BANGKOK: Former England captain Byan Robson put on a brave face on Sunday in explaining why he was clinging on to his job as Thailand coach after overseeing the country’s worst performances in recent years.
Furious Thai fans have demanded the resignation of the country’s football president and want answers as to why a side once tipped to become an Asian football heavyweight has stumbled embarrassingly in every competition since Robson took over.
The former Manchester United skipper, who replaced compatriot Peter Reid in September 2009, called his own news conference to explain the team’s dire form and admitted he would not give himself a passing grade in his first national team job.
“No, I don’t count anything as a pass until we win,” a stern-faced Robson said when asked to evaluate his performance as Thailand boss.
“I’m quite disappointed, I want to win and it’s results that matter.”
Under Robson, Thailand failed to reach the Asian Cup for the first time in 23 years and were bundled out of the South-east Asian Games and the South-east Asian championship – competitions they have long dominated – in the opening rounds.
Draws against strugglers Laos, Malaysia and the Maldives in the last three months were the final straw for angry Thai fans who had witnessed a major facelift under Reid, whose new-look, free-flowing team climbed rapidly up the FIFA world rankings.
Robson said he would not step down because he believed in his players and said the team had suffered due to the success of revamped domestic competitions, which had left his players exhausted and poorly prepared for national duty.
The former Middlesbrough, West Bromwich Albion, Sheffield United and Bradford City boss also rejected criticism he had spent too much time being a TV pundit and a global ambassador for Manchester United and said he was committed to his job.
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m coach here fulltime,” he said.
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