Advertisement
Opinion | What Hong Kong’s next football coach must do differently from Westwood
Ashley Westwood was liked by his players, but less by fans and bosses in a working relationship that was never built to last
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Hong Kong football fans’ bond with Ashley Westwood was always a fragile one.
Just how fragile was clear when, straight after last week’s 2-1 defeat by Singapore in a must-win Asian Cup qualifier, many rushed to social media to demand his removal as the city’s head coach.
Had predecessor Jorn Andersen suffered a comparable off-night, he would have been spared their anger. Hong Kong loyalists saw Andersen as someone who cared about them, their team and their players.
Advertisement
The impression given by Westwood, rightly or wrongly, was of a man passing through. Of someone aiming to deliver a short, sharp upturn to enhance his résumé, then move on.
There is not necessarily anything wrong with that. Andersen quit to take over Yunnan Yukun – but he had not spent his 2½ years in post questioning the knowledge of supporters and talking up his own record.
Along with charming the fan base, the next coach may do well to depart from Westwood’s bruising manner and reliance on veteran players.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x