Thai fans are skeptical as the Thai national team coach underestimates the U23 Vietnam stars

Despite U23 Vietnam’s historic third-place finish in Asia, Thailand’s head coach Anthony Hudson insists his young players are more talented, sparking fierce criticism from the Golden Kingdom’s own supporters.

Southeast Asian football just witnessed a shock as U23 Vietnam remarkably defeated U23 South Korea 7-6 on penalties to claim the bronze medal at the 2026 U23 Asian Championship. While the region praised Coach Kim Sang Sik’s team, Anthony Hudson, head coach of the Thai national team, made comments that contradicted the majority opinion.

Speaking to the media, the English strategist began by congratulating Vietnam but then shocked everyone by stating: “Deep down, I believe many of Thailand’s young players have greater potential than U23 Vietnam.”.

Hudson even cited specific names like Iklas Sanhorn and Chawalwit Saelao to prove that Thai football is not lacking in talent, although actual results contradict these claims.

This statement immediately faced strong backlash, not from Vietnamese fans, but from Thai supporters themselves. On major football forums in Thailand, doubts about the 45-year-old coach surged like never before. Most opinions suggested Hudson is unrealistic and lacks understanding of the country’s youth football.

A fan hinted on social media: “If they are better, why were they eliminated in the group stage while others finished third in Asia? Stop imagining and face reality!”.

Agreeing, another supporter commented: “You say your players are better, but why haven’t they beaten Vietnam once in youth competitions over the past nine years? Is the potential you talk about only on paper?”.

The dissatisfaction of Thai fans is justified when looking at the telling statistics. At the 2026 U23 Asian Championship, U23 Thailand finished last in their group, while Vietnam reached the continent’s top four.

Going further back, at SEA Games 33, U23 Vietnam defeated Thailand in the final to win the gold medal. Nine years of youth-level losses to their direct rival make Coach Hudson’s praise unconvincing.

Many other comments suggest the English coach is deliberately "misleading" the public to protect his position: “He’s just boasting to cover up his poor coaching. His ego is sky-high but his record is full of failures.”.

Some even worry about the future of Thai football: “If they keep deluding themselves as the best in the region without learning from their rivals’ progress, Thai football will fall further behind.”.

Although Anthony Hudson is regarded as a modern-thinking coach who has worked in the US and New Zealand, his emotional remarks have unintentionally caused a media crisis.

In football, true talent must translate into trophies and resilience on the field. As long as U23 Thailand cannot surpass Vietnam in official tournaments, Hudson’s comments will continue to be dismissed by his own fans as empty words.