Hong Linh Ha Tinh: New recruits 'are hard to come by'!

After a difficult start with two consecutive defeats against Viettel (0-1) and Duoc Nam Ha Nam Dinh (1-2), coach Pham Minh Duc and his team immediately carried out a "revolution" in both personnel and playing style. It can be said that the decisions of the Hong Linh Ha Tinh coaching staff are very brave and wise, at least up to this point.

Hong Linh Ha Tinh (red shirt) just had a regrettable draw against the home team Saigon. Photo: VPF

First, they terminated the contract with foreign player Antonio Pereira to replace him with Victor Mansaray, a striker who played for B.Binh Duong and Ho Chi Minh City Club in V.League 2019. Next, the coaching staff of Hong Linh Ha Tinh also boldly pushed the veteran, the brightest star of the team, midfielder Le Tan Tai, to the bench.

In addition to the personnel changes, Coach Pham Minh Duc and his colleagues also started to change the playing style, switching from the familiar 4-1-4-1 and 4-4-2 formations to 3-4-3, similar to the system that Coach Park Hang-seo is applying to the Vietnam National Team. Not many coaches in the V.League dare to do what Coach Pham Minh Duc does.

The changes of the Hong Linh Ha Tinh coaching staff have brought about practical results right on the field. Pham Tuan Hai and his teammates defeated Tay Ninh (2-1), Quang Nam (1-0) in the National Cup, before winning 6 points from the confrontations with Than Quang Ninh (2-0), Hanoi Club (1-1), SHB Da Nang (0-0) and Saigon (1-1) in the V.League arena. Currently, coach Pham Minh Duc and his team are experiencing a series of 6 consecutive unbeaten matches.

Coach Pham Minh Duc is proving his ability in the V.League arena. Photo: Thuy Dung

Looking at the way the red-shirt players coolly "finished off" Than Quang Ninh right at Cam Pha Stadium, forcing the defending champion Hanoi Club to leave with 1 point in hand, causing Saigon - the undefeated team in V.League 2020 to almost suffer its first defeat... is enough to see how stubborn and effective Hong Linh Ha Tinh's playing style is. A style of play full of the personality of Coach Pham Minh Duc.

Although Hong Linh Ha Tinh is still struggling in the bottom half of the V.League 2020 rankings, ranked 12th, do not underestimate Pham Tuan Hai and his teammates. If they continue to maintain their current form, coach Pham Minh Duc and his team can completely enter the group of 8 strongest teams in phase 1 of V.League 2020.

Playing confidently and dignified like Hong Linh Ha Tinh, V.League rookies "are hard to find"./.