Suwon Samsung has appointed director Kim Byung-soo (53), not ‘Real Blue’, as the new head coach. Can this choice really be the signal for reform that fans are crying out for?

On the 4th, Suwon officially announced that they had appointed manager Kim Byung-soo as the 8th manager. His contract expires at the end of December 2024. Coaching staff will be announced at a later date.

Suwon cited ▲football philosophy based on his own playing style ▲communication with the players ▲ability to respond to matches as the reasons for appointing coach Kim Byung-soo. He also explained that he showed the most active will and detail in analyzing Suwon’s problems and presenting solutions.

It is a big decision just to break away from the 메이저사이트 real blue trend that has been going on for a while. In the meantime, Suwon has entrusted the managerial position to people from the club, such as Yoon Seong-hyo, Seo Jeong-won, Lee Im-saeng, Park Geon-ha, and Lee Byeong-geun. However, it continued to be sluggish and replaced 3 coaches from club legends over 5 years and 5 over 10 years.

In the meantime, Suwon has received strong criticism for football that revolves around the front. Suwon fans boycotted cheering in the Gangwon match last month, and put up banners such as ‘the front salary is the lowest in the industry’s top club management’ and ‘the front desk has been hiding behind the players for several years’. 

Even after the resignation of manager Lee Byeong-geun, the fan spirit did not change. In the recent match against Daegu, ‘The bottom line is due to the bottom management’, ‘The front desk, coaches, and players without ambition should leave immediately. Suwon always refuses to be third-rate.”

In fact, Suwon rarely had a successful pre-season in recent years. Amid dwindling parent company investment and rickety administration, the supervisor’s role was often limited. The recruitment of foreign players, which can influence the performance of the year, is also full of failures such as Krupic, Jerich, Nicolao, and Groning. 

This year alone, coach Lee Byeong-geun was unable to bring in the striker he wanted and had to be content with rushing to bring in Mulich. Even K-League 2 teams couldn’t leave the overseas field training that many of them went to. There is a reason why fans are tired of recurring problems and are blaming the front desk.

As a result, Suwon was in an unprecedented crisis. This season’s record is 2 draws and 8 losses, but only 2 points. Of course, the ranking is the bottom of the 12 teams.

This is the lowest score tie record in the opening 10 games in K-League history. It is a dishonorable record that stands shoulder to shoulder with Jeonbuk in 2001, Jeju in 2003, Gangwon in 2011, and Incheon in 2020. This is why Suwon, which survived after stepping on the threshold of relegation last year, has a sense of crisis that it can really fall to the second division this time.

Is that why? Suwon fans are calling for reform more earnestly than ever. The Suwon club also chose coach Kim Byung-soo, promising to “establish a plan for reform to escape from poor grades and make bone-breaking changes.”

This is why Suwon fans welcome this appointment even more. It is positive that a new manager has come to catch up with the faltering team, but above all, expectations are gathering in that the sprouts of change may have begun.

Of course, if you want a true metamorphosis, it shouldn’t end here. As much as the frame has changed, the attitude of the club centered on the front must also change. Even if a new command tower comes, it is useless if the environment that can support him is not supported.

Driven to the edge of a cliff, Suwon took a breather by seeking a new drink called director Kim Byung-soo. Now we need new wineskins to contain the new wine.

Only when director Kim Byung-soo gives him strength so that he can boldly cut out the festering parts can he survive and even advance to the Final A in the future.

Suwon has become a team that is not familiar with Final A. In the last 5 seasons, I stayed in 6th, 8th, 8th, 6th, and 10th, and in the 2021 season, when I last stepped on the Final A stage, I couldn’t win a single win in the final round. In order for Suwon to get out of the ‘final A-bound team’, they must change from the inside as the fans desperately wished.

Meanwhile, coach Kim Byung-soo is scheduled to make his debut in a home game against Jeonbuk on the 10th. After watching the Incheon away game on the 5th, he will start training in earnest from the 7th.