Improving SLNA's midfield - Phan Bá Quyền and who else?

midfield ofLam River, Nghe AnIn the past period, names like Nguyen Quang Vinh, Dinh Xuan Tien, Dang Quang Tu, and Nguyen Xuan Binh were often present. Among them, Nguyen Quang Vinh and Dinh Xuan Tien were names that had delivered acceptable performances.

The defensive midfield position is the most worrying aspect for the Nghe An team. This lack of confidence stems from the absence of midfielder Phan Ba ​​Quyen. The 2002-born midfielder is still recovering from an injury sustained in the match against Dong A Thanh Hoa last season. His replacements, Dang Quang Tu and Nguyen Xuan Binh, have been unable to fill the void left by him. Therefore, the Song Lam Nghe An coaching staff needs to make personnel adjustments to improve the quality of their midfield in the remainder of the season.

First and foremost, there's the hope that Phan Bá Quyền will return soon after his injury. The nearly two-month break in the V.League will be a valuable time for the midfielder wearing jersey number 19 to recover and regain his match fitness. If Phan Bá Quyền is back in top form, the Sông Lam Nghệ An midfield will feel somewhat reassured during the upcoming difficult period.

However, ifPhan Ba ​​QuyenIf the players haven't returned yet, or if they've returned but aren't in top form, this will be a difficult challenge for coach Phan Như Thuật. It will involve finding more suitable "new personnel" to play in the defensive midfield position, or changing the midfield structure to bring balance to both attack and defense.

While they're called "new personnel," it will essentially be existing players from the club being moved up to play in the defensive midfield position. It's worth remembering that the Nghe An team previously discovered a new role for Pham Xuan Manh by moving him from full-back to defensive midfielder. Therefore, Nghe An fans hope their team will soon find a new defensive midfielder amidst these difficult circumstances.

This could involve pushing Sebastian Zaracho further forward or placing faith in young midfielder Nguyen Trong Tuan. These players possess physical attributes and strong one-on-one tackling abilities. However, Nguyen Trong Tuan's experience and his passing skills remain questionable.

If a quality replacement cannot be found, coach Phan Như Thuật will have to change the team's structure and playing style to suit the players he currently has.

The 5-3-2 formation concentrates a large number of players in the defense but still doesn't guarantee solidity for the Nghe An team. This is because Song Lam Nghe An's ability to intercept passes from afar is too weak, allowing the opposing team to easily anticipate and launch passes from midfield. Meanwhile, the Nghe An team lacks defensive midfielders to intercept those passes. The crushing defeat against The Cong Viettel is a prime example.

To strengthen the midfield, the coach could switch to a formation with more midfielders. With 4 or 5 midfielders in the middle of the pitch, Song Lam Nghe An would be able to create more effective pressing when opponents launch attacks. Meanwhile, the large number of midfielders would also make it easier for coach Phan Nhu Thuat to execute quick passing sequences to move the ball forward.

By employing a tactical formation with multiple midfielders, Song Lam Nghe An will create more opportunities for Tran Manh Quynh, Le Dinh Long Vu, and Nguyen Van Bach. These are quite high-quality wing midfielders for the Nghe An team. Furthermore, if necessary, Michael Olaha could be brought back to strengthen Song Lam Nghe An's midfield.

However, strengthening the midfield also means reducing personnel in other areas. Therefore, Song Lam Nghe An's midfield must be highly active to support the other lines.

In particular, the defensive line, where there's often a significant gap between the back and midfield, has been a weakness exploited by opponents in recent matches. This vulnerability allows opponents to launch dangerous attacks towards goalkeeper Nguyen Van Viet's goal. Therefore, adjusting the team's formation to be more effective will be an urgent task for coach Phan Nhu Thuat, especially since Song Lam Nghe An needs a multi-layered defensive formation when facing strong opponents in the near future.

Two months is not a short period of time for Song Lam Nghe An andCoach Phan Nhu ThuatHopefully, the coach born in 1984 and his colleagues will make appropriate adjustments in both tactics and personnel to help the midfield of the Nghe An team perform better.

If there is still no improvement, then perhaps strengthening the midfield with quality new players is the last resort to help Song Lam Nghe An gain a better game. This could include one foreign player and one experienced domestic player.

However, acquiring quality midfielders requires significant spending in the transfer market. In this uncertain situation, heavy spending is a pressing requirement to save Song Lam Nghe An from relegation (or playing in the Play-offs) this season.

This is also the wish of fans in Nghe An province, as they hope that sponsors will invest more heavily in Song Lam Nghe An, to help the team transform in the near future.