Walters, the founder of K League United, the official English channel of the South Korean league which has recently worked more with Southeast Asian football, told VnExpress that the dismissal of coach Troussier by the Vietnam Football Federation was “more than fair”.
“The style of play and tactical system that Troussier tried to build for Vietnam did not suit the team’s players,” said the 40-year-old expert.
But he also said that “players should take a long look in the mirror and then explain to themselves why the team is in the current situation.”
For the first time in its history, Vietnam lost three consecutive matches against Indonesia, including two matches five days apart in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup. The 0-3 defeat at My Stadium Dinh Tuesday was the final straw that ended Troussier’s tenure and his contract was terminated two years early. Many national experts believe that the 69-year-old coach must take responsibility for this failure, while Walters believes that the players must also question themselves.
“The results showed that Indonesia has a good team and is a candidate for the AFF Cup title this year, but they are not strong enough to beat Vietnam twice in a row like that,” said Walters.
“Vietnam is clearly in a period of transition and players must demonstrate their leadership qualities. Of course, this task is more difficult when they are placed in the wrong system.”
Walters, who visited many football stadiums in Vietnam to watch V-League matches, often interviewed Vietnamese players, including Do Hung Dung. The 31-year-old midfielder is the team captain, but has not been able to maintain his form in recent times.
Besides Dung, other players with a lot of experience in the team, like Nguyen Tuan Anh, Nguyen Van Toan and Nguyen Tien Linh, had the chance to play, but they only managed to score one goal in seven official matches under Troussier. Nguyen Quang Hai hasn’t played a single minute in the last four 2026 World Cup qualifying matches, Nguyen Hoang Duc looked out of place in two matches against Indonesia and Ho Tan Tai only played in as a replacement.
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Football expert Ryan Walters (right) stands with Vietnamese midfielder Do Hung Dung in Hanoi on March 12, 2024. Photo by Ryan Walters |
Other experienced players such as Que Ngoc Hai, Doan Van Hau, Nguyen Cong Phuong and Do Duy Manh were often injured and could not contribute much to the national team in recent international matches. Meanwhile, young and new players like Vo Minh Trong, Nguyen Dinh Bac, Khuat Van Khang and Phan Tuan Tai were not consistent. With a broken team, Vietnam have lost 10 of the last 11 matches under Troussier in all competitions.
Former coach Park Hang-seo emphasized the strength of the defense, both in open play and set pieces. Under Park, the team did not have a very high winning rate (47%), but its losing rate (25%) was the lowest among Vietnam’s foreign coaches.
During Troussier’s tenure, the team spent more time on ball control and short passing, but the offensive power did not improve. On average, the team scored just 0.8 goals per game, compared to 1.6 goals under Park. The team’s conceding rate has also increased, from 0.9 goals conceded per game under Park to 1.7 goals. Troussier has the worst win-loss ratio among the 10 foreign coaches who led Vietnam.
Walters said the new coach should “know how to adjust the team’s playing style and tactics to suit the players, instead of sticking to their own football philosophy and forcing the players to follow it” .
Only then will the team’s performance improve, he said.
