SPORTS NOTES EXTRA - COACHING BLOOM FALLS OFF THAILAND'S ROSE… AGAIN - REID WALKS - DOES MONEY TALK?

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

In 15 games the 53-year-old Thai coach Peter Reid compiled a record of 8 W - 4 D -3 L after less than a year in charge and three years left on his contract. Reid was the sixth coach to hold the post since Peter Withe was dismissed in September of 2002 amid much controversy.

Sunday September 27, 2009

SEVEN COACHES IN SEVEN YEARS AND COUNTING

With Peter Reid opting to depart as the Thai national team coach on September 9 after less than a year in charge and three years left on his contract the move draws into question what is going on in Thailand? The attraction for Reid's departure is to assist manager Tony Pulis with the English Premier League side Stoke City. Reid wanted to be an assistant at Stoke and carry on as the Thai coach but the FAT (Football Association of Thailand) thought that arrangement wouldn't work.

Though they parted ways amicably questions have been raised that the FAT hadn't paid Reid recently which prompted the move. Reid was the sixth coach to hold the post since Peter Withe was dismissed in September of 2002 amid much controversy. One of the complaints regarding Withe's dismissal was that Thai FAT (Football Association of Thailand) officials weren't pleased with the way he dressed while on the sidelines. Since Withe left none of his successors have received such criticism including Reid. During Withe's tenure Thailand raked in the mid fifties of the FIFA World rankings and was in the top three in Asia. Thailand currently ranks 115 and has ranked lower.

Reid's left behind a lucrative contract that has been reported to have been worth close to $1.6 million (978,473 pounds) a year believed to be partly funded by the English FA. Withe received slightly over US $100,000 per year an amount that the FAT thought was too much.

The list of departed coaches since Withe includes Brazilian Carlos Roberto de Carvalho, Thai Chatchai Paholpat, German Siegfried Held, Thai Charnwit Polcheewin and Englishman Reid. All of these coaches collectively combined for a 38 W 22 D 26 L record. In 15 games the 53-year-old Reid compiled a record of 8 W -4 D -3 L.

Since Withe's departure the five replacement Thai coaches have coached only 86 games over a seven year period to Withe's 101 over a four year period (1998-2002) resulting in his 46 W 25 D 30 L record. In competitions Withe led the squad to 4th Place at the 1998 Asian Games, the 2000 ASEAN Football Championship (Tiger Cup), 2000 King's Cup and 2002 ASEAN Football Championship (Tiger Cup) and 4th Place at the 2002 Asian Games. The crowning glory for Withe was defeating Korea in the 1998 Asian Games after they returned from competing in the World Cup. Thailand made it to the semifinals of that competition. No other Thai coach in Thailand's football history has achieved Withe's success. Reid won the 2008 T&T Cup with the Thai side.

After Withe there was a concentrated effort made to appoint a Thai coach since the feeling was that they could handle the team better as well as speaking the Thai language. Charnwit Polcheewin filled that role and achieved some success as he recorded a 18 W 11 D 10 L record in 39 games. He also led the squad in the 2006 King's Cup, 2006 T&T Cup and 2007 King's Cup. He departed to pursue a coaching career in Vietnam that eventually never came to fruition.

Now that former Manchester United midfielder Bryan Robson 52 has agreed to take over the reigns it makes him the seventh Thai coach following Withe's departure. Robson's coaching experience includes managing Middlesbrough, Bradford City, West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United. The question arises is with seven coaches in seven years what is wrong with Thai football that causes so many coaching changes?

Thailand's next test is against Singapore in a home and away Asian Cup qualifying round competition in November and the Under-23 squad will play in the SEA Games in Laos in December. Robson' ultimate task is to take the team to the 2014 World Cup finals. Stay tuned…

REID NOTES

As a player Reid had stints with the Bolton Wanderers, Everton and Queens Park Rangers and won 13 caps for England. In the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico during the England v Argentina quarter-final Reid was one of the England players left behind by Diego Maradona as he burst from inside his own half to score his second goal.

His previous coaching career included Manchester City, Southampton, Sunderland, Leeds United and Coventry City. Reid's first assignment as the new national coach of Thailand was the T&T Cup in Vietnam. The competition was a three team round robin tournament that included host Vietnam and North Korea. Reid beat North Korea in the first game of the tournament and then went on to draw with Vietnam to clinch the championship and bring home his first ever silverware as a coach.

Since his days as manager of Sunderland Reid has made occasional appearances on Sky Sports and its related channels as a football pundit. With the decline of his managing career his appearances on these programs gradually increased and as of 2007 he is a semi-regular on Sky Sports News's Saturday results program. During the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany, Reid worked for the BBC, often appearing alongside Lee Dixon in post-match analysis. He also works as a football agent. He is registered with FIFA with his younger brother Shaun.