The Big Question: Qualification secured, should Gavin Lee be the next permanent Lions coach?
In this series, The Straits Times takes a deep dive into the hottest sports topic or debate of the hour. From Lamine Yamal’s status as the next big thing to pickleball’s growth, we’ll ask The Big Question to set you thinking, and talking.
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Lions interim coach Gavin Lee greeting fans at Changi Airport on Nov 19, after returning home from their historic Asian Cup qualification in Hong Kong.
ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
Follow topic:
- Singapore's football team qualified for the Asian Cup, leading to discussions about the future of interim head coach Gavin Lee
- The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) had previously interviewed foreign coaches for the permanent role.
- Players support Lee, praising his modern approach, tactical insights and team unity, but concerns exist about his lack of big tournament experience.
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SINGAPORE – Singapore football – long ridiculed – is suddenly front-page news for the right reasons.
After the Lions secured their maiden Asian Cup qualification
And while the destination is certain, a question mark still lingers over who will be the director in the Lions’ dugout in Saudi Arabia in 2027.
Gavin Lee, in his role as interim coach, has helped the team secure the historic feat, with two wins and a draw in three competitive matches.
He has the honour of being the first coach to take the Lions to the Asian Cup on merit. The only other time Singapore took part in the continent’s football showpiece was when it was hosted here in 1984.
Having brought them to the Promised Land and secured them a promissory note of around $2 million from FAS president Forrest Li
No shortage of candidates for the job
It needs to be said that the Lions did not get here by chance. The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and Lee have had to deal with the cards handed to them.
In June, then Lions coach Tsutomu Ogura of Japan resigned due to personal reasons
The Straits Times reported in July that a host of names such as World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro and former Liverpool winger Harry Kewell were on a shortlist fly in for face-to-face talks
Montgomery eventually took up an assistant coach role at Nottingham Forest, a position he has since been relieved of. ST understands that initial contractual negotiations had also begun with Casas, who had been the FAS’ top choice.
Intending to leave no stone unturned in their search, more top names were considered and contacted recently.
But, with navigation to the Asian Cup, Lee is now understood to be among the serious candidates. There will now ensue a debate on whether the Lions should go with a foreign coach – for the fourth consecutive time – or hire their first permanent local coach since V. Sundram Moorthy in 2016.
Asked about Lee’s prospects upon the team’s arrival back in Singapore on Nov 19, Li said: “We’ll have a conversation with Gavin. We will see what he wants to do... but at this moment, we just want to enjoy the moment.
“I think definitely based on what Gavin has achieved, he will be a very, very strong candidate for us to consider, but we also have other very strong candidates in the pipeline. I think we’re in a good position, we have good choices.”
Lee, meanwhile, said: “I just want to soak it all in, let the emotions go away for a little bit and then we’ll have those discussions, if we’re meant to have those discussions.”
Trusting local or going global?
Former FAS president Bernard Tan said the “nationality of the coach matters little” and that it is instead about “getting the right coach at the right time with the right mandate”.
He pointed out that the Asian Cup qualifying campaign had started out with Ogura, who had Singapore top of the table when he left the role, adding: “Who is the coach to lead them in that tournament is really for the leadership to decide. It matters what the mandate is and what direction they want the national team to take. Then choose the best man for the job.”
While Tan, who was succeeded by Li in April
Tan said: “Clearly he (Lee) has done very well, perhaps even better than Ogura. It’s not the first time a pupil bests his mentor, and we should all be proud of him. He has engineered two come-from-behind victories to catapult us to our first Asian Cup in decades. He deserves all the plaudits. So do the new leadership in the FAS for delivering this.”
Others are more unequivocal, such as former S.League coach and current SPL commentator Shasi Kumar, who believes Lee’s understanding of the local culture and context puts him in good stead.
Hiring a foreign coach would mean they will first need time to understand the game here.
“I believe he (Lee) should be given the full-time role,” said Shasi. “Results aside, I think he has the right temperament, man management, a good coaching team around him and most importantly, he knows the culture inside out.”
Lee’s work ethic and the players’ buy-in
While Ogura was at the helm, Lee was more than just an observant mentee. He took on a leading role and often conducted training drills, while also being a key voice in pre-game meetings. After being handed the interim role, Lee has upped the ante in terms of opposition analysis, meticulous match preparation and creating a family atmosphere in the squad.
Sources around the team describe a real bond in the camp, with every player certain of their purpose, regardless of whether they take to the pitch.
The togetherness shows in the results and the manner of the victories.
The Lions have won three competitive away matches – two under Lee, both of which were come-from-behind victories. By comparison, the team had just one win in their previous six competitive away matches – a 3-0 scoreline over Timor-Leste
Based on the lackadaisical first-half display against Hong Kong, there are still some bad habits to kick and tactics to be fine-tuned, but those may need a longer time to be worked on. But what is certain is that Lee has given his all to the task.
FAS deputy president Desmond Ong posted a photo of Lee re-watching the match on his laptop after the momentous win, while a player who declined to be named shared how the coach spends hours reviewing footage and tailoring individual feedback for players.
Clips of players’ performances in recent club matches are analysed, with some notes provided on areas for improvement and how that translates to upcoming international fixtures. Disseminated before centralised training, sometimes these clips also include footage of their direct opponents during the international window.
Tags, arrows and graphics make these clips easily digestible, allowing players to arrive at the international window ready. During windows, briefings are thorough and every player is aware of his responsibility when he takes to the pitch.
One national-team regular remarked recently that in the last few months, he has learnt more about his positioning on the pitch and his role than he did previously.
Messaging has also been key. Lee wants all his players pulling in the same direction, aware of their purpose. He works with the FAS media team to create videos that have been described as inspiring and he is sharp with his messages. Even players who have been on the periphery have felt included.
Using these tools, Lee has brought a modern, yet necessary, touch which has struck a chord with the players.
As one player put it: “He makes us think a lot, and I think for the first time, every player is zoned in and believes in the message that we are one team rallying together to bring good results.”
The dangers of an emotional appointment
But recent results and performances – a small sample size of just six matches – may cloud judgment, with former SPL coach Khidhir Khamis admitting that he himself had conflicting thoughts on whether Lee should be the next Lions tamer.
Khidhir said: “I have an emotional answer and a pragmatic answer. If I were to go for my emotional one, yes, he should be given the job. He is a local guy and he has brought us through to the Asian Cup.
“But if I am being pragmatic, he is young and he lacks the big-tournament experience. In a tournament like the Asian Cup, you need to have someone with pedigree, especially when no one in that team has experience of that tournament.”
Former Lions defender turned entrepreneur R. Sasikumar said that while it is natural to consider Lee for the full-time role, he noted that there could come a scenario where if the results leading up to and during the 2027 tournament are not positive, there will be backlash and questions as to why the FAS did not hire a more experienced coach.
Sasikumar believes that Lee should go to the Asian Cup, but as an assistant to someone “who’s been there and done that”.
He said: “If I were his adviser, I would say he is young and got quite a few years ahead of him. I would advise him to stay on with the national team as an assistant coach, and the FAS can bring in somebody more experienced who he can learn from.
“So at least this preserves this moment and his reputation, because in football, people can have myopic views and short memories.
“It is about drawing out a plan for him to see how best he can use the next 12 months to acquire as much knowledge, data, experience as possible, and then bring that back to Singapore and prepare himself for the Asian Cup.
“It’s like how you would not climb Mount Everest without a sherpa, Gavin needs a sherpa alongside him. He needs someone who’s been there and done that, who knows how to approach an Asian Cup, the group games and how to prepare for such a tournament against the big boys.
“With Forrest bringing financial muscle to the FAS, the timing could not be better.”
The strongest case for Lee to be given the role, however, could possibly come from the players. While it is unclear if they will be consulted, it is apparent that they believe Lee is the man for the job.
In football, as in any sport, player buy-in cannot be manufactured. You can hire the most decorated coaches in the world, but that vital connection – the one that turns a group of individuals into a unified force – cannot be bought off the rack.
That force has been on display in the manner the Lions pulled together to come from behind to win their last two away qualifiers.
Veteran defender Safuwan Baharudin told Money FM’s Sports Minutes before the win over Hong Kong that Lee “is the coach that can eventually bring Singapore to another level”.
In the mixed zone after the match, the 34-year-old added: “Gavin is the kind of coach who wants to always be by the players’ side. It shows something special about him. He knows how to calm us down really well. We are just different when he’s around.
“But we will leave it to the big bosses to think what’s best for the team.”
