Dateline  28^th May 2016

 Buriram United 1 NRFC 0

The Swatcats entered the Thunder Castle hoping to avoid defeat against a Buriram side that has not been firing on all cylinders recently.

The match began with the visitor’s defence soon in panic as a short range shot was deflected just wide after a dangerous cross. Unable to gain much possession, the Swatcats were forced onto the back foot as Buriram pressed forward.

After 14 minutes after yet another in a series of sloppy passes in midfield by the visitors, Buriram opened the scoring with a fine 18 yard drive. The men from Korat countered with a shot on the break well saved by the keeper. Poor defensive work then presented Lindemann with a shooting opportunity.

In the 41^st minute the visitors got lucky when a deflected shot bounced off the post. In a flurry of chances, the visitors then countered with a dangerous shot then a snap shot from Kaio was well saved by the visitor’s keeper.

Without looking too dangerous, the home team seemed to be in full control of the game as the first half drew to a close.

In the 48^th minute a “cheeky” shot off the side of the foot hit the Swatcat’s post as Buriram pressed. The Swatcats then began to gain some possession as the half progressed but without really causing much difficulty for the home team.

In the 66^th minute Adeyeah cut inside and shot from 20 yards but the keeper saved comfortably and minutes later Lindemann rounded off a decent passing movement with a sharp drive.

In a spirited final 10 minutes The Swatcats were unlucky not equalize as they continued to harass and pressure the Buriram defence.

A much improved second half performance which could have led to a deserved point.

Although playing with great spirit against a far from convincing Buriram side, it remains difficult to see where goals are going to come from. Sloppy midfield play continued to put pressure on the defence which battled gamely. Defeat against Buriram is no disgrace but they now must concentrate on the next 3 games – all of which are winnable. They have to put away such lower echelon sides otherwise relegation beckons.

NRFC – What’s gone wrong?

A team surfing on the back of two promotions.

 A team finishing a creditable 8^th place in their inaugural season in the top flight.

A team attracting crowds which most TPL teams can only dream of.

A team now languishing in the bottom three, crowds diving to a lowly 7000 from a first match day attendance of 32 000 and demos protesting at the way in which the team is run. So what has gone wrong?

Let’s be straight, last year’s 8^th place was an over achievement and a situation which I foresaw as hard to follow. A pretty ordinary team, who by dint of weak opposition in Division 1 in their Championship season had got into the winning habit who used this momentum and confidence to make a successful assault in the Premiership.

Pundits were making comments about the coaching methods or lack thereof Sugao Kambe and were baying for his removal. Rumours were circulating about the player’s discontent at the lack of rigorous training and coaching…but still the performances last season masked the underlying problems.

A word here on the fans. Swatcat fans are not used to seeing their team lose at home. Regional League and Division 1 home losses were extremely rare. In fact Premiership home losses were rare too – with only a couple of losses and a home draw with Buriram bolstering the home fan’s enthusiasm and support. It really is no great surprise that the attendances have plummeted. One home win so far and far from entertaining football on view. If Bangkok United played in Korat the 80^th Anniversary Stadium would be full every week – Korat is a real football City.

This season the wheels have apparently come off. The loss of Lee Tuck was a blow. The acquisition of new striker Tagbajumi has yet to blossom and the returning Adeyeah does not appear to be the answer to our goalscoring problems. Kambe has gone and in the two matches since his departure there has been a real improvement – both in attitude and tactics.

So what has gone wrong… well nothing really. An overachieving team in their first season in the top flight who really should have finished in the bottom five is going to finish….in the bottom five. Shock, horror!!

One final point. If The Swatcats are relegated – and in my opinion this is a real possibility, it will be a real loss to the TPL. A moderately successful Korat team will attract 20 000 plus attendances. The TPL needs well supported teams if it is to flourish. Here’s hoping that the new coach, whoever he may be, can turn things around and help to maintain the Swatcat’s Premier League status.

Dateline 21^st May 2016

 NRFC 0 Suphanburi 0

The War Elephants from Suphanburi were the opponents at the 80^th Anniversary Stadium, with the home team hoping to end a dramatic losing streak.

In front of about 5-6 thousand fans the hosts opened eagerly with the opponents being closed down effectively. A fourth minute free kick went just over for the hosts as they pressed forward but Suphanburi looked dangerous at times on the break.

In the 20^th minute the visitors scored a neat headed goal but it was adjudged offside. The men from Korat then countered with a decent 25 yard drive going over and minutes later a smart passing movement resulted in a shot inches wide. There then followed a period of pressure from the hosts ending with an Adeyeah 8 yard drive being well saved – a guilt edged chance.

The 40^th minute saw a lucky escape for the home team. A shot was well saved but the ball ran loose and a resulting point blank shot was kept out by the sprawling keeper.

The second half began with both teams trying to break the deadlock but it took until the 62^nd minute before a real chance was produced when a Suphanburi close range header was well saved by the keeper. Minutes later, persistence by Adeyeah nearly produced an unlikely opening goal. This spurred on the home side with a drive going wide and a period of pressure developing.

In the 74^th minute a diving header from the hosts went wide with the resulting corner causing chaos in the opponents defence. The Suphanburi defenders resorted to some rather agricultural challenges to keep the Swatcats at bay with a Lindemann drive following one of these challenges going just wide.

Ultimately neither side could break the deadlock, but a vital point for the Swatcats against a disappointing Suphanburi outfit. A much improved performance from the Swatcats. They challenged and harried opponents and showed real spirit – there has definitely been a change in attitude since the departure of Sugao Kambe. The lack of goals is still worrying but I feel slightly optimistic for the future. Bjorn Lindemann was excellent tonight, as was Noah Chivuta but our options up front seem limited  and I think this department needs bolstering for the second leg – neither Tagbajumi or Adeyeah – both talented players, seem to be the answer to our goal scoring problems.

Dateline 14^th May 2016

 Bangkok United 2 NRFC 1

With the Bangkok Angels flying high and the men from Korat struggling and without a Head Coach it will need heavenly intervention if the Swatcats are to gain anything from this game.

The match commenced with the visitors starting with Tagbajumi and Adeyeah up front, with Chivuta omitted.

The hosts started confidently and went close after 5 minutes and then scored the first goal after 10 minutes with a slick move that split the Swatcat’s defence apart with ease.

The Bangkok side looked impressive going forward and seemed to be able to open up the visitors defence at will, with a couple of good chances going begging.

Despite looking the weaker side tonight, the Swatcats seemed a little better organized and showed a bit more spirit than of late – defence looks very “leaky” though.

After 30 minutes with the Angel’s front men tormenting the visitor’s defence and no shots on goal from the men from Korat there is only going to be one result tonight.

A twice taken penalty in the 32^nd minute led to a second for the hosts and the teams went in at half time with the Angels two up.

Second half and some good movement from the Swatcats leading to a fine drive from Lindemann and minutes later a reasonable penalty claim was turned down. The hosts countered with a snap shot hitting the bar.

A Lindemann free kick was well saved by the keeper in the 59^th minute and the men from Korat were rewarded for their efforts when a superb 30 yard drive went in off the bar in the 61^st minute to make it 2-1.

In the 71^st minute Bangkok clattered the post with a well taken free kick and with the Swatcat’s defence tiring, the hosts began to exert pressure as the game entered its final phase.

Outclassed, at times, by a more polished side but there were some encouraging signs – especially in the second half. The team however is creating few chances even with two up front which is worrying.

It has been confirmed that Sugao Kambe has resigned as Head coach of the Swatcats.

I would like to put on record that he has brought the club a long way - third tier obscurity to 8th place in the Premier League is no mean feat. Thank you for your service Sugao San and I wish you good luck in the future.

Dateline 11^th May 2016

 NRFC 1 Chang Rai United 4

The visitors tonight were Chang Rai United. After a great start, there has been a stutter in their form but they should still have enough to overcome a struggling Swatcat team.

The first half started with a sparse crowd asking the question “Can the home team discover some spark to energise their season?” No Adeyeah or Tagbajumi up front. Prompong gets a start.

Chang Rai struck in the second minute with an unopposed header to go one up. In the opening minutes Chang Rai look much sharper than the hosts.

In the 16^th minute a diving header from the hosts flashed just wide and minutes later a well worked move lead to a drive shaving the bar.

Chang Rai went further ahead in the 26^th minute with a freak, long range header that bounced over the keeper. The hosts continued to huff and puff with no tangible end product with Chang Rai looking confident and competent.

Chang Rai completed the half 3 up with a well worked third goal.

The second half again confirmed that Chang Rai are a better, well organized outfit with the hosts being pulled all over the place with slick passing movements and better technique. With confidence ebbing it seems to me that the Swatcat players really don’t know what their jobs on the field are… and are waiting to be told!!

In the 59^th minute a completely unmarked Murillo volleyed in the fourth. The hosts plugged away gamely but what is becoming clear is that they have lost their way tactically.

A long range shot was well saved by the Chang Rai keeper and minutes later a Lindemann drive was inches wide as the hosts pressed with Chang Rai taking their foot off the gas.

A late Tagbajumi consolation goal will do nothing to hide the fact that the Swatcats are really struggling. Some action has to be taken quickly otherwise this side is relegation bound. For whatever reason this set of players is not performing and seem to lack any real spirit. There is no part of the team that offers any hope of improvement. The fans are already voting with their feet. Only the real diehards are prepared to turn out to see these substandard performances – there really has been little entertainment at the 80^th anniversary Stadium this season. This is such a disappointment after last season but in truth, the team overachieved last year with a mediocre set of players.

Dateline 7^th May 2016

 Navy 1 NRFC 0

  

The Swatcats were the visitors at Sattahip for this early season meeting of two of the Premier League strugglers.

At last the penny has dropped – Adeyeah and Tagbajumi start together today. It will be interesting to see how they interact. Lindemann is on the bench.

The match began with tame exchanges from both sides with Navy looking the slightly better side going forward. In a half littered with free kicks and injuries, T Metee was sent off for a second yellow in the 45^th minute.

Viewing this first half of football it is easy to see why both teams are languishing at the wrong end of the table. The Tagbajumi/Adeyeah ensemble does not seem to be the answer to The Swatcat’s absolute lack of penetration – at least the home side produced a couple of half chances!!!

Second half and here’s hoping for some football entertainment – I’m not holding my breath!!!

In the opening minute of the second half, a Navy cross was almost turned into the net by a defender – the keeper saved smartly and in the 59^th minute a smart overhead kick gave the hosts the lead – only Navy’s second goal of the season!!

In the 73^rd minute the visitors put their first shot on target - a weak effort from Lindemann. This apart there was little else to report in a dour final 45 minutes.

Another toothless display. I am not sure where the club goes from here. The club overachieved last year and last season was always going to be a hard act to follow but their performances thus far have been mediocre at best. Any sparkle present last season seems to have evaporated. Here’s hoping that they can turn things around but at the moment I see no areas that provide any confidence that the team can improve.