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Better the Devil You Know: Jadet Signs On for 2019

 

After guiding the club to their highest league finish for 15 years and their highest ever T1 points total, Port’s portly potentate Jadet has been rewarded with a new contract for the 2019 season. With rumoured target Alexandre Gama leaving Chiang Rai to take over the Thai U23 team, and Jadet saying “Give me just a little more time”, La Pang has extended the flabby foreman’s deal for another year. Port have got to be certain that they have the right coach in place, as the last thing they want to do is step back in time back to the days when we had several coaches per season.

 

 

Whilst the move may not be universally popular with Port fans – look at our recent poll results above and you’ll be shocked to see that not one respondent wanted Jadet to stay – with your hand on your heart you have to admit that the big fella has done a very good job at Port, with promotion from T2 (and a League Cup semi), followed by 9th and 3rd-place finishes in T1. And hopefully Port will carry the locomotion generated by their strong finish to the season into 2019 and finish even higher. We should be so lucky!

 

 

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Det’s All Folks?

 

Port’s 2-0 defeat at Chiang Rai on Wednesday night was, despite the encouraging performance and the mitigating factor of some absurd refereeing, sadly predictable. The team is in freefall, with no win since 25 July (and you have to go even further back, to 21 July, for the last league win), just 2 wins in the last 11 games, and no clean sheet in 8 games. Port have gone from battling Bangkok Utd for 2nd place to struggling to stay in the top 6, and any thoughts of a 2019 AFC place have long since been forgotten.

It’s the first real crisis of the Jadet era. When Sir Det took over from Wada in June 2016, Port’s promotion bid had hit a bit of a wobble; Sir Det steadied the ship and took Port back to T1, along with a League Cup semi-final along the way. And last year’s mid-season blip came during the bizarre Zico Experiment – after Jadet was given back the reins, Port’s form magically recovered, as did Det’s reputation.

This time however, the buck stops at Jadet’s door, as a team that won 12 out of 14 games earlier in the season, playing some magnificently swaggering attacking football, suddenly looks lost, demoralised and tactically clueless. Det’s refusal to rotate his squad, particularly at time when there are two games per week, is leading to tired legs, and the fact that there are clearly certain players who know they are undroppable, however poor their form or their level of commitment, is apparently causing some dissent amongst fringe players who feel – quite rightly – that they deserve more game time. Several players seem uninterested or frustrated, a couple have visibly regressed in recent weeks, and the tactics, such as they are, are no longer working. The dressing room appears to have been lost, and with a home game against a resurgent Nakhon Ratchasima coming up tomorrow, Det’s stock could sink even further by the end of the weekend.

The word from Port is that, whilst Jadet’s contract is up in October, they are planning to retain his services for 2019. Other sources suggest October will see him given a pat on the back & a handshake and sent on his way, possibly to the Thailand U23 job he subtly applied for recently. Defeat to Korat tomorrow may mean he may not even see out September.

Personally I think it most likely that Det will be allowed to see out his contract and then allowed to leave come the end of the season, which would be an acceptable solution all round. He remains popular with the fans, certainly the Thai fans at least, has done a very solid job during his 2+ years at the PAT, and deserves a warm & affectionate send-off when he does eventually leave. And maybe, given the managerial chaos that has afflicted numerous T1 clubs this season, we should possibly be careful what we wish for – there are few Thai coaches of Jadet’s stature available, and the consensus is that no foreign coach, even one well-versed in the arcane world of Thai football, could work in Port’s current management structure.

As it is, a season that once promised so much looks like fizzling out into mid-table mediocrity as the coach no longer seems able to get the best out of the most talented set of players the club has ever assembled, and with the club’s stated target of a top 5 finish now in considerable doubt, we’ll highly likely be seeing a new man on the PAT bench in 2019.

 

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Jadet Fancies Youngsters: Coach Linked With U23 Role

 

Following Thailand’s calamitous Asian Games performance and the subsequent sacking of U23 coach Worawoot, the Thai press have been reporting that Port’s chubby chief Jadet has thrown his hat in the ring for the job. With his Port contract due to end in October, Sir Det told the press that he would relish the chance of taking over the role, and that the U23 coach should be Thai, not foreign. “Foreigners do not love Thailand as much as Thai people” he is quoted as saying, as if that is sufficient qualification for the role. Det also appeared to express a desire to take on a train-the-trainer role, teaching the next generation of Thai coaches to guide expensively-assembled squads to cup quarter-finals and third-place finishes.

The flabby fuhrer may have to wait a while before he joins the national team setup though – our club sources suggest that his contract will be extended for at least another year come the end of the season.

 

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Dear Jadet: This Is How You Beat Buriram

 

Dear Jadet

I would like to begin by congratulating you on your excellent and highly successful campaign thus far. Unfortunately, you are soon set to face the even more excellent and highly successful Buriram United, who currently sit atop of the Thai League table and may constitute the toughest opposition you have faced this season.

Despite how well the side have done this season, it may be time to change your winning formula and introduce a new, alien concept into your side’s game – tactics. Unfortunately, the man most equipped to give you a lesson on said alien concept, Mano Polking, is currently too busy mastering the art of total football, so we are going to have to settle for the next best thing.

Mind you, I have no idea how far down the list of “next best things” a 17-year-old football ‘journalist’ is, but it’s all we’ve got.

Firstly, it is important to be aware of how Buriram United set up. While they have played two different formations under the management of Montenegrin coach Bozidar Bandovic, they effectively operate as one ‘system.’ In action, we expect Buriram United to appear like this:

 

 

Now, in order to counter this, my suggestions are extremely high-risk, so proceed with caution. Buriram United are conditioned to deal with deep-lying defensive structures, as it is the preferred method of most of their opposition in this division. Thus, the best way to defeat the Thunder Castle is to buck the trend and spring them with a surprise.

Using the raucous atmosphere and favorable pitch dimensions at the PAT Stadium, it appears possible to “press” Buriram with enough intensity to force errors and open up spaces to score, while simultaneously preventing them from scoring themselves.

In order to do this, Port should attempt to match Buriram’s basic system, with some minor alterations, in a manner similar to this:

 

 

In order to execute their system, the Thunder Castle need width coming from the full-backs in order to stretch the play, with two of either Korrakot Wiriayudomsiri, Narubadin Weerawatnodom and Sasalak Haiprakhon needed to play high and wide in order to give their attackers room to operate.

However, with the presence of Kevin (97) on the left, who has been one of the league’s strongest players this season, Port may have an ace up their sleeve. His excellent recovery pace will allow him to occupy aggressive starting positions, forcing Buriram right-sided player to keep one eye open defensively, effectively handicapping his attacking potential. This should leave their forward three isolated, and thus easier to contain for the defensive line, with the help of Kim Sung-Hwan and Siwakorn.

Secondly, you may notice Nitipong (34) placed at center-back as opposed to right-back. This is a measure mainly to contend with the pace of Diogo Luis Santo, by providing a player that can successfully keep up with the Brazilian and prevent long through-balls from catching the Port defense out when they come forward.

Additionally, Buriram can sometimes find themselves short-staffed in midfield, which is usually patrolled by only two players, who are primarily creative outlets. Cutting these supply lines is crucial, and a far easier prospect than closing down a mobile 3-man frontline.

The midfield of Kim Sung-Hwan, Siwakorn and Suarez (5) should outnumber the defending Champions in the middle of the park, with Boskovic likely to be partnered with Bodin in the absence of Nurul up top.

Ceding possession to Buriram’s defensive players will hopefully expose their lack of creativity, and increasing the risk of the Thunder Castle making a decisive mistake. The ferocity and intensity of the press should be most in midfield, creating “bottlenecks” in the areas where Buriram have the fewest players.

This serves as both a defensive and an offensive measure; done properly, it allows Port to pick up the ball in dangerous areas and outnumber Buriram with minimal defensive risk. The key to Port’s attack is allowing Kevin to run at the left center back and getting Nurul or Boskovic in one-on-one positions in the final third.

Port have shown that they have the talent, support and belief to mix it with the best – and, on occasion, come out on top. As you prepare to face Buriram United twice in the span of five days, it is the ideal time for this hugely talented squad to reach their peak performance levels. I hope my humble suggestions have offered some insight into how this can be made possible.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Gian

 

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Port Accrue Big ‘Det: Coach Signs New Contract for 2018

 

Prior to the club’s final game of the 2017 season on Saturday, Mme Pang has announced that coach Jadet’s services have been retained for 2018. Since taking back his place on the bench following the bizarre and unsuccessful Zico experiment, Jadet’s league record reads played 5, won 4, drawn 1, with that draw coming against Muangthong, and a season that looked like fizzling out or worse, turning into a relegation battle, has been turned around, with Port only needing a point in their last game to guarantee a top half finish.

In an interview with Goal, La Pang revealed that she is, and this is from Google Translate lest you think I’m being naughty, “glad to be able to make a happy end to the fans.” Bet those of you who left early on Saturday are regretting it now eh? She also stated that next season will be tough with 5 clubs going down, and that the club are already planning for next season.

As for Jadet, whilst I still don’t think he’s the guy to take Port up to the next level, it’s hard to argue with his achievements since taking over midway through 2016. Promotion back to T1, a League Cup semi-final, THAT win over Muangthong and a top 10 T1 finish for a club who cannot compete financially with most of the teams around them, is a pretty damned impressive record. But with 5 teams facing the drop next season and Pang likely to splash more cash than usual during the close season, the pressure will be on the big fella from day 1 and a slow start could well see our fragrant chairwoman wield the axe. Whatever happens, you’ll read about it on The Sandpit!

 

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Jadet’s Return Ensures Port’s Happy Ending: Pattaya Utd 2-5 Port FC

Like most people I had this nailed on as another away loss against an in form Pattaya United. I had not reckoned on Jadet “the miracle worker” Meelarp. I thought he’d done a competent job at Port, but just saw him as a safe pair of hands.

So on to Sunday with Pakorn (9) hobbling around PAT Stadium and Nittipong (34) suspended due to a red card on Wednesday Jadet had to shuffle the team around. He started with 5 defenders: Meechok (20), Dolah (4), Todsapol (6), Rochela (22), and Panpanpong (19). I thought the main aim of this team was to stop the rot, and maybe sneak an away point. Port played with a back four and had Rochela sitting in front of them as a very defensive midfielder

Without Pakorn and Nittipong our options going forward were always going to be limited. So this was not the expected start. 25 seconds into the game we had a shot on target and within 90 seconds we’d scored. Panpanpong floated in a corner, and Josimar (30) fought his way through the crowd to head in from 6 yards out. A great start, but this was the same heady optimism that greeted the first goal against Chonburi only to be sadly snuffed out. 88 minutes to go in the game, it can’t be that easy, it never is. However Panpanpong only needed 3 more minutes to turn provider again from a free kick. Central defender Todsapol craftily got in between two defenders and headed in, then celebrated like all his birthdays had come at once. Five minutes, two goals, the new manager bounce turned into some sort of magic trampoline act.

 

After more settled play Pattaya started making some headway down the left side. Dolah was dispossessed after a cheeky nudge in the back from Stojanovic (18). Dolah then tried his best to pull him back by the shirt and keep Stojanovic and the foul outside the area. There was minor contact, but the shirt pulling followed by a handy dive convinced the ref to go to the spot. Lee Wonyoung stood up to take the penalty, went for the chip right down the middle and it was 2-1.

Port came right back two minutes later, with what can only be considered the gift of the season. The Pattaya keeper took a fairly easy high ball, then proceeded to release it as his hands came down. The ball dropped at his feet to be met by a wide eyed Todsapol, who was running towards goal to catch the chance of a rebound. I don’t think he could believe it, I had to watch it 3 times before I did.

Mongkol had been enjoying harassing the young Meechok for most of the first half. Just before the break he came a cropper as he picked up his second yellow. Port 3-1 up and playing against ten men in the second half. Surely we have to ….. I can hear Del’s words  “Don’t say it Dom, you know what happened last time. Don’t jinx it.”

Port started the second half well, looking to go forward not just to settle. Pattaya brought on two subs trying to cancel out being a man down. One of the subs Jevtic (30) seemed to be intent on falling over any time the ball came near him in the box. Unfortunately on his third trip to the ground the referee bought it. Dolah was standing next to him, but this time he can feel incredibly hard done by as Jevtic managed to pull a dive out of thin air. Jevtic slotted the penalty home in the 72nd minute. Suddenly all the ghosts of games past seemed to loom large.

Those ghosts materialised before Port’s eyes as Stojanovic was bearing down on the Port goal with only Worawut(36) in front of him. Worawut pulled off an excellent point blank save.

 

Minutes later Tana(99) found himself with tons of space in the box, but in a shock move unselfishly set up Josimar with a golden opportunity. Josi, please don’t just stand there like Cantona, from that reaction I’d thought you’d hit the side netting! It was 4-2 to Port and time to celebrate. Suarez (6) polished off the night with a great run at the end. He shrugged off one challenge, beating the next then booted home the 5th ! yes 5th ! Port goal. Is that the most we’ve scored all season? It must be, it might be, I don’t care.

This result along with the home draw against Buriram and the win, yes a win against Muangthong, provide proof of Meelarp’s miraculous powers.  Let’s see how many more miracles Jadet has left in 2017.

Port now sit in 11th with 37 points, 14 points clear of ailing Sisaket on 23 points in 16th. 5 more games to go this season 15 points to play for. A win against Korat at home, or even just another loss from Sisaket would see us mathematically assured of a place in T1 next year.

 

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Sack Race Gets Off To Flying Start – Jadet Next To Go?

 

Never again let it be said that Thailand lags behind the footballing powerhouses of the world. The Brazils, Spains and Germanys of this world may produce technically wonderful players and world class clubs, but when it comes to the sack race? Give me Thailand every time. Indeed, so renowned is Thailand becoming for its’ mastery in the under-appreciated art of sack-racing, they have even exported their craft to the home of football itself – England. Premier League champions Leicester, no less, saw their miraculous league-winning tinkerman unceremoniously shown the trapdoor by top Thai sack-merchant Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.

On the day that Thai sack-racing cemented its’ supremacy, pundits and journalists alike said it simply couldn’t be done. The lovable granddad who overcame 5,000-1 odds to lead the Foxes to the most remarkable league triumph in modern history couldn’t just be replaced by some chubby bloke no one had ever heard of called Craig. But replace him they did, and it paid immediate dividends, as the chubby bloke oversaw two stunning wins in his first two games in charge.

Meanwhile, back in Thailand, Sisaket boss Dusit Chalermsan was the first out of the door after just three games, and once again his sacking was rewarded by an immediate three points. Maybe there’s something to this managerial merry-go-round malarkey. If there is, then you’ll want to put a few shekels on Super Power Samut Prakan and Sukhothai picking up three points this weekend, as their managers Chalermwut Sa-ngaphol and Somchai Makmul have just got the chop after game week five, essentially guaranteeing The Power (yes, really) and The Fire Bats victory.

So what of the undisputed 2015 sack-race champions, not just of Thailand but the world? A breathtaking run of five managers in a single season put Port FC atop international sack-race standings, although they were not exactly rewarded with the success on the pitch, suffering TPL relegation. The following season, Port supremo Madame Pang tried another approach, experimenting with just two managers and winning promotion back to the top flight. In 2017 though, the same manager who brought Port back to the big time is looking increasingly likely to be the next to go, after some bizarre team selections have resulted in two humiliating defeats away from home.

Jadet Meelarp, who led Chonburi to a league triumph in 2007, has increasingly been drawing criticism from the Port fans for his inconsistent and downright confusing decisions in recent weeks. For the opening three games, he steadfastly refused to pick Tatchanon (39), widely regarded as Port’s best holding midfielder. He finally relented for the home tie with Navy, where Port kept their first clean sheet and Tatchanon gave a midfield master-class which surely assured his place in the team going forward. But no, for the away trip to Honda Tatchanon was dropped from the matchday squad altogether, and lost boy Siwapong (97) was given what should be his first and last start in a Port shirt before being hauled off early with the game already as good as lost.

Jadet’s next head-scratcher was the inclusion of flappy bird Weera (1) in goal. The man who you wouldn’t trust to hold your beer while you tie your shoelaces was inexplicably preferred to excellent young stopper Rattanai (17) and obvious second-choice Worawut (36). He proceeded to fumble and bumble his way through 90 calamitous minutes, being directly responsible for two of the five goals, and proving every Port fan right who nearly choked on their Leo after seeing his name in the starting lineup.

And this is just the game at Thai Honda. The week three clash with Bangkok Utd away saw the inexplicable inclusion of 34 year old Suchon (11) while natural right-winger Nitipong (34) was played in defence against one of the finest attacking teams in the league. Suchon looked a mile off the pace throughout, while Nitipong looked like a fish out of water in defence as Port shipped six and never looked like getting in to the game.

The trend that seems to be emerging if we look at all of these decisions as a whole, is that Jadet seems to want to just give everyone a go on the pitch. It doesn’t matter how good you are; as long as everyone gets a turn, then that’s the most important thing. With this attitude, Jadet will do a fine job coaching a school team once he does get sacked by Port, but this is T1 and if you want to stay in the league, picking your best players week in week out is a pre-requisite.

Jadet’s situation isn’t quite as simple as I’m making it out to be, though. Is he even the one picking the team every week? We know he isn’t giving the pre-match team talks, and that there is a constant presence on the bench with authority far greater than his. The extent to which this is a factor we just don’t know, but with that presence set to remain in place for the foreseeable future, would a change in management likely give the team a lift, and could another manager given the prevailing conditions get more out of this squad? I think so, and most Port fans seem to agree.

With a three week break coming up after Saturday’s tough test against giants Buriram, it would seem to be the ideal time to make the change in the likely event of Port’s first home defeat of the season. With former Port managers Dusit Chalermsan and Gary Stevens in the market for a job, speculation is understandably rife that Port’s axe-wielder-in-chief will ensure that Port finish fourth in the sack-race and that Jadet will be looking for a new job come Sunday.

I for one will have mixed feelings. Do I think Jadet is a great manager? No. Do I think Port will be better off with a new man at the helm? Yes. But do I think sacking him is likely to remove the root of the problem? I’m afraid not.

 

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2016 Season Review: Great Expectations

A disappointing 2015 saw Port relegated to Division 1. 2016 started off with some impressive signings and a heady confidence that we wouldn’t be in the second tier for long. The first and most impressive of the signings was Thiago Cunha (10) from Chonburi, he was joined by two Brazilian Midfielders Maranhao (29) and Wagner (35). Along with Pakorn (9) Pinyo (21) and Tana (5) from Division 1 championship winning Police United. Looking at the squad list on day one Port had assembled the best group of 35 in the league.

 

Port had a great start with 9 wins and 4 draws. We were top of the league and looked like favourites for the Division 1 championship, but other teams also had impressive records. Ubon UMT held Port to a draw in Ubon and were the main early contenders for the title. Port’s results were good, but often revolved around a few bits of great individual play. This Port team looked great at times but disjointed at others. We had enough good players to beat average Division 1 teams but the drawn matches showed this team was not going to walk the league. The Division 1 championship was going to be decided by which of the top 5 or 6 teams dropped the least points in a top heavy league. Port’s first loss away to Ang Thong FC flagged them up as possible promotion challengers. Thai Honda joined Ubon UMT with decent early form.

 

After the loss to Ang Thong and a draw against Rayong FC worse was to come. Port went on to throw away a two goal lead to last placed Bangkok United. Serious questions being asked about whether Port had any chance of winning the Division 1 title. Then came the first home loss of the season to a well organised but mid-table Prachuap FC. This probably sealed manager Wada’s fate. He’d done a reasonable job at the back end of last season and the beginning of 2016, but it wasn’t going to be enough to save him from Madam Pang wielding the axe. His results weren’t dreadful, but with the squad available Port were underperforming.

 

New manager Jadet Melarp came in and secured an FA Cup win against BEC Tero. Under Jadet Port went on to beat promotion rivals Ang Thong FC when they visited PAT Stadium. He’d knocked a few heads together and the future looked rosy for Port.

 

Unfortunately the next game saw Jadet make the odd decision to switch a winger in to defence exposing an already troubled back line. The strong Thai Honda attack really shut down any chance of a win for Port. We should have been aiming for at least a draw against Honda but the result showed that Port were vulnerable against the top clubs. With this win Honda took control of the race for top spot. The next Port loss 5-1 away to Chiang Mai sounded serious alarm bells back at the PAT. Chiang Mai had a reasonable side, but Port were looking to take 3 points from this game. They ended up being battered 5-1. It was a body blow for Port’s promotion hopes. Coming in between the two mid-week cup games Port were paying the price for a good run of form in both cups. Tired legs and a long trip up North to Chiang Mai did for Port, they never got into the game.

 

Port’s Cup form was a highlight of the season. Beating a decent Bangkok Glass team 1-0 at home, Navy away and Sisaket back at the PAT. Port had developed the infuriating ability to turn it on against the big clubs, then falter against average league opposition.

 

Thai Honda and Ubon UMT weren’t dropping many points towards the end of the season. Port’s championship bid slowly turned into a chase for the last promotion place. Ang Thong, Songklaa and Air Force were all within striking distance of Port if they slipped up. A 6-2 demolition of Samut Songkram set up a promotion clash against Air Force, lead by everyone’s favourite Ex-Port manager Sasom. He had just seen his side dispatch Bangkok United 5-0 and announced in the press he believed Air Force were going spoil Port’s promotion hopes. Port had only narrowly beaten Air Force away. This game would be a chance to control our own destiny in the promotion race or get dragged into a tight four horse race with Air Force, Ang Thong and Songklaa.  In a close game Port beat Air Force 2-0 and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. There was a party atmosphere at PAT as it looked like the job was nearly done. But before Nakhon Pathom in the league there was Muangthong away.

 

In the first leg of the league cup semi-final Port looked solid only losing by one goal to a Muangthong side dominant in the TPL. The second leg of the semi-final saw a tight game with Muangthong holding on for a 1-1 draw getting them through to the final. The match saw some serious fan violence after the game. With these incidents it’s always difficult to tell who started and who retaliated. Both sets of fans were at fault at different times. The beating of a lone Port fan near the exit road of the away end, was probably the key trigger to the ensuing violence. The violence meant both sets of fans would be banned from the stands for the last 5 games of the season.

 

Port still had a crucial game in the league three days later. Another win and promotion would be nearly certain. Next up were a lackluster Nakhon Pathom side that Port had beaten 6-1 at home and hadn’t won in their last five. Three points in the bag for sure, unfortunately Nakhon Pathom hadn’t read that script. They ran a shocked Port side around chalking up a 2-1 win, they could’ve easily scored a few more. Maybe the aftermath of the Muangthong game affected the players, I think it was more likely the highly charged atmosphere and the come down from such a close defeat against the top side in the TPL. This shattered side sleep walked into Nakhon Pathon expecting to be handed the three points.

 

Reflecting on the loss to Nakhon Pathom and the pummeling in Chiang Mai, Jadet played a weakened side away to Sukothai in the FA Cup. A team half starters half subs bowed out of the FA Cup in the quarter finals. This set up a real test of a home game against an already promoted Ubon UMT. A nervous make or break game for Jadet and Port. It was a quiet day at PAT stadium with only Ubon UMT fans allowed in, and Port fans watching the match at the Port Futsal stadium on the big screen. The Futsal Stadium is essentially a warehouse with four big fans plonked in it. The event was a cross between viewing a football match and a 1980’s rave. As Port went 3-1 up flares were lit up, and everyone ended the night all loved up. This win put Port safely in third place. Port needed only one point from the last two games to make promotion a mathematical certainty.

 

On 13th October 2016 King Bhumibol Adulyadej died at the age of 88 after a long illness. The death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej meant the whole country entered a period of mourning. The Thai F.A. decided to end the 2016 season early cancelling the last two fixtures for all clubs. This left Port in third place promoted along with Thai Honda first and Ubon UMT second.

 

 

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End of Term Report: Jadet Meelarp

After a great start to the season Port faltered. The early form was built on very good individual performances saving a disjointed team. Coming up to mid-season Port stuttered throwing away a two goal lead at Bangkok F.C. and losing to Prachuap at home. The 2016 season that was meant to be a procession turned into a promotion battle. Another old shark Masahiro Wada, did a fair job at the end of last year nearly saving Port. He just wasn’t able to gel a squad of very good individual players together.

 

The Jadet Meelarp appointment wasn’t met with much approval, most fans wanted to see our old coach Dusit tempted away from a mid-table Prajuap F.C. Jadet’s poor record at PTT didn’t inspire any confidence. The 2016 PTT team picked up a bit after Jadet left, only to slip back with a criminally poor run at the end of their season. Suggesting he might have been managing to hold a poor team together.

 

The new manager effect helped out Jadet he came in with a couple of good wins. Then away to a strong Thai Honda team Jadet had fans shaking their heads when our Japanese winger was played in defence. The schoolboy error had no real logic to it, Gengki isn’t that good even playing where he should be. Out of position he was all over the place. Port lost, Thai Honda and Ubon UMT started to cement the top two spots and things looked difficult for Port.

 

After this hiccup Jadet took a bit more control and with a couple more wins, we were back on track. Port were playing a less disjointed game but still fighting for promotion. Misfiring Thiago wasn’t happy and attacking midfielder Pakorn often Port’s saviour with winning free kicks was intent on never passing the ball after he made 5 yards. The height of Pakorn’s arrogance and poor temper came when he booted the ball into Zone A in reaction to getting subbed. This tantrum lost possession for Port. Jadet came out in the press saying he needed to stop throwing his toys out of the pram if he wanted to stay in the team. Fair comment and he seemed to calm down the situation.

 

One reason to expect good things from Jadet was his history of managing Thiago, but he was used to Thiago 2015. However the new model 2016 Thiago expected to get played even without the goals. Thiago probably ended up doing the best thing he could do, helping his old friend Jadet by walking out the broken door. Was this a masterstroke from Jadet? I doubt it. I think it was probably just a result of Thiago threatening to leave, and Jadet not caving in to his demands to start every game. This exit gave us the chance to bring back another foreign player. The replacement was a holding midfielder Wagner. He added a bit of back bone to the team and rescued a bit of team spirit. Wagner was exactly the player Port needed. Why we got rid of him mid-season no one knows.

 

Jadet binned off the FA Cup Game against Sukothai playing a team of subs. I never like seeing this, but it did pay off. The next game saw Port win 2-1 home against a recently promoted Ubon UMT team. This left Port only needing one point from the last two games. Jadet has a record he can be happy with. It wasn’t his team but he came in and did a decent job.

 

Jadet has just been confirmed as Port’s new coach for 2017. Will he get to build a team? I doubt it. Madam Pang’s management group will probably search out a group of marquee names again, rather than building a team. Under the new Madam Pang regime, I’m not sure the Coach has that much control over who they bring in. And most coaches aren’t normally around long enough to find out how to put a team together. I think he’s a fair choice for 2017. We are better off with someone who is used to the set up under Pang. He will have to make it to Songkran next year to equal the longest serving manager of the Pang era, Masahiro Wada’s lengthy ten month spell. I’m interested to see if Chonburi have a new coach down the line. Considering Port’s hiring policy maybe Therdsak will come along to replace Jadet in 2018.

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