Stormy Night as Kirin Suffer Second Wasp Bite - Muangthong 1-2 Prachuap

Albert Einstein once defined insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result." However, in the context of football, it may be even more foolish to keep on repeating the same method and not expecting one's opponents to find a way to counter.

Muangthong United's eight-game winning streak came to a screeching halt on Sunday when newly promoted side PT Prachuap, who had hammered the Kirin 6-1 earlier in the season, completed the double over the four-time Thai League Champions with a 2-1 victory in the pouring rain at the SCG Stadium.

Despite their fantastic run leading up to the game, Muangthong have been far from perfect. Their squad has been highly imbalanced, with a lack of natural width in midfield and a lack of pace in the back-line. Their build-up play has been slow and ponderous, often lacking fluidity.

Their ability to win games even without playing well are a testament to the abilities of their new coach. Former Serbia national team boss Radovan Curcic has managed to get a beautiful tune out of a broken instrument, but ultimately the cracks have been exposed in a manner that is frankly beyond his control.

When quizzed by the media after the game, Curcic claimed that complacency was to blame for the loss, but, given the nature of the performance, he would be excused for also citing the many holes in the squad.

The first deficiency, which is the most concerning on a tactical front, is the lack of natural wide players. Curcic's solution, which was to move right-back Tristan Do into the right-wing position, was unavailable as the Thai international was forced to return to his natural position.

As such, Prachuap were able to play a high-line in the knowledge that centre-forward Jaja Coelho would be unable to break past, effectively neutralizing Muangthong's attack. The Wasps' coach, Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul, who was awarded with the Manager of the Month award for May, was well aware of his opponent's limitations and ruthlessly exposed them.

The second problem, which is the lack of pace in the back-line, was augmented by the first. As the Kirin committed men forward, Prachuap were able to score the opener on the counter-attack courtesy of Amorn Thamanaram, after a ball from center-back, Kwon Dae-Hee managed to catch the entire Kirin defence out.

Coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul has masterminded Prachuap's rise this season

Prachuap compressed the pitch with their high defensive line, and for all their possession, Kirin rarely made an impact in the final third. They managed to force their way back into the game, once again courtesy of Heberty Fernandes, who has had to bail his side out with individual brilliance on multiple occasions already this season.

Unfortunately for him, Muangthong were unable to hold on, and Prachuap striker Jonatan Ferreira Reis found the net from a set-piece in the dying minutes of the game to take all three points for the visitors.

The Kirin's last loss to Prachuap led to outrage and a managerial resignation the club is still reeling from today. Their response to this loss, however, has the possibility to be infinitely more positive. Muangthong must use this reality check as the impetus for plugging holes in the squad and learning from recurring mistakes.