Coach Phan Nhu Thuat's heartfelt moments about Song Lam Nghe An

PV:When chosen to leadLam River Nghe AnIn the context that the team is facing many difficulties, how did you overcome those pressures?

Coach Phan Nhu Thuat:Before deciding to take on the task of leading Song Lam Nghe An, I was very worried. I had to set myself hypotheses about how I would face failure. However, with the trust of the club's leadership, the support of my family, friends and colleagues, I decided to take on the position of head coach of Song Lam Nghe An. In addition, during the training process, I always received strong support from the assistant coaches. That helped me believe that I would bring Song Lam Nghe An out of the dangerous position on the V.League rankings.

It must also be said that I am very fortunate to inherit the legacy from the previous coach. The new coaching staff only promotes and improves the tactics that have been built before. At the same time, I often talk and share the problems that the players are facing, and then together find ways to solve them. Through such methods, the players' spirit has improved significantly, they have regained their confidence to play football. That is the key to helping Song Lam Nghe An compete more effectively in the remaining rounds of the season.

PV:Every coach has his own coaching style. Can you tell us what your coaching philosophy is?

Coach Phan Nhu Thuat:In modern football, every coach must find his own strengths and how to maximize them. I am a fairly young coach in the V.League, and I am currently cultivating my coaching style and accumulating more leadership experience. I think I need to learn more from my colleagues and seniors, thereby making the most of my strengths. Time will certainly help me mature more on the path I have chosen.

As you have seen in the past matches when I led Song Lam Nghe An, the players always had to uphold discipline and a spirit of fierce competition. In my coaching philosophy, I always focus on a tight playing style. When ensuring safety and stability in the home field, then I can organize quick attacks to score goals. In each training session or match, I always emphasize the creativity of each individual, but must not deviate from the operation of the whole system. The ability to move synchronously and rhythmically between lines must always be emphasized, thereby avoiding the opponent's ability to predict.

PV:Team management is one of the most difficult tasks for every coach. Song Lam Nghe An has many players with different personalities and ages. So what do you do to create unity and work towards a common goal in the Song Lam Nghe An team?

Coach Phan Nhu Thuat:Each coach at each different team has to go through difficulties and advantages in personnel management. Particularly with Song Lam Nghe An, we have more advantages in this. Because all the domestic players here are trained and matured from the club itself. Therefore, they understand each other very well, there is always a brotherhood in the relationship between colleagues. Therefore, I think that the greatest strength at Song Lam Nghe An is the solidarity within the whole team.

As a head coach, I also have principles in team management. The coaching staff and I together build rules for activities, as well as training for each player. In each training session, I require my students to always maintain high concentration, but in real life I am quite comfortable with the players, respecting their lives and private activities (However, it must still be within the allowed framework). Although we know that each player at Song Lam Nghe An always has his own personality, we always communicate with each other, working towards the common goal of bringing Song Lam Nghe An to achieve the best results. Therefore, the players are very united, always raising their self-awareness. That is what makes me very satisfied when managing the Nghe An team.

PV:Difficulties that Song Lam Nghe An will have to face innext season?

Coach Phan Nhu Thuat:Last season, Song Lam Nghe An was the youngest team in V.League. Most of the players were only 21 or 22 years old, but they all worked hard in the competition and they have made great progress. However, in the highest quality football environment in Vietnam, there is always fierceness. Therefore, experience in competition is a barrier that Song Lam Nghe An will have to face. I hope the young players will try harder in the future to take on the important responsibilities at Song Lam Nghe An.

PV:Can you tell us what plans Song Lam Nghe An will prepare for the new season?

Coach Phan Nhu Thuat:After the V.League ends, Song Lam Nghe An players will have a 2-week break. On August 27, the whole team will return to the team and begin training for the new season. Because the 2023-2024 V.League returns earlier than before, Song Lam Nghe An will also face many difficulties in preparation. This year, the Nghe An team will continue to rejuvenate the squad, so we will promote outstanding players from the youth teams to join the first team. However, to accurately assess the ability of each young player, we have to wait until the 2023 National U21 tournament to be able to see them. In early October, Song Lam Nghe An will organize a number of friendly matches, through which the players will regain their feeling, as well as help the new players integrate better with their seniors in the team. With the above methods, we think that the players will not be passive when entering the 2023 - 2024 season.

At the same time, we will also urgently search for foreign players suitable for Song Lam Nghe An's playing style. According to the current force of the Nghe An team, we will prioritize recruiting foreign players for the positions of central defender and striker.

The new season is approaching, I hope that Song Lam Nghe An will continue to receive affection from the fans. We will try our best in training and competing so that Nghe An Club can develop more and more, worthy of the expectations of the audience.

Duc Anh