Song Lam Nghe An continues to face the situation of 'player bleeding' after V.League 2020

Yen Thanh• DNUM_ACZAIZCACA 19:10

(Baonghean.vn) - Song Lam Nghe An has had many difficulties in terms of personnel in the 2020 season due to "player loss". July has passed, a methodical plan and roadmap are needed for the current key players because most of them will have their contracts expire right after the end of 2020.

The departure of Nguyen Manh, Khac Ngoc, Dinh Hoang, Ngoc Toan and many other players from SLNA has caused SLNA's coaching staff to face many difficulties in preparing for this year's season. Up to 8 young players have been promoted to the first team, most of them have been given the opportunity to play but the gap with their seniors is still too large.

While midfielder Bui Dinh Chau is growing up day by day and gradually filling the void left by Ngoc Toan, Dang Van Lam is still not really ready to succeed Khac Ngoc. Obviously, to insert a young factor into the main squad to compete in a fierce playground like V.League is not easy and requires a lot of time.

It can be said that V.League 2020 is a time of transition and generational change for SLNA when players like Dinh Dong and Quang Tinh are on the other side of their careers. Players who have reached the peak of their careers like Que Ngoc Hai, Tran Phi Son, Tran Nguyen Manh, Ho Khac Ngoc, and Tran Dinh Hoang have all found new destinations.

SLNA has just witnessed nearly a dozen players leaving after V.League 2019. Photo: VPF

For the rest, SLNA is relying on 24-25 year old players such as Hoang Van Khanh, Ho Tuan Tai, Phan Van Duc, Pham Xuan Manh, Bui Dinh Chau. However, there is a very urgent issue that needs to be raised: players born in 1995, 25 years old this year such as captain Hoang Van Khanh, Ho Tuan Tai will be subject to contract expiration at the end of 2020.

These are all players who are in good form, have made a name for themselves after many years of competing in the V.League and are certainly being sought after by many other clubs, especially if they play well and are likely to be called up to the national team in the near future.

Even the two "veterans" Dinh Dong and Quang Tinh, at the age of 33 and 34, were only signed to 1-year contracts before the V.League 2020. Either they will retire, or they need to be retained to guide young players, either way it needs to be calculated reasonably. Another case whose contract with SLNA also expires in December 2020 is goalkeeper Nguyen Van Hoang.

Players like Van Khanh and Tuan Tai are about to have their contracts with SLNA expire. Photo: Duc Anh

For players born in 1996 and also the most talented players like Phan Van Duc and Pham Xuan Manh, they can only contribute to the Nghe An team until the end of 2021. According to FIFA regulations, players over 25 years old can become free agents and in these two cases, SLNA needs to have calculations and plans to keep them.

Objectively speaking, the next generation at this time is still too thin and the team's performance depends a lot on the above factors. After the generation of players born in 1999, SLNA will continue to rely on the source of players born in 2000, 2001. These players are currently at the age of U19 such as national team player Nguyen Xuan Binh, Dang Quang Tu, Tran Manh Quynh..., also need to be given opportunities soon to prevent the case of their seniors leaving.

Although knowing that many players leaving will have better opportunities and better treatment, in the hearts of many players, they still want to continue to contribute to their hometown team, to play near their families. That is something that the Nghe An team needs to pay attention to and make early calculations to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

Yen Thanh