Whose fault is it that Cong Phuong is 'slow to grow'?

(Baonghean.vn) - Being on the field for exactly 61 minutes in the match between Vietnam and Afghanistan, Cong Phuong did not leave any special impression on experts and football fans in the country.

However, answering reporters' questions about the lackluster performance of the player nicknamed "Vietnamese Messi", coach Park Hang Seo spoke up:

“Cong Phuong is an important player in the Vietnam national team. He is a player that I respect. I do not think that Phuong played poorly in this match. I repeat, he is a capable player with skills and techniques. Maybe because I just arrived, I do not know the player's psychology, do not understand his feelings. I want Cong Phuong to be a pillar of the Vietnam national team in the future.”

The statements of the strategist from Korea did not surprise many people, even though Cong Phuong had a poor match. All 4 coaches of the Vietnam national team recently tried to protect and help the star born in 1995 against criticism from fans.

This is completely normal, because Cong Phuong is considered the most talented player in Vietnamese football at the present time. Any coach would pay special attention to the striker of HAGL Club.

Cong Phuong disappointed in the match between Vietnam and Afghanistan (0 - 0). Photo: Internet

Unfortunately, what Cong Phuong has achieved has not lived up to expectations. Match after match, tournament after tournament, the “Vietnamese Messi” has only brought disappointment. It seems that the player from Nghe An has not yet escaped the label of “child prodigy” that the media has given him.

Aside from constantly changing hairstyles and beards, Cong Phuong has not shown any maturity in his running, dribbling or finishing. Is the “Vietnamese Messi” fading under pressure?

Witnessing Cong Phuong's lackluster performances over the past time, many of his die-hard fans have blamed the media and Vietnamese fans for having too high expectations of the player in his twenties.

That is not entirely wrong, because in football there are many players who became famous early, but could not develop further, leading to their talent fading away like Robinho (Brazil), Freddy Adu (USA)... It is true that the expectations of the media and fans contributed to "killing" them.

Mr. Duc is at fault for Cong Phuong's "slow growth". Photo: Internet

But the main reason is still in each player himself. Pele, at the age of 17, became famous at the 1958 World Cup and went straight to the throne of "king of football"; Messi "caused a storm" in his twenties, and has now become one of the greatest players in world football...

In Vietnam, Phan Thanh Binh and Le Cong Vinh became famous not too late, they were not stunted. The above typical examples are the embodiment of efforts to overcome the weight of expectations. Why can't Cong Phuong do it?

There is a saying “first blame yourself, then blame others”. Having committed himself to being a public figure, Cong Phuong must accept and know how to distinguish between criticism and expectation. If he cannot do so, the one who will suffer the most is none other than the eldest brother.

After all, the real media and fans are not at fault. Frankly speaking, the ones who caused Cong Phuong to "grow slowly" are the manager Doan Nguyen Duc and his "cronies". Who is the one who planned to promote "Vietnamese Messi", isn't it Mr. Duc?!

Thanh Hung