'Summoned' to U22, midfielder Song Lam Nghe An talks about coach Troussier's training method

Quang Tu is a student of coach Troussier in the Vietnam U19 team. Photo: NVCC

Midfielder Song Lam Nghe An was surprised when coach Troussier called.

Recently, the new head coach of the Vietnam National Team and U22 Vietnam - Mr. Philippe Troussier announced the list of 41 players to gather to prepare for the 32nd SEA Games. In this list,Lam River Nghe Ancontributed 5 players, including Tran Manh Quynh, Dang Quang Tu, Ho Khac Luong, Le Van Thanh, Ngo Van Luong. These are all students who were selected by the French coach to join the Vietnam U19 team 2 years ago. Among the 5 names of the Nghe team called up, midfielder Dang Quang Tu is considered the least famous player.

“I was quite surprised when Coach Troussier called me to the Vietnam U23 Team” – Dang Quang Tu said when he heard that he was on the training list this time. The reason Tu was called up was not because recently this player has made a strong impression on the football fans. But also because this is a student whose playing style is suitable for the French coach’s coaching philosophy.

In 2012, Dang Quang Tu was admitted to the Song Lam Nghe An Youth Football Training Center. Recently, the Do Luong-born player was assigned to play as a right winger. However, when he reached the U15 Song Lam Nghe An team, coach Le Ky Phuong moved this player to play as a central midfielder. According to coach Phuong: "Tu has relatively good basic technique, but due to his limited speed, I decided to move him to play in the middle. This will promote his strengths."

Quang Tu and his teammates won the Gold Medal in men's football at the National Sports Festival. Photo: NVCC

That shift helped Tu gradually assert his own abilities and gain the trust of the coaching staff. In 2017, Tu and U17 Song Lam Nghe An won the National U17 Silver Medal. In 2019, he won the National U19 Bronze Medal.

In addition, in 2018, Tu was called up to the Vietnam U19 team and won the 2019 International U19 Championship in Nha Trang.

The biggest mark that Quang Tu left in the past year was the Gold Medal in men's football at the National Sports Festival. In that tournament, Quang Tu was arranged by coach Nguyen Van Tien to play in the center of midfield. He played quite well and created a solid framework in the midfield of U21 Song Lam Nghe An.

Talking about his student, coach Nguyen Van Tien commented: “Tu is the player I chose to play in the center of midfield. His strengths are the ability to recover, keep the ball and coordinate with small teams. In addition, he can also execute live shots quite well.”

Mr. Tien added: “In addition to the positive aspects mentioned above, in my opinion, Tu needs to improve his speed and boldly make breakthroughs in the middle of the field to create breakthroughs. Besides, Tu should also avoid complicated ball handling, which will take away the opportunity for the home team to counterattack quickly.”

Quang Tu in the Hoa Binh Club shirt. Photo: NVCC

Also in the 2022 season, Quang Tu was loaned by Song Lam Nghe An Youth Football Training Center to Hoa Binh to play in the second division. The midfielder born in 2001 played with quite high performance, helping Hoa Binh to play in the first division.

Coach Troussier's coaching story

However, this was not the basis for coach Troussier to choose Quang Tu. Back 4 years ago, when Mr. Troussier was leading the Vietnam U19 team, Quang Tu was one of the players that the French coach kept in the final list to attend the U20 Asia.

“Coach Troussier likes players who are hard-working, have technique, have a modern mindset and always follow tactics, for that reason he chose me to be on the training list for this session”. – Quang Tu shared.

Quang Tu in the U19 Vietnam jersey. Photo: NVCC

The highlight of Troussier's coaching philosophy is that the lines need to play close together, both lengthwise and horizontally. For example, the distance between the highest striker and the lowest defender in the team is only 30m. The whole team will move together as a block in all areas of the field. To implement this way of playing requires a lot of training for the players. Each link must operate as a unified system, the players must limit unnecessary mistakes.

“During training, the teacher was very strict with us. I still remember the memory when, during a training session, I handled the problem incorrectly. The teacher asked me to practice in a separate area, and only practice that one movement during the whole session. Only when I was proficient would I continue with other exercises.” – Quang Tu shared.

To train and help young players perfect their skills and tactics, coach Troussier often arranges a very high-intensity training schedule, with daily training often lasting longer than expected. Quang Tu shared: “When I was still leading the U19 Vietnam team, the team's training schedule was usually from 9am to 12pm, but coach Troussier often extended the training session until 1pm. He often went down to the field to demonstrate movements for his students. Instructing players on how to move without the ball, how to pass to teammates... Coach Troussier is always strict, requiring players to adhere to discipline, but at the end of the training session, he is very affectionate and friendly with his students. That helps us reduce pressure and be more confident in the following training sessions."

During his time at the Vietnam U20 Team, Quang Tu was always a player who met the professional requirements of coach Troussier. That is why Quang Tu was retained at the Vietnam U20 Team to participate in the 2020 Asian U20.

However, at present, the competition between positions in the Vietnam U22 Team is very high. To survive in this environment, Quang Tu needs to improve more professionally. Hopefully, Quang Tu will try his best to practice to suit the playing style built by Mr. Troussier.