Jurgen Klinsmann remains confident despite zero-for-four Korea record

Korean national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann speaks to reporters during a press conference at the Korea Football Association House in Jongno District, central Seoul on Thursday. [NEWS1]

Korean national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann has reiterated that he is still confident that he can overcome his difficult start with the Taeguk Warriors and lead the team to success.

Klinsmann opened up about his takeaways from his first four matches and his vision for the team during a press conference at the Korea Football Association House in Jongno District, central Seoul on Thursday.

“There is a lot of positives from all four games,” he said. “We should have won all four games. All four games, we were a better team. We had more chances than the opponents.

“The lesson is really that we have to become more clinical.”

Klinsmann, who took the helm of the national team in February, has failed to secure a single win, with two losses and two draws to his name so far.

His first two games in March ended with a 2-2 draw with Colombia and 2-1 loss against Uruguay, followed by a 1-0 loss against Peru and 1-1 draw with El Salvador this month.

Those stats make him the only foreign manager in national team history to have not managed a win in their first four games. His predecessor Paulo Bento won his debut match against Costa Rica 2-0.

Klinsmann’s influence was not especially notable in the first two matches, as he used the squad he inherited from Bento.

He then brought in new players to the national team for the June friendlies, but still failed to manage a single win despite more of his influence.

A few players like Lee Kang-in of Mallorca and regular captain Son Heung-min, who was largely sidelined this month as he recovered from surgery, shone despite the team’s struggle, but the rest of the squad showed a lack of cohesion.

The defense has been a notable vulnerability, with the team having conceded a goal in every single game — six goals in four games.

The vacancy caused by Napoli defender Kim Min-jae in the June friendlies — out for mandatory military basic training this month — was visible and none of the other defenders could replace him, although Park Ji-su of Portimonense SC showed some potential that he could be a regular pick in the near future.

Reinforcing the defensive factors is one of the improvements Klinsmann has to make, but he is keen to continue his own style of all-out attacking football.

“There are many ways to play attacking football, because when you have a player like Sonny, you have to go forward, because he is an incredible goal scorer,” he said. “I also want Cho, I want Oh and I want Ui-jo to become goal scorers. But goal scorers in every second game, not every fourth or fifth game.

“So this is the process to tell them how they can get there. At the end of the day, they have to score themselves. Our wish is that they play the style of football that is attacking, that is entertaining that people enjoy seeing, but it also gets the results at the end.”

His assistant coach Kim Young-min also appears to be on the same page.

“We are on a journey together. Hopefully, we show something special at the Asian Cup at the end,” Kim said. “This process takes a little bit of time, we all need to adjust to the way we play and train. Then the product will show more. We are in the process of doing that.”

Korea’s next friendly is the team’s first away game under Klinsmann against Wales in September in Cardiff.

That match is a chance for Klinsmann to redeem himself ahead of the AFC Asian Cup in January next year.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]