Vietnam striker is all admiration for 'fiercest' coach Troussier

"I have never met a coach as relentless and fierce as Troussier," he said in an interview with Japanese newspaper Sponichi.

The 28-year-old striker has worked with various coaches both in Vietnam and abroad, with Troussier being the fourth national coach after Toshiya Miura, Nguyen Huu Thang and Park Hang-seo.

At club level, he has played under French coach Guillaume Graechen at Hoang Anh Gia Lai, a Japanese coach at Mito Hollyhock, a Belgian coach at Sint-Truidense, and a Norwegian coach at Incheon United.

He feels that Troussier remains the same passionate coach that made Japan the 2000 Asian Cup champion and took them to the knock-out stages of the FIFA World Cup two years later.

He was dubbed the "Red Devil" by the Japanese as he often seemed to turn red with rage on the touchline.

Coach Philippe Troussier reacts during a training session with Vietnam's U23 football team in March 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Hieu Luong

"The fierceness and competitiveness that coach Troussier brings to the Vietnam national team are the same as what the Japanese have always known.

"In the national team, we sometimes have meetings that last two hours, and we also spend a good deal of time discussing things on the pitch," Phuong told Sponichi.

Regardless of what others might make of Troussier's personality, the striker is clear the Frenchman has never had a negative impact on him.

"It is perhaps because his personality is a bit different from that of Vietnamese people, who are more caring and intimate.

"However, his style of coaching seems very stimulating and effective," Phuong told Sponichi.

While Vietnam focused on being defensively solid under Park Hang-seo, Troussier has been experimenting with a more possession-based style of play though he too relies on three central defenders like his predecessor.

The Nghe An-born striker feels positive about the team and believes they are progressing, though the improvement has only been evident against teams at the same level.

"When we play opponents of higher level, problems in our defense are exposed."

Nguyen Cong Phuong in Vietnam's 2-0 victory against Palestine in a friendly match, Sept. 11, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Hieu Luong

Troussier led Vietnam to 1-0 wins in friendlies against Hong Kong and Syria in his first two matches in charge, before losing to China (0-2), Uzbekistan (0-2) and South Korea (0-6).

In the second qualifier for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Vietnam beat the Philippines 2-0 and lost 0-1 to Iraq.

They lost 1-2 to Kyrgyzstan in a friendly behind closed doors this week ahead of the Asian Cup.

Vietnam kick-off their 2023 Asian Cup campaign against number one contender Japan on Jan. 14.

The two teams last met in the third qualifier of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, when Vietnam suffered a 0-1 home defeat but managed to scrape a 1-1 draw at the Saitama Stadium in Japan.

Nonetheless, the frighteningly in-form Japan, who are on a 10-match winning streak with at least four goals in each of them, will certainly present a challenge to Vietnam's young squad in the upcoming outing.

Phuong was not named to the Asian Cup squad by Troussier after a difficult year at Yokohama FC during which he only started once for the Japanese club. Though Phuong has always been a popular face in the national team, Troussier has decided to put his faith in fit and in-form players with regular playing time, including many youngsters with little experience on the big stage.

In their two remaining group games, Vietnam play Indonesia on Jan. 19 in a make-or-break match that will likely decide their chances of advancing to the knock-out round and Iraq on Jan. 24.

Meanwhile, Phuong will find himself fighting for time on the pitch at Yokohama, who were relegated to J-League 2 last season.