SLNA's coaching staff's trust in Olaha, is it blind?

(Baonghean.vn) - In another match, striker Olaha could not score despite having many favorable opportunities. Many experts and fans from Nghe An spoke up, hoping that SLNA's coaching staff would push the player born in 1997 to the bench. Is that fair to the Nigerian striker?

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Seeing the official lineup of SLNA in the match against SHB Da Nang, many people were surprised when the name that left so much disappointment - Olaha still appeared in the starting lineup. The somewhat conservative decision of SLNA's coaching board is really hard to understand in the context that the Nghe An team is in need of a necessary change to escape the difficulties in spirit and performance. Is it possible that the Nigerian striker is receiving too much favor in the Nghe An team?

Obviously, in terms of the role of a striker, Olaha has not done his job well. After 7 matches, the Nigerian striker is still harmless in front of the opponent's goal. Compared to his teammate Henry - the striker who has scored 6 goals for SLNA, Olaha's performance is really shameful. In the match against SHB Da Nang alone, the striker born in 1997 had no less than 4 good opportunities created by his teammates, but all were wasted in a regrettable and blameworthy way.

While his teammate Henry (15) continuously scored... Photo: Archive

However, if you look closely at the actual position on the field, Olaha is not the one who mainly plays the role of scoring goals for the team. Compared to his teammate Henry, the Nigerian striker plays deep close to the central midfielder pair. Olaha's task is not only to support the attacking front, finding a way into the opponent's goal, but the midfielder born in 1997 also takes on the defensive role of the home team. Throughout the match, Olaha always diligently performs ball-stealing and long-range interceptions whenever the opponent organizes an attack.

With good physical strength and long strides, Olaha adds a lot of muscle to SLNA's midfield. Thanks to Olaha, the midfield of the Nghe An team is visibly stronger. Except for the loss to FLC Thanh Hoa on the opening day of the V. League, in recent matches, SLNA's midfield has somewhat demonstrated its strength by dominating one-on-one situations. This is a positive sign compared to previous seasons, when Nghe An players often had to use a tough style of play, sometimes more than necessary, to fight back and overwhelm their opponents.

Besides, Olaha possesses quite skillful individual techniques. The ball-holding, 1-2 coordination, and group coordination of this striker with his teammates around him are like keys that open the door to the opponent's goal. With Olaha on the field, the opposing team's defense must concentrate all its forces to block, then many gaps will be revealed for Phi Son, Khac Ngoc, The Cuong, Henry... to exploit. The clearest proof is in the recent match against SHB Da Nang.

Olaha dropped deep to join Khac Ngoc - Van Vinh to form a triangle in the midfield area. The mobility and enthusiasm of this trio plowed through SHB Da Nang's midfield, separating the midfield and the attacking line of the away team. Although SLNA was behind in the first half and had to wait until the last 10 minutes of the match to create a successful comeback, to be fair, the Nghe An team had an overwhelming game with many delicious opportunities created. The 2-1 victory was a worthy reward for the tireless efforts of Olaha and his teammates.

Olaha often missed good opportunities created by his teammates. Photo: Archive

Just looking at Khac Ngoc and Phi Son playing better than in previous seasons is enough to see the contribution of striker Olaha. Goals are the basis for evaluating a striker's ability, but that is not the only factor. In Olaha's case, we cannot use goals as a measure to underestimate the contributions of the striker born in 1997 to SLNA's overall play. And don't forget an important number, no less important than goals, which is assists. Up to this point after 7 matches in V. League 2017, Olaha has set up 3 times for Henry to score.

Referring to the form of the Nigerian striker, right-back Nguyen Sy Nam shared: “Olaha has very good expertise and training attitude. Although he has not scored any goals, his contributions to the overall playing style of the whole team are undeniable. The coaching staff and teammates always have faith in Olaha”. Indeed, for a young striker who has just started playing in the V. League like Olaha, he really needs the encouragement, trust and help of those around him to shine.

The patience of SLNA's coaching board for Olaha is completely understandable. Hopefully, in the upcoming matches, everyone will witness the goals of the striker born in 1997 for the Nghe An team./.

Thanh Hung