Ho Tuan Tai - the headache of SLNA's coaching staff!

(Baonghean.vn) - In the 90+3 minute, Tuan Tai headed the ball into the net of B. Binh Duong, helping SLNA escape defeat right at home. The 21-year-old striker's brilliance made the coaching staff of the Nghe An team even more worried.

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There was no need to wait until Tuan Tai scored to bring SLNA 1 point, nor until they ran out of patience with foreign player Olaha, but 1-2 seasons ago, Nghe An fans wanted the young striker nicknamed "Van Quyen's successor" to lead the attack of the Vinh home team.

Of course, the expectations of SLNA fans are not blind because simply, with proven talent, the striker born in 1995 completely deserves the trust of SLNA's coaching board.

Now, witnessing Tuan Tai's goal in the match against B. Binh Duong, the question is: Will SLNA's coaching staff put this player in the starting lineup? To have the most accurate answer, we have to wait until the Nghe An team's away match against Saigon FC next week. But right now, SLNA's coaching staff must go through a headache when thinking about Tuan Tai. Using the U22 Vietnam player in which position is most appropriate is not a simple matter.

With the equalizer in the match SLNA - B. BD (1-1), Tuan Tai deserves the trust of SLNA's coaching staff. Photo: Duc Anh.

His forte is as a striker, Tuan Tai only maximizes his ability when he is placed in the leading position in the attack. In V. League 2016, although it was not until the second leg that the "successor of Van Quyen" was able to play regularly, Tuan Tai's contributions to the Nghe An team were quite significant. In the match between SLNA and Than Quang Ninh in round 14, the home team had a lot of difficulty finding a goal, so SLNA's coaching staff sent Tuan Tai onto the field. And immediately, the player from Hung Nguyen scored a double, helping the home team win 4 - 0.

Since his brilliant performance against Than Quang Ninh, Tuan Tai has always been trusted by SLNA's coaching board to play a position in the attack alongside foreign player Odat. As if the pressure had been lifted, Tuan Tai has played better and better, more and more maturely. The only goal against FLC Thanh Hoa, the two opening goals in SLNA's two victories against Long An (2-1) and B. Binh Duong (2-0) have shown Tuan Tai's excellence in the final stage of V. League 2016.

Given the progress of "Van Quyen's successor", many experts suggested that the head coach of the Vietnam national team call up Tuan Tai for the AFF Suzuki Cup.

Obviously, Tuan Tai deserves a position in SLNA's attack with what he has shown, especially after scoring 2 goals: 1 against U22 Malaysia (in the U22 Vietnam team jersey) and 1 against B. Binh Duong in the recent match.

The difficulty for SLNA's coaching staff is that if Tuan Tai is used, it means that one of the four names: Henry, Olaha, Phi Son, The Cuong must sit on the bench. Henry and Phi Son are of course untouchable. Theoretically, it can only be The Cuong or Olaha.

Recently, striker Olaha has received a lot of criticism from experts and fans of Nghe An for his lack of luck in finishing. But it is difficult for SLNA's coaching board to make the decision to "cut" the Nigerian player, making way for Tuan Tai. It is true that Olaha has not met expectations in terms of scoring ability. However, it is undeniable that the striker born in 1997 has contributed to the defense as well as supporting the attack.

The intention of the coaching board is to let Olaha operate more widely and deeper to take advantage of his physical strength, physique and good fighting ability to add muscle to SLNA's midfield. If Olaha is "kept" on the bench, the Nghe An team's long-range defense will be visibly fragile.

Thus, the remaining player who is likely to be replaced by Tuan Tai is left midfielder The Cuong. Observing Tuan Tai's recent substitute appearances, it can be seen that the position that "Van Quyen's successor" often plays is the 2-wing corridor.

SLNA's coaching staff is having a headache over Tuan Tai's case. Photo: Duc Anh.

Specifically, in the match against B. Binh Duong, Tuan Tai came on the field to replace The Cuong, then switched wings with Phi Son. Objectively speaking, apart from the goal he just scored, Tuan Tai did not leave much of an impression. Meanwhile, since the beginning of the tournament, the small midfielder The Cuong has played quite well. Not only did he contribute with a goal against Quang Nam, the player born in 1990 also demonstrated his ability to dribble, penetrate the opponent's penalty area and support the defense quite well. Putting The Cuong on the bench to make room for Tuan Tai in the starting lineup is really unfair to the midfielder born in 1990.

Saying that does not mean there is no other solution for Tuan Tai. It is just whether SLNA's coaching board dares to take the risk or not. Just need to "cut" a central midfielder, then pull Olaha to play back, leaving the remaining striker position for Tuan Tai. That solution seems to be the most feasible. However, it will disrupt the long-standing operating system of the Nghe An team.

Through that, we can understand that SLNA's coaching board is having a headache about Tuan Tai's case. Not using him is a waste, stunting the talent of the striker from Hung Nguyen, but boldly using him will bring many disadvantages./.

Thanh Hung