New coach for struggling K League club looking to instill winning mentality

유지호 / 2022-04-21 15:53:06

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▲ Lee Byung-geun, new head coach of Suwon Samsung Bluewings, speaks at his introductory press conference at the team's clubhouse in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, on April 21, 2022, in this photo provided by Suwon. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ Lee Byung-geun, new head coach of Suwon Samsung Bluewings, speaks to his players during a training session at the team's clubhouse in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, on April 18, 2022, in this photo provided by Suwon. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

football club-coach

New coach for struggling K League club looking to instill winning mentality

HWASEONG, South Korea, April 21 (Yonhap) -- Taking over a club stuck at one win after nine matches this K League 1 season, new Suwon Samsung Bluewings head coach Lee Byung-geun said Thursday he wants to develop a winning mindset in the locker room.

Lee, 48, is replacing Park Kun-ha, who resigned last Friday to take the fall for Suwon's dismal start to the 2022 campaign. They are currently in 11th place among 12 teams with seven points on one win, four draws and four losses. They are tied for the fewest goals in the K League 1 with seven.

Lee signed his two-year deal on Monday. At his introductory press conference Thursday, Lee said he has faith in his new team's potential.

"This is a club that thrives in crisis and that can come from behind to win matches," Lee said at the team's clubhouse in Hwaseong, south of Seoul in Gyeonggi Province. "I'd like to mold this into a team that absolutely hates losing."

Lee had played for Suwon from 1996 to 2006. He then served as Suwon's top assistant in 2013 and caretaker boss for a month in 2018. He had most recently been head coach for Daegu FC, leading them to a club-record third place in the K League 1 in 2021 and to the runner-up finish at the FA Cup. Daegu FC still parted ways with Lee in December despite these accomplishments, and Lee is now back in his old stomping ground.

Lee admitted he didn't want to come into such a challenging situation, with Suwon mired in a seven-match winless slide. In the end, Lee's desire to turn things around at his old team won over.

"As a former Suwon player, I've been disappointed that Suwon haven't been winning this year," Lee said. "I decided I should try to resurrect this team. There are many players here that I'd coached before, and I am confident I can work with them to reshape the club."

Lee has run a couple of training sessions and coached Suwon in a practice match against a university team. What stood out for the new bench boss was the apparent lack of confidence in his players.

"They have to be more aggressive on the pitch," Lee said. "They shouldn't be afraid of making mistakes. They have to make passes with more zip and charge into the box with an attacking mindset."

Lee said he will also tweak Suwon's tactical formation. They have mostly deployed three defensive backs, but Lee wants to go with four defenders, with fullbacks on either flank getting involved in offense.

Suwon's first official match under Lee will be a third round match at the FA Cup against Gimcheon Sangmu next Wednesday.

"I am not sure if we will experiment with a new formation or stick with a more familiar one in that first match," Lee said. "Ultimately, I think we will try to do whatever it takes to win, so that the players will get a boost to their confidence."

The K League 1 season is currently on hiatus with three clubs competing at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League. It will resume on May 5, and Suwon will host the first-place Ulsan Hyundai FC that day.

Next up will be Lee's former team, Daegu FC, on May 8.

"I absolutely do not want to lose to Daegu," Lee said. "We're going through a difficult stretch right now, but all it takes is just a couple of wins, and our players will be just fine."

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