Japan’s coach VahidHalilhodzic believes that the Japanese players need to become more aggressive if they want to progress.
He said that the players show too much respect to their opponents and this is what is hindering their progress on the pitch.
Japan has made a poor start to their World Cup qualifying campaign, and there is intense pressure on VahidHalilhodzic to deliver results. There are also talks in Japan about replacing the coach, and they have given him a few more games to turn the results around.
However, VahidHalilhodzic believes that he is doing his job and that it is time for the players to do theirs. He said that the Japanese players are far more respectful of their opponents and that they are not assertive enough on the ball.
He said that the team should develop a winning mentality and that they should always come on the pitch to win games. He believes that the Japan team has some good squad, but it is up to the players to learn how to unlock their potential.
He said that as a player he dislikes losing, but he cannot understand why the Japanese players do not behave like him.
VahidHalilhodzic stated that he is not afraid to lose his job as he believes he is doing his maximum to help the team. He believes that the players are working hard in training and that soon they will be able to bring the same performance to the pitch.
Japan is currently third in their qualifying group and may miss out on automatic qualification for the next World Cup. Failing to make it in the top two will mean that Japan will face tricky play-off games against strong sides that may jeopardize their chance of making it to Russia.