From The Dugout: Impossible To Be Organized

I’ve been asked many times why, Next Step didn’t enter the League Cup? Why are we being so quiet with our plans? Why are we do poorly organized? So to dispell a myth or two and answer those questions I’ll use this article today to explain…

The League Cup……

The League Cup would’ve been a great opportunity for us to get more time on the pitch, more minutes for young players and a chance to change the perception of our club. These are all very true and I would’ve loved to have been getting ready to play games next week. Financially we could’ve done it. However as a club we’ve been guilty of jumping in head first and not being ready. That is something we’re working hard to change. We want always make sure that as representatives of Cambodian football that our global fan base has a good impression of the game in this country. We’re first and foremost Khmer.

Why Are We So Unorganized?

Let me tell you here and now this is a myth. As a club we are always thinking ahead and trying to combat problems ahead of time. This is impossible given that we don’t know the answers to many questions. It’s February. We don’t know the format of the League this year. How many teams? Hun Sen Cup dates? Women’s League? Youth League? Coaching Badges? What I’ve always campaigned for us a calender of everything football to be issued so that we can plan. We know things are likely to change but a base to work from. It’s impossible to be prepared when we don’t know when things will happen or even if they will happen.

What Are Next Step Plans For 2023/24?

The football club is going through a transition and financial stability is priority number 1 to enable us to create an environment to better develop young players. We operate differently and our goals are different. This means whilst we get lots of interesting proposals for partnerships we’re always mindful of the people we let into the family. They have to share the vision and understand results are second to the values of the club.

The rumours of us changing province are true. It’s something that is gaining pace and a real possibility. However we’re in no rush to make decisions and you can be sure that whatever we do is going to be done the right way with Khmer football, it’s image and it’s the players at the forefront of our thinking.