Will coach Quang Truong put Pham Xuan Manh in central midfield in V.League 2020?

In preparation for V.League 2020, SLNA has recalled midfielder Vuong Quoc Trung (born in 1990) from Thanh Hoa Club and Bui Dinh Chau (1996) from Tay Ninh Club. Besides Ho Sy Sam, Coach Quang Truong has tested some other young central midfielders such as Dang Van Lam (1999) and Nguyen Van Duc (1998).

However, Nguyen Van Duc is still being treated for a long-term injury and can only return in the second leg, Quoc Trung cannot play in the opening match against Saigon FC due to injury. Right in the opening match, coach Quang Truong boldly left Quang Tinh and Sy Sam on the bench to make room for two young players.

Midfielder Bui Dinh Chau in his first time playing in the V.League. Photo: Hoang Tung

Statistics for the entire match against Saigon, SLNA only controlled the ball less than 40% (35% in the first half) and this forced central midfielders like Van Lam - Dinh Chau to move wide and play aggressively. Their ability to control the game is still lacking because SLNA's young midfielder pair has never tried their hand at V.League.

If midfielder Bui Dinh Chau tends to play low and defend from a distance, Dang Van Lam tends to move up to organize attacks. And the match at Thong Nhat Stadium showed that Van Lam played quite a perfectionist game when he made 16 back passes. Meanwhile, Dinh Chau was aggressive and determined but had to leave the field because of an inexperienced tackle.

The match at Thong Nhat Stadium showed that Saigon FC's midfield was not strong and SLNA's clean sheet was partly due to luck. However, if they meet teams with good attacking ability and strong midfield in the upcoming matches, Van Lam - Dinh Chau will find it difficult to meet the requirements. They still need more time to accumulate.

Midfielder Dang Van Lam is highly expected by SLNA's coaching staff to replace Khac Ngoc at SLNA. Photo: Hoang Tung

Obviously, the loss of midfielder Khac Ngoc has caused SLNA to lack long passes with precise landing points for the strikers as well as the two wingers. The ability to coordinate small, short and fast in the middle area also did not appear until Phan Van Duc entered the field. The inability to control the midfield is the reason why SLNA had 8 foul situations.

Training a center position is not easy and takes a lot of time. Take the case of Khac Ngoc and Ngoc Toan, the pillars of SLNA last season, it took 4 seasons of competition and practice in V.League to truly mature and become a main player.

Of course, when Quoc Trung returns, Coach Quang Truong will have more options, but in some training sessions, Pham Xuan Manh has been tested in the central midfielder position. In fact, Xuan Manh is a versatile player and is relatively well-rounded in many positions. From full-back, winger, striker, center-back and central midfielder, Xuan Manh can handle them all.

Pham Xuan Manh can absolutely play in the central midfielder position. Photo: Trung Kien

In the U19 SLNA and U21 SLNA jerseys, Pham Xuan Manh used to play in this position. Another reason why coach Quang Truong needs to put him inside is because in the winger position, SLNA has two strong positions: Ho Tuan Tai and Phan Van Duc. As for the full-back position, Sy Nam and Dinh Dong are being trusted.

According to coach Quang Truong, Xuan Manh’s injury is not too serious and he will return to play in 2-3 weeks. If the SLNA player is successful in the central midfielder position, this could open up a great opportunity for him to return to the national team because any coach would want to have a player with good physique, physical strength and who can play in many positions.

SLNA's expected lineup when Xuan Manh returns. Graphics: TK

Nguyen Manh and Khac Ngoc help the new team defeat Hong Linh Ha Tinh

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