‘Veteran fullback’ Kim Jin-soo (31, Jeonbuk Hyundai) shared his thoughts on national team coach Jürgen Klinsmann (59).
The Hana OneQ K League 1 2023 Final Round Media Day, marking the start of the 2023 season, was held at the Nine Tree Premier Locus Hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on April 18.
Head coaches and captains of the six clubs in Final A (Ulsan, Pohang, Gwangju, Jeonbuk, Daegu, Incheon), including league leaders Hong Myung-bo and Kim Ki-hee, attended the event. More than 120 fans were also in attendance, livening up the event.
Pohang’s Kim Ki-dong and Kim Seung-dae, Gwangju’s Lee Jung-hyo and Ahn Young-gyu, Daegu’s Choi Won-kwon and retiring Lee Geun-ho, and Incheon’s Cho Sung-hwan and Oh Ban-seok took the microphone. Jeonbuk was represented by head coach Valeriu Bordeanu and head coach Kim Jin-soo in place of Dan Petrescu and Hong Jeong-ho, who were unable to attend due to personal reasons.먹튀검증
Kim Jin-soo spoke to reporters before the main event of the media day. “The goal is to finish the league in a high position, of course, but we also have the FA Cup and the Asian Champions League (ACL). In the FA Cup, we want to beat Incheon in the final and win the title, and in the ACL, we want to qualify for the round of 16 since the qualifiers are over this year.”
Despite their dramatic run to the Final A, fourth place in the league is not where Jeonbuk wants to be. “It’s the first time I’ve lost more than 10 games in a Jeonbuk uniform,” Kim said when asked if this year has been the toughest since joining the club. I’ve always lost five or six times in Jeonbuk. It’s not that I’m used to being ranked fourth or fifth, but it’s the first time I’ve lost more than 10 times in a year.”
“There’s probably a lot of issues. We’re not scoring enough goals, and sometimes we’re just unlucky. I’m a defender, so it’s important not to concede. I think I’m actually conceding fewer goals. On the contrary, we are not scoring well. Even if the defense holds up, if the goals don’t go in for whatever reason, I don’t think we can win,” he added.
Kim Jin-soo played 45 minutes in the previous day’s match against Vietnam before being forced to participate in the media day. “I haven’t seen the manager or the coach yet,” said Kim, who hadn’t been with the national team in a while. I’ll talk to them later. Of course it’s hard. Of course, I only played half of yesterday’s game, so my physical condition isn’t too bad. But I’m considered a senior in the national team, so there are things I have to take care of. Of course, I’m not the captain, but the responsibility is different than when I was younger. So I think it’s harder mentally than anything else.”
Jürgen Klinsmann, who has been criticized for his frequent overseas trips and working from home, has been given a breather with two 4-0 and 6-0 wins over Tunisia and Vietnam. Some say his tactical skills are not as good as his managerial skills.
However, the players disagree. Kim Min-jae said shortly after the Vietnam War, “Honestly, I don’t think we’ve ever had a coach who was well-liked. Results are made by the players. The coach’s role is important, but it’s important for the players to do well and turn the tide,” while captain Son Heung-min also emphasized, “I think he (Klinsmann) is too bad. There are some things he lets us do freely. I hope you don’t think too sharply about it.”
Kim Jin-soo echoed the same sentiment, saying, “Of course I agree (with Kim Min-jae’s comments). “I think if a team keeps winning, no matter what the match is, I don’t think there’s a big problem, because the results are good. But if you keep losing, even if the game is good every time, someone will definitely take issue with it.”
Kim Jin-soo also said, “I think we need some time, and of course many people can say ‘good’ or ‘bad’. But the coach hasn’t been here for a long time. We have to do a good job of what he wants. If the coach also understands what the players want, the results will be even better than now.”
Kim also shared his thoughts on Klinsmann’s controversial departure. He said, “It’s the coach’s own style. I don’t think there’s a big problem if he keeps it up,” he said.
He also shared his thoughts on the team’s three-game winning streak. Kim Jin-soo said, “First of all, it’s so good to see the members. Yesterday, I also started the game from the bench, so I watched from the outside, and the team is so good. (Lee) Kang-in, (Hwang) Hee-chan. I hope there will be more players who are in their prime and maintain good form, and since there are so many of them, fans come to see them,” he smiled.
“Anyway, we got the result in the second game. Now it’s time to play. I don’t think it’s important who we play in November, it’s important that we do what we’re trying to do. I think we have a good chemistry and a good atmosphere, both in training and in this call-up.”
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