Latest news with #LauChiLok
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong fans hit back at ‘embarrassing' Westwood, want head coach axed despite record run
Ashley Westwood bewildered by fans' anger following nine-match unbeaten streak, but supporters slam coach's squad selection and attitude Hong Kong fans have doubled down on their criticism of Ashley Westwood after the head coach blasted them for demanding his dismissal on Thursday. The row was ignited following Westwood's decision to leave uncapped striker Lau Chi-lok out of his latest squad. Supporters booed the Englishman before Hong Kong's 0-0 draw against Nepal, then chanted 'Westwood out' following the final whistle. The Hong Kong boss was understandably taken aback by the ferocity of feeling towards him, given he has overseen a record nine-match unbeaten run. The 48-year-old, who has been in charge for nine months, accused his critics of 'knowing nothing about football', adding that they should stay away from Hong Kong matches if they do not intend to back the team and coach. Most fans who posted on the Football Association of Hong Kong, China's (HKFA) social media channels following the Nepal stalemate were in no mood to call a truce, however. A number of supporters are embroiled in a row with head coach Ashley Westwood. Photo: Elson Li 'Someone offer Westwood a free drive to the airport, please, get him out of HK. Stop embarrassing yourself Westwood,' one said. Another tagged Eric Fok Kai-shan, the HKFA chairman, in a post that simply said: 'Rubbish coach. Westwood out now.' Newsletter Daily Coffee and Sports By submitting, you consent to receiving marketing emails from SCMP. If you don't want these, tick here {{message}} Thanks for signing up for our newsletter! Please check your email to confirm your subscription. Follow us on Facebook to get our latest news. One fan called Westwood 'stupid and stubborn', and slammed his use of 'old foreigners who are slowing down the team'. 'Some of the best players in HK sitting in the stands once again, yet he will continue to push with naturalised players,' wrote another supporter, who accused Westwood of imparting 'very little tactical knowledge' during the game, and 'barking and shouting and looking to intimidate officials rather than focusing on the product on the pitch'. When Hong Kong play India in a crucial AFC Asian Cup qualifier at Kai Tak Stadium on Tuesday, it will be only the second time during Westwood's tenure that the city team have faced a higher-ranked opponent. They beat the other, the Philippines, 3-1. One fan wrote: 'WestwoodOut. It's not Hong Kong fans wasting your time, you have wasted our time. How shameless are you? You are so proud of your 7 wins. You forgot those opponents are how weak in soccer?' A number of commentators simply posted 'Westwood out', while the coach also came under fire for waiting until last night to hand popular Yue Tze-nam the first starting opportunity of his reign. 'Even the blind ones know Yue had long been the fittest player on the team, f*** him, putting Yue on the bench for seven, eight matches, everybody knows the coach is crazy, and he is still saying everyone else doesn't know football,' one supporter wrote. In reply, another fan wrote: 'Should we say it was the HKFA who was blind, that they actually picked him to be the head coach?' All roads for unhappy fans ultimately lead back to Lau, who scored 18 goals for BC Rangers in the 2024-25 campaign. 'Rubbish coach,' one fan wrote. 'Didn't accept any suggestions and always being arrogant! Saying fans don't know football! Nine matches undefeated record is just a joke … such a record is pointless! 'Lau Chi-lok has 18 goals but he was omitted, Stefan Pereira, Michael Udebuluzor and Manuel Bleda were really rubbish last night, strongly demand we change our head coach.' The antipathy towards Westwood was not entirely unanimous. 'Westwood is definitely a qualified coach for the Hong Kong team, ensuring [they] will have smooth sailing and not be discouraged,' one fan wrote. 'And he won't try to please anyone but just do what he thinks is correct.' Another said: 'The problem of being unable to break down a resolute defence had long been our problem, this is nothing to do with who's sitting in the dugout.' HKFA have been approached for comment.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong fans hit back at ‘embarrassing' Westwood, want head coach axed despite record run
Hong Kong fans have doubled down on their criticism of Ashley Westwood after the head coach blasted them for demanding his dismissal on Thursday. Advertisement The row was ignited following Westwood's decision to leave uncapped striker Lau Chi-lok out of his latest squad. Supporters booed the Englishman before Hong Kong's 0-0 draw against Nepal , then chanted 'Westwood out' following the final whistle. The Hong Kong boss was understandably taken aback by the ferocity of feeling towards him, given he has overseen a record nine-match unbeaten run. The 48-year-old, who has been in charge for nine months, accused his critics of 'knowing nothing about football' , adding that they should stay away from Hong Kong matches if they do not intend to back the team and coach. Most fans who posted on the Football Association of Hong Kong, China's (HKFA) social media channels following the Nepal stalemate were in no mood to call a truce, however. A number of supporters are embroiled in a row with head coach Ashley Westwood. Photo: Elson Li 'Someone offer Westwood a free drive to the airport, please, get him out of HK. Stop embarrassing yourself Westwood,' one said.
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Furious Westwood blasts critical Hong Kong fans, says they know ‘nothing about football'
A furious Ashley Westwood said supporters who called for his head after Hong Kong drew 0-0 with Nepal on Thursday 'know nothing about football'. Advertisement Head coach Westwood was jeered before kick-off by a section of the 6,092 crowd unhappy with his decision to exclude striker Lau Chi-lok from the squad. The mood turned uglier at full-time, as fans chanted 'Westwood out' after Hong Kong drew a blank for only the third time in the Englishman's 10 matches in charge. It was the city team's second straight stalemate, after they drew their opening Asian Cup qualifier 0-0 in Singapore in March. They play India in their next qualifying match at Kai Tak Stadium on Tuesday. 'I've never known anything like this in my life, these fans don't appreciate hard work,' Westwood said. 'I am not sure what they are expecting. Advertisement 'We were 159 in the world when I came, they a downward spiral for the past five years. In the Fifa rankings, they never moved, apart from downwards.
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong coach hits back at supporters, defends omission of fan favourite striker Lau
Hong Kong head coach Ashley Westwood has hit back at supporters who have questioned his decision to leave in-form striker Lau Chi-lok out of his latest squad. Advertisement The Englishman launched a staunch defence on Wednesday of his decision to leave the 31-year-old uncapped, and pointed out that none of his predecessors had opted to pick the BC Rangers player either. Lau was not named in the 24-man squad who will take on Nepal at Hong Kong Stadium on Thursday, despite scoring 18 goals in domestic football this season. And with few changes expected for next Tuesday's crunch Asian Cup qualifier against India at Kai Tak Stadium, the 31-year-old's first cap looks as far away as ever. Fans eager to see their hero included were left even angrier by a first call-up for recently naturalised Manuel Bleda, who has played just eight times for Eastern since he returned from a 19-month lay-off in March. Lau Chi-lok (right) scored 18 goals in domestic football this season for BC Rangers. Photo: BC Rangers Westwood said he had 'nothing against [Lau] personally', adding the striker did not have a permanent black mark against his name.
