on largess and/or graft to sustain their going concern. 3. Coaching. This is the easiest first element to fix. At the very least, (i) hire a leader with (a) expertise, (b) experience and (c) vision; and (ii) hold him accountable to his job. In UliShit, the KFA failed on both (i) and (ii). In STY, they've failed in (i) and are starting to fail in (ii). We are a laughingstock for not doing proper due diligence and properly evaluating a proper pool of candidates when hiring for a permanent position. How does an organization hire a known loser b/c the weather was nice and stop the search process? As for STY, he is so blinded by his arrogance that he is unwilling to step aside for the benefit of the KNT and country. 4. Players. Thanks to a declining and weak K-League and the confluence of easy money from China and the middle east, our collective talent pool has declined to the levels of China and the middle east. We are like a flock of birds that need to migrate but can't because most of the birds are now flightless after having their wings clipped chasing easy money. That article about how lunch conversations at the training facility in Paju has shifted from tactics to how much money so and so makes in China or the oil fields is both a cause and effect of the reinforcing disease that ails Korean football. At least before, when players moved to Japan, they were at least playing at a higher level. Now they're ambling about in these retirement pitches with absolutely ZERO accountability. The worst examples are our defenders, many of whom already have military deferment. Exhibit 1: HJH. Chasing money to leave the Bundesliga where his club wanted him to stay to move to China? Zero accountability. This alone should automatically disqualify him from ever being capped again. Exhibit 2: KYK. Not leaving the J-League for Europe to challenge himself even after gaining exemption to instead go to China and stay there indefinitely? Again, zero accountability from this complacent bitch of a man-child. Exhibit 3: JHS. Same exact thing as KYK but with the worst tattoo ever on his forearm. May you struggle forever. Without a strong league, this is what we have. Without accountability from the KFA to the coaches and players, this is the KNT selection pool we're left with. We allow favorites to be selected regardless of their decision to chase stupid money at the detriment of their footballing abilities. Players must be held accountable. That starts with the coach, the KFA, the press and the fans. If we're going to under-perform, we may as well give caps to those that truly want to play for the KNT and haven't sold out their careers already. We need to push our best players to Europe. And we need to prepare them for Europe by re-building the K-league. Enough with these losers strolling about and losing to teams we haven't lost to in decades or ever lost to before as we did in this WCQ cycle. 5. Ex-KNT leaders. Some are stepping up. Others are busy making money or enjoying the celebrity life or thinking they will be some type of sport ambassador. Step up and take leadership away from the OAPs that are running the KFA, K-league, clubs, etc. It's not enough to be commentators. We need you to step up to combat this malaise. 6. The AFC. Is the competition catching up with us? Yes and no. Iran certainly has improved and moved past us. Japan has as well. As for the rest, they're about where they were a decade ago. There may have been some musical chairs. But overall, we've regressed more so than stagnated to the point we're struggling against the rest of the AFC. These are still minnows, and we've let ourselves regress to nearly their levels. But for ffs, at this point, improve the overall level of refereeing so we can actually see football rather than embarrassing grass-rolling, etc. We are in the most embarrassingly refereed continent. For the good of the region, and to collectively improve the countries, this needs to be taken seriously. This lack of accountability has led to this confluence of shit. Yes, it was fun to engage in some schadenfreude with the Americans finding a way to snatch defeat at the hands of victory and miss the world cup. And yes, it's always better to go to the world cup than to not go. But for what purpose? Even if we crash out, it must be for the purpose of treating this cancer that has infected all aspects of Korean football. Otherwise, no matter how many talents make it in Europe despite the cancerous KFA, they cannot offset the fact that a flock of birds cannot fly when most of the squad are now wingless dodos.
The thing about this is that a lot of times European scouts don't scout the K-league because it's not that good. Also the players aren't good enough to play for Europe most of the case. Kwon Changhoon was one of the most promising player but he's barely passing by playing for a relegation bound Ligue 1 team. Not only that but nowadays European teams want a younger player and the age limits seem to be getting lower and lower. They don't want players that played in a shitty K-league side for too long as they are seen as tainted. Also it makes sense for players to go to China and the Middle East considering there isn't a lot of job security for most of our players in the K-league. Most players enter the K-league when they are in their early 20s signing a rookie contract (not so good salary). Then they play for few years and do their military service for 2 years (not making good money again and stalling their career). So the lifespan and opportunities for players to make decent money is low compared to most developed countries. That's why they go to other leagues because they just offer better job securities. Not only that but the K-league and the clubs treats players like shit. For example, selling players to a different team without their consent etc. So this problem should be blamed on the K-league and the KFA. They are so unprofessional.
I agree with everything you said, the other guy you quoted had some good points as well but I think you're being very realistic. Repped. The part I want to highlight from what you said is the fact that you understand why players choose to go to the ME/China. I think you explained it perfectly. Once a footballer becomes 30 they're basically on borrowed time, especially since a billion people play this sport worldwide and you can find fresh 20 yr old legs ANYWHERE that would be more useful for teams then some average Korean player that only turned professional in his 20's and still has to do military service. One thing I want to add is that even in the Bundesliga/Ligue One/Serie A/La Liga the salaries are not that good. Augsburg/Dijon players aren't making a lot of money. I don't know if KCH or KJC are making more than one million dollars in exchange rate. Doing some research I think they could be on as little as $250,000 - $500,000/yr. Is it really worth it that much as a player to be grinding it out in relegation with non-internationals when you could be making 3-4 times that in ME/China. It's not like you'll have a trophy cabinet or a chance at any real glory, you're playing with a bunch of germans/french that will never see their NT and you can't just say "I want to move to Europe" because there is a big deviation between what people think that means and the reality. There is a big difference between Augsburg and Bayern Munich, just because they both play under the "Bundesliga" banner doesn't mean you can say just going to "europe" means I'm more successful. Unless you move really young giving yourself a chance to maybe in the future get an opportunity at a top 16ish club, then I fully understand why some players evaluate their options and move to the ME/China rather than joining a Bundesliga II team or a Greek team.
This is rationalizing what was once the unthinkable - throwing away footballing careers in development or prime years to chase easy money. It's not like easy money is a new concept. The oilfield leagues have been throwing around these wages for over a decade. And it's not like the military exemption issue is new. What is new is the amount of players that have gained exemption. What is new is the new laws allowing deferred service post playing years. And what is new is how certain players, even after gaining exemption, are selling out for easy money and still getting selected for caps in the KNT. That is wholly unacceptable and should not be rationalized. The K-league is a mess at this point, compounded by the KFA's corruption. But there still is the J-League that offers less money but actual footballing. As for your rationalization about money being more important than playing in Europe, that is precisely the rationalization that has caused our decline. It doesn't matter if our footballer is going to a mid-table club or a relegation club. The constant pressure and competition from within the club and around the club in the fans, press and league is what pushes development. If a footballer is not willing to subject himself to that level of accountability, then he has already given up on being an international. At a given point, they need to figure out whether they are sportsmen willing to earn a bit less in Europe after paying taxes or D-level celebrities prancing about pretending to be footballers. Why select players that have given up on being internationals to merely chase money in China or the middle east? In the past, most of these players were brushed aside (LMJ) or phased out.since they moved there in their retirement ages (LJS). I view the likes of JHS, KYK, KJY, and HJH as SUNK COSTS at this point. They are shells of what they could have been. They stroll around the pitch in every KNT match as perfunctory, mindless automatrons. They play exactly like they're in a CSL match when they are playing for the KNT. Since you want to be realistic, the simple answer is that they are no longer mentally fit and should be nowhere near the world cup squad. At this point, I'd rather take the defenders from the U-23 side or the current Sangmu side to the WC, because some of these players simply do not deserve to go to the WC with this mentality. And it's not like I'm saying they should be ascetic monks. I want our players to make money. And if the K-League fails to offer that opportunity, I'm fine with their leaving for the J-League. At least there, football is actually played and players are held accountable. And Japan still provides a platform to go to Europe if the player performs well and depending on military status. But the CSL or the middle east? IF players go there in their development or prime years, that is a huge red flag on their being mentally unfit for selection. Let them chase easy money. But hold them accountable and do not select them for KNT caps. It's funny UliShit spent so many years dozing off at K-League matches. Yet he resorted to picking the same shit players in the oilfields or China with the excuse being that the K-League was worse than China or the middle east. Why not make his presence even less meaningful? Where is the accountability in the manager to make the K-League matches matter and help bring forth ideas to restructure the youth development system/club/university mess to address what he saw as deficiencies? His presence at these matches was a huge waste of time for all involved. Contrast that with Hiddink who attended matches and found players in the league. That is a form of accountability. When the KNT manager attends league matches, the level of play must matter again. Performing well in front of the manager must matter again. And therein lies one of the reasons why we need a experienced, competent and disciplined foreign manager (i.e., someone who is not a grifter like UliShit). B/c even HMB was unable to escape the easy route of selecting "my guys" to my huge disappointment. We need a foreigner who can make cold, calculated decisions who at the very least excise the witless bumblefcks who have chased easy money in non-league footballing countries in teh middle east and middle country while in their 20s. We've lost our willingness to fight back, let alone fight, during these matches. We've lost our bottle. And that's down to a complete disintegration of accountability.
I don't mind players going to Japan and I think players should start their career there if they inspired to play in Europe. J-league is scouted more and I think with more money going in I think the league will only get better. One player I have in mind is Hwang Inbeom. He got an offer from Benfica last year but I think they low balled the same way Porto and Braga low balled Yun Ilok and Yoon Bitgaram. He still wants to go to Europe this winter but he rot in the 2nd division for too long and I doubt he is really scouted. He should consider going to Japan to revive his career and maybe he can get his chance. He's still young. For JHS and KJY, I don't think they were that good in the first place. Doesn't matter where they play, they won't perform well for us.
I agree with a lot of what your saying, I would have no problem if those guys never got picked. We've been picking different defenders for the last few cycles and we haven't been happy with any of them regardless of where they were playing (except for maybe KMJ and he just started). KYG is still one of our better CB's, but the other four you mentioned plus NTH I would be ok with them being overlooked for Korea/Japan or Europe players. I just can't stand the double standard/hypocrisy when it comes to fan-athlete interactions. Most posters on this board left Korea or their parents did for essentially maybe ~$25k increase in salary and a more comfortable life. By you leaving and not coming back then you're brain draining an already low birth rate country and costing us some GDP. You speak of military deferments/exemption like they shouldn't get them or they don't deserve them. The most common reason usually given is because normal citizens don't get them, well normal citizens chase the money by going to Usa/Can/Aus but you would have no problem with that.