Finding the 'standard' lineup for SLNA before V.League 2017

(Baonghean.vn) – Drawing on the weaknesses that existed in previous seasons, especially in the midfield, this year, the presence of new players such as two foreign players Olaha and Henry promises to bring a breakthrough to the playing style of the Nghe An team.

Observing SLNA's recent training sessions, it is easy to see that the tactical formation that coach Nguyen Duc Thang is training his players with is a 4-4-1-1 formation. In which, young foreign player Olaha Michael plays an extremely important role in supporting defense from a distance as well as supporting striker Henry Shackiel up front.

Last season, when lacking a "soul" in the midfield like Quang Tinh or "sweeper" Hoang Thinh, SLNA's midfield was the weakness that SLNA's coaching staff could not overcome. Although the formation that coach Ngo Quang Truong applied was 4-4-2, a formation that modern football is very "favored".

However, SLNA's 4-man midfield could not take advantage of the advantages this formation brought and was almost harmless against well-organized defenses.

Song Lam Nghe An's playing style in the new season is promised to revolve around foreign player Olaha Michael (born in 1997) from Nigeria.

On the other hand, against strong opponents with an attacking tendency, Ngoc Toan, Khac Ngoc, Phi Son... cannot reduce the pressure on the defense behind. Therefore, to completely solve the inherent weakness mentioned above, one of the criteria that SLNA's coaching board set during the time of selecting foreign players is the ability to support the defense. At the same time, apply a suitable diagram based on the existing factors.

Based on the current situation of the force when Dinh Hoang has not recovered from injury, the optimal defense line of SLNA will include: Sy Nam, Ngoc Hai, Van Khanh, Ngoc Duc. The midfield line will have The Cuong, Phi Son on the 2 wings and Ngoc Toan, Khac Ngoc playing as central midfielders. Playing highest are the 2 foreign players Olaha and Henry.

If applying the 4-4-1-1 formation, SLNA will not only have more new players thanks to the agility and agility of Phi Son and The Cuong on the two wings, but can also switch to 4-5-1 when needed and Olaha Michael (69) plays as a playmaker. On the other hand, when Phi Son and The Cuong move up, this formation will change to 4-2-3-1 and still ensure enough players to defend from a distance.

However, to bring out the best of this formation, the role of the striker playing behind is extremely important. Olaha Michael will have to demonstrate his versatility because this player born in 1997 is the link in short ball coordination. Besides, one of the weaknesses of this formation is the effectiveness of quick counter-attacks. Because when Olaha plays behind, striker Henry Shackiel will be extremely lost up front.

Before V.League 2017, rookie Henry continuously scored points in the eyes of SLNA's coaching staff, which is a positive sign.

According to the assessment, Olaha Michael, although still very young, is quite agile and quickly integrates into the general playing style. Meanwhile, striker Henry Shackiel does not have a really tall physique, but after only a short trial period at SLNA, the former U17 and U20 Trinidad & Tobago player continuously left his mark in training sessions with diverse finishing moves that demonstrated speed and cunning.

Last season, playing for W Connection in the Trinidad & Tobago National Championship, Henry was not the number 1 choice when he only played 7 matches but still managed to contribute 4 goals. In his first 2 seasons playing in the professional arena, this striker born in 1994 also had a record of 8 goals for the Point Fortin Club in the country when he was only 20 years old.

Furthermore, during the preparation for V.League 2017, the physical strength of SLNA players has been improved surprisingly by coach Duc Thang and assistant Nguyen Van Thinh. This is completely understandable, because in order to apply a new playing style based on the 4-4-1-1 formation, almost all players on the field (except the goalkeeper) must have endurance because the positions on the field are constantly moving, compensating for each other.

Even a player with a "plump" physique like Phi Son has just "transformed" when he lost nearly 4kg during the time the SLNA coaching board was newly appointed.

Although the V.League 2017 ball has not yet rolled, the duo Duc Thang - Van Thinh certainly have their own calculations and intentions. And as for the fans, only after the first official matches, they can understand why SLNA boldly signed a contract with a 19-year-old foreign striker when there are still names like Phuc Tinh, Tuan Tai, Viet Nguyen, Van Duc...

Quynh Trang