2019 Season Preview

With the 2019 preseason Leo Cup only a week away (tournament starts on 12^th Jan, Swatcats’s first game 13^th Jan), it’s time to look forward to the Swatcat’s prospects in the Premier League this season.

I certainly am more optimistic about the coming season than I was at this time last season. With coach Milos Joksic promising a more attacking approach and a top 7 finish, things are looking bright for the upcoming season.

The acquisitions of midfielder Amadou Quattara and striker Bernard Cedric Doumbia (Henri) adds further evidence of a step forward for the team. Building on last year’s defensive strength with this bolstering of the team’s attacking options, suggests that this could be a breakthrough season for the team.

Nakhon Ratchasima FC have been sensibly and sustainably building during its 4-year tenure within the Premier League with sound mid table positions becoming the norm but now the team is at an important crossroads - does the team invest in quality players and attempt to procure a top six position or is the club content with a sustainable and highly respectable mid table obscurity?

I tend to think that the latter option is the way forward. We will never compete with Buriram, Muang Thong, Bangkok United or Port. Simply put, these teams have the financial resources to fill their teams with high quality players - and best of luck to them. We can however compete within the next echelon of 4 or 5 teams and this should be our target.

The club is currently investing heavily in its Youth Academy and that bodes well for the future but unless we discover a rich “sugar daddy” our chances of advancement into being a top Thai side are limited. Currently coach Milos Joksic is doing a fine job with a mediocre squad of players and I suspect that if he were given the right tools, the sky would be the limit.

So mid table is our lot. I am happy with this scenario and my view is that relegation will not be on the agenda - perhaps with a few lucky breaks, we may break into the top six !!