Dateline 17^th Feb 2018

 FT  Suphanburi 1 NRFC 0

Attendance; 7248

The Swatcats started with new signing Sarawut Masuk, his debut for the club.

The Swatcats had an early break in the 7^th minute when Cunningham made a point blank save. The ball was tapped in from the rebound but the goal was ruled to be offside. Despite early pressure from the home team, neither side produced a clear cut chance as a rather sterile first half came to an end.

Suphanburi went ahead in the 52^nd minute with an angled drive from Wasan Homsan but again in a half of few chances, it seemed that the single goal was going to settle it. The Swatcats became more adventurous as the second half progressed but despite several raids forward they were unable to pierce the Suphan defence.

Rangel had a rare chance to equalize in the closing minutes after a defensive error but his shot was parried by the keeper.

Another determined performance, there seems to be more fight in the team than last season. The lack of chances made is still a worry - I cannot recollect a single chance of note, apart from the Rangel effort. Masuk has made a difference in midfield and the defence looked in control most of the time but who is going to score the goals???

Match Day 2 Stats

Dateline 11^th Feb 2018

 FT  NRFC 1 Bangkok Glass 0

Attendance; 10787

An 80^th minute header from Ekkachai Rittiphan gave the Swatcats an unexpected but deserved 3 points over the much fancied Bangkok Glass in this campaign opener.

In front of the highest attendance in the league - yes more than at the Buriram match, this was a determined Swatcat team who fought manfully if not skillfully to overcome Glass.

In a first half devoid of real chances from the home team, Bangkok Glass manufactured 3 clear cut chances of their own and as the half ended one wondered if the men from Korat could hold out for a point.

Bangkok Glass moved up a gear in the second half and began to “boss” the Swatcat defence with some shrewd movement and crisp passing. The defence weathered the onslaught and following a period of pressure from the home team Rittiphan rose to head in to give the Swatcats victory.

Was the defence shaky at times? - Yes, did we produce loads of chances? – No, but the team did enough to convince me that survival or better may be within our grasp.

Well done the Swatcats a great start to the season.

Match Day 1 Stats

Season 2018 - a preview. What can we expect from The Swatcats in the coming season?

Well unfortunately, I expect more of the same and a repeat of last year’s limited accomplishments.

In terms of personnel, Victor Igbonefo has been a high profile departure but due to his lack of pace and marking ability I personally was glad to see the back of him. Port picked up a couple of players from us, Chakrit Rawanprakone and Athibordee Arirat who will make decent squad players for Port.

 The team has bolstered the squad with the signings of goalkeepers Samuel Cunningham and Todsaporn Srireung, stopper Lee Won-Jae, winger Yaya Kunath and Thai National Team player Sarawut Masuk, but these signings apart, I have real doubts about the team’s ambitions to “kick on” and the team’s ability to attract fans is a continuing worry.

Thai international Masuk’s signing offers a glimpse of hope and his presence will undoubtedly enhance the squad. If he can link with Pina and provide service for Adiyiah and Rangel we may well defy the odds and avoid the drop.

Our signings seem paltry when compared to other TPL teams who are investing heavily in new and better players. Even promoted clubs Prachuap, Chainat and Air Force have bought in real quality players - with a week to go until the new season, the Swatcats have not even filled their ASEAN quota spot.

Last season’s 12^th place was disappointing but it could have been worse - a late run seeing 7 points from the last 3 home games saw the team pull themselves clear of relegation woes.

This season the Premier League is shrinking to 16 teams at the season’s end leading to the relegation of 5 teams this season. My only aspiration for the coming season is for the Swatcats to avoid those 5 relegation places.

The fans expressed their disappointment with last season’s performances by voting with their feet but the management, seemingly content with the status quo, has made little attempt to improve the quality of the squad. I have heard views that the club would prefer to be a successful Tier 2 club pulling in decent crowds than a struggling Premier League minnow. I sincerely hope that this does not represent the future of this potentially massive club.

A top ten finish would be excellent but I just cannot see it happening. The squad is not strong enough and I do have doubts that Milos Joksic’s coaching abilities are enough to take the team to a higher level.

As ever “I hope that I am wrong” but I do continue to have serious misgivings about the future of the club. Go on lads…prove me wrong !!

The Swatcats 2017 - Season Review.

Well on the whole a disappointing campaign for the Swatcats. In their third season in the Top Tier, a disappointing 12th place is the paltry reward for their efforts. Poor home form has cost them dearly. Poor home results have led to crowds plummeting, culminating in a miserly 1500 at the Bangkok Glass game in November.

There appears to have been little progression - in fact just the opposite - 8^thplace in 2015, 11^th place in 2016 and 12th in 2017 - an unhealthy trend and one that may end in disaster next year.

Motivation seems fine and some performances have been encouraging but the lack of fire power led to many potential victories, particularly at home, ending in disappointing draws. This dented the team’s aspirations of a top ten finish. It took till late in the season to enroll Paulo Rangel who certainly livened things up at the front.

I personally feel that the current squad should not be fighting in the quagmire of a relegation battle. This is a top ten team in terms of player personnel. If I am correct in this view, the finger must inevitably be pointed at Milos Joksic. The question has to be asked, has he taken the team as far as he is capable of doing. I think he is a good team builder and motivator but is his tactical prowess lacking?

The defence looks brittle - Victor Igbonefo is often found lacking, both in his pace and marking ability and the attack, although improved by the arrival of Rangel, looks toothless at times. The team needs to control midfield more effectively - all too often the ball is carelessly given away which puts extra pressure on the defenders.

My opinion is that a well structured 5-3-2 structure is the way forward but with the midfield sitting deeper to consolidate the defence. Adiyiah playing wide with Rangel in the middle is a potentially lethal combination up front but Pina must support them from midfield

In conclusion, an up and coming provincial team with a potentially massive fan base has stumbled and needs a kick up the backside. I think that the squad is strong but is being mismanaged tactically. Unfortunately, although I think that Milos is a great bloke, the team needs a new and fresh approach and a change in coach is now essential.

Unfortunately, I see little evidence of real ambition to raise the club’s profile and Milos Jokic has recently been awarded a new contract. For us fans, it seems that the best that we can hope for is premiership survival. The problem with this strategy is that ultimately, you will have one bad season that may lead to relegation - and surely no one within the club wants that!

I would love to finish on a positive but all I see for the future is a very ordinary side, playing very ordinary football. Diminishing crowds means mean less revenue and that there is little hope of significant additions to the squad. The Joksic contract suggests that the owners are satisfied with the status quo….. the Korat public obviously is not!!!

Dateline 18^th November – Match day 34.

 FT NRFC 1 Sukhothai 1

The 2017 season drew to an end this weekend as the Swatcats sought their third home win in a row.

The match kicked off in front of 2940 fans. In early drama, Ekkachai Rittipan ran onto a through ball from Rangel but he rolled the ball just wide. At the other end the Firebats went close with a header and with the skillful Baggio a constant thorn in the side of the hosts, the visitors looked a threat.

A sortie down the right by Baggio and a superb cross was met by a half volley that was fortuitously blocked by a grateful defender. Minutes later Baggio went close with an angled drive.

With the Swatcats now on the back foot, a Sukhothai goal looked imminent but the hosts weathered the storm and managed to escape the half on level terms.

The second half began with a shock for the hosts when a seemingly harmless free kick from 30 yards drifted into the net - what on earth keeper Weera was doing was beyond belief!! Minutes later, a now confident Sukhothai were denied a certain second goal by an acrobatic clearance from Igbonefo.

This seemed to wake up the slumbering hosts and they now attacked with more fervour. With men being pushed forward, a series of half chances were created with an Ekkachai Rittipan header being the highlight of this renewed burst of energy.

In the 79^th minute, Kirati Kaewsombat was introduced and with his first touch he headed in from a corner to equalize the scores. Minutes later Rangel had a great chance to put the Swatcats ahead but his shot was well saved. In this late surge Kirati Kaewsombat was again involved when he launched himself at a looping cross but his brave header went wide. Unfortunately during his resultant fall he injured his collarbone and was led hesitantly to the waiting ambulance - an injured hero indeed!

A disappointing result and arguably Sukhothai were the better side. The Swatcat team without Dominic Adiyiah looked aimless and uninspiring although Adiyiah replacement Ekkachai Rittipan impressed. Paulo Rangel’s mind was obviously elsewhere and for me his recent performances do not warrant a new contract. Adiyiah’s absence worries me - he was not even on the bench - I have a gut feeling all is not well.

I’m not sure about goalkeeper Weera’s future either. His positional sense seems poor and he is often caught out of the correct position.

Yet again a team came to the 80^th Anniversary Stadium and gave the hosts a lesson in effective passing and maintenance of possession. How this situation can be rectified is in the hand of the coach - I’m not optimistic that there will be drastic improvements!!

Match Day 34 Stats

Finances at Nakhon Ratchasima FC – Season 2017.

Information is exceedingly difficult to find so my figures are “guestimates” and are open to fuller scrutiny.

Income.

As shown in the chart below. NRFC’s primary budget is 50 million baht. I assume this is made up by the share of Truevision’s TV rights plus the major sponsor up of the club (Mazda motors).

Additional shirt sponsorship (Adda, Glico, Central, GS batteries, KBS, Class coffee, Dapper etc plus kit sponsorship) and ground based advertising - 10 million baht.

Shirt and other merchandise income - 5 million baht

Income from ticket sales. 17 league matches plus maybe 3 home cup ties. The Swatcat average gate is just over 5000. Price of tickets 60, 100 and 150 baht - average 100 baht. Income from each match 100 times 5000 equals 500 000 baht. 20 matches so total gate income is 10 million baht.

This assumes that the home team keeps all receipts.

TOTAL INCOME per annum is therefore 75 million baht.

Outgoings

Player’s salaries. The team’s 4 foreign players plus captain and Thai international Chalermpong are earning approx 500 000 baht per month. The other 20 Thai players are probably on average earning 150 000 baht per month. Total monthly salary bill is 5 500 000 baht

Coaching staff salaries 700 000 baht per month

Security/ticket sales staff/police 200 000 baht per month

Ground rental from SAT 100 000 baht per month

Team coach (bus) plus match day expenses, hotels etc 100 000 baht per month

TOTAL OUTGOINGS 6 600 000 baht per month, 79 200 000 baht

Dateline 12^th November – Match day 33.

 FT NRFC 2 Bangkok Glass 1

The Glass rabbits were the opponents in the penultimate home game of the season at the 80^th Anniversary Stadium.

Dominic Adiyiah opened the scoring in the 8th minute with a glorious drive that curved deliciously into the corner of the net eluding a diving keeper. With growing confidence, the Swatcats pressured and Paulo Rangel misses a golden chance to put the hosts 2 up when his half volley from 8 yards thundered against the bar. Bangkok Glass countered with one shot being well saved by Weera and another fizzing just wide of the post.

The first half concluded with honours about even but with the hosts holding that important one goal lead.

The second half commenced with Glass continuing to knock the ball about confidently, The Swatcats meanwhile defended bravely with Victor Igbonefo prominent but the home team did not help their cause by continually surrendering possession in midfield with misplaced passes.

Bangkok Glass bagged an equalizer in the 74th minute with a well struck Chitpanya Thisud free kick from 25 yards and with the Swatcats sitting back, Bangkok Glass became increasingly dominant.

With Bangkok later becoming restricted to harmless long range shots, the Swatcats continued to break forward sporadically and they went close with one shot cleared off the line and another scrambled clear.

On 78 minutes, with Swatcats’ fans wondering if their team could hold out for the draw, Dominic Adiyiah latched onto a long ball forward, eluded an advancing keeper and rolled the ball into the net to put the men from Korat two one up.

An anxious last 10 minutes as Bangkok searched for the equalizer but the hosts kept their nerve and ran out deserved winners of the contest.

An encouraging result for the Swatcats and a 5 star performance from Dominic Adiyiah. Although it was plain to see that Bangkok Glass were a technically more gifted side, the Swatcats manfully slugged away and just about deserved the three points. Swatcat fans like myself looked on enviously as Glass regularly broke forward with fine passing moves and great technical skills - skills sadly lacking within the home team!!

Despite a massive advantage in possession throughout the match for the visitors, the hosts actually created the best chances and with Sukhothai at home next weekend a hat-trick of consecutive home wins is within the team’s grasp.

A footnote; the game was watched by 1583 fans - an utter disgrace for a city of Korat’s side. One has to ask, does the city deserve a Premier League team?

Match Day 33 Stats