K League 2 Media Day 2023: Gimcheon Sangmu Manager Sung Han-soo

K League 2 Media Day saw many managers and players tipping recently-relegated Gimcheon Sangmu to bounce straight back up to the top flight given the many talents they have at their disposal. With a new manager at the helm in Sung Han-soo, albeit officially a caretaker for now, can the army deliver on their potential? K League United's Matthew Binns briefly spoke with Sung ahead of the season.

Matthew Binns: Kim Tae-wan has a long legacy at the club. What lessons will you be taking from his time as manager? What do you hope to change?

Sung Han-soo: What I learned from the previous coach was a lot about communication with the players and being friendly. He also gave the players a lot of creativity in the middle and wanted players to play "happy football"

I learned about that part a lot, and I want to upgrade that part and play fast football with all the players for the purpose of becoming a team.

[READ: Gimcheon Sangmu Season Preview]

MB: You have some strong choices for goalkeeper this season. Have you decided who your number one is or will everyone get a chance?

SH: There are many good goalkeeper players on our team. There's ongoing competition right now. So, we will discuss with the coaching staff three days before the game and select the player who is in the best condition.

MB: Gimcheon Sangmu are one of the favorites this season. How will you handle the pressure this places on your team?

SH: I'm interested in playing with more players rather than being under pressure, so I'm trying to enjoy it and overcome it. Whenever any team plays in the league, there are times when there's a crisis.

When a crisis comes, I think it is our coaching staff's job to prepare well so that our team can overcome it and stand tall as the number one team.

MB: Which team do you see as Gimcheon's biggest title rival this season?

SH: I knew it because I experienced it in 2021, but Anyang is the most uncomfortable and I want to pick Jeonnam and Gyeongnam as the other teams.

In 2021, in Jeonnam and Gyeongnam, we played four rounds, and it is true that the winning rate was not good, and the game was always a little difficult.

When playing against these two teams, Gyeongnam was always good. Although they didn't win a lot, I think Gyeongnam is the team that always showed a good performance. I'm wary of these three teams.