Thailand U23 coach Worrawoot Srimaka is promising a better show in the future after his men qualified for the AFC U23 Asian Cup finals in Uzbekistan as one of the four best second-placed teams along with the 11 group winners on Sunday.
Thailand were confident of a victory in their last Group J clash but were held to a goalless draw by Malaysia, who topped the pool with seven points -- two more than the Young Elephants.
Worrawoot admitted after the match that his team's performance in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar had been less than impressive.
"The players looked nervous and they made the mistakes that they normally do not commit," said the Thai U23 team coach.
"It was a tough game and injuries to some of our key players also made things difficult for us.
"The gap between the matches wasn't enough and it was difficult to play on the synthetic pitch here. It all combined to leave our players exhausted."
Worrawoot added that it was a big relief for him that the team made it to the finals in Uzbekistan, which will be held from June 1-19 next year.
"I am sorry that we failed to impress our fans, but rest assured we tried our best.
"We were not fluent on the field at all but I promise that we will put on a better show in the future -- when we have all the main players with us, we will definitely play a better game.
"There are a number of good players out there who could be a part of this team. We will sort this out and get a stronger squad ready for our future assignments. Not all of them are in the starting line-ups of their respective club so they lack experience."
Worrawoot also warned his players that they need to improve before the finals.
Thailand captain Thanawat Suengchitthawon was lacklustre yesterday and was especially wayward with his free-kicks.
Malaysia's best chance came in the 63rd minute when Harith Haiqal slammed his header against the bar off Muhammad Mukhairi's corner.
In the other group, hosts Mongolia edged Laos 3-2.