Hong Linh Ha Tinh says goodbye to coach Pham Minh Duc

As the "captain" and "the one who bears the brunt", Coach Pham Minh Duc must take full responsibility for the poor performance of Hong Linh Ha Tinh. However, objectively speaking, the "Hong mountain" team's disappointing performance in the first stageV.League 2021, the fault does not entirely lie with the strategist born in 1976. Simply, Hong Linh Ha Tinh is both weak and lacking.

Not long after the end of the 2020 season, Hong Linh Ha Tinh lost Janclesio, Mansaray, Bruno Henrique and Vu Huu Quy to other teams. Although they had time to add Kelly Kester, Ismahil Akinade, Chevaughn Walsh, Tran Phi Son, Giang Tran Quach Tan, Truong Trong Sang... the strength of the "Hong mountain" team was still negatively affected.

Coach Pham Minh Duc is no longer the "captain" of Hong Linh Ha Tinh. Photo: Xuan Thuy

The gaps left by Janclesio, Vu Huu Quy, Mansaray and especially Bruno Henrique are huge. As a result, after 9 rounds in the first phase of V.League 2021, they often lose at important moments. Since the beginning of the tournament, the defense ofHong Linh Ha Tinhonly 2 clean sheets. It is not surprising that Hong Linh Ha Tinh is the team with the most goals conceded in phase 1 of V.League 2021 (13 goals), up to this point.

Besides the "fragility" of the defense is the ineffectiveness of the attack. While the foreign striker duo Ismahil Akinade - Chevaughn Walsh still have a harmless face, the burden of scoring goals must depend on Tran Phi Son, Pham Tuan Hai and Ly Cong Hoang Anh. That is the reason why after the 0-1 loss to Saigon FC, coach Pham Minh Duc had to lament the level of his 3 foreign players.

Phase 1 of V.League 2021 has passed 9 rounds, no team has wasted as many penalties as the team from the "Sen" city. After Claudesir missed 2 consecutive penalties in the 1-2 loss to Than Quang Ninh, it was Walsh's turn to not beat goalkeeper Pham Van Phong of Saigon Club in a similar situation, in the match that took place on the afternoon of April 11.

Striker Chevaughn Walsh (number 9) has only scored 2 goals for the "Pink Mountain" team. Photo: Xuan Thuy

Not only did coach Pham Minh Duc and his team not have enough "powder" to "make glue", they also suffered losses due to the referees' wrong decisions. For example, the situation of foreign player Kelly Kester being sent off in the 0-2 loss to Ho Chi Minh City Club, or the goal conceded in the 5th minute of extra time in the 1-1 draw against Binh Dinh (the referee announced that there were only 4 minutes of extra time).

From what has been stated above, it can be seen that,Coach Pham Minh DucIt is not that he is incompetent, but that objective factors are not in his favor. Therefore, the 45-year-old "captain" had to "helplessly" watch the "ship" Hong Linh Ha Tinh sway and lose direction, despite his best efforts to steer. To be fair, coach Pham Minh Duc is more pitiful than blameworthy.

Realizing that he could not revive Hong Linh Ha Tinh, the strategist from Hanoi submitted his resignation to the team's Board of Directors. And immediately, the leaders of the "Hong Mountain" team agreed with Coach Pham Minh Duc's decision. Surely, the Hong Linh Ha Tinh Board of Directors is also hoping that the saying "changing generals changes fortunes" will come true for the team, which often happens in the world of football.

Coach Pham Minh Duc's departure will leave a big void on the coaching bench of Hong Linh Ha Tinh. Certainly, the new head coach of the "Hong mountain" team will have to face countless difficulties and challenges in the coming time. To bring the 2019 National First Division champion back to the winning track is not an easy task for any strategist, in the current situation./.