Quang Truong and the dilemma of 'relying on the old and trusting the young'

This shows the weakness (!) of a team that has participated in every V. League season, never before been in a relegation battle, but is now in a situation that is "better than ever before"!

Coach Ngo Quang Truong during a training session. Photo courtesy of Huu Thanh.

In fact, SLNA faces difficulties every season, but this 2020 season, the team is truly facing challenging issues, and the risk of relegation was predicted early on!

The team faces difficulties stemming from its core players, both domestic and foreign. There are also changes in the first team's coaching staff, and the deteriorating condition of the pitches increases the risk of player loss. Not to mention the declining support from leaders, sponsors, and fans, as the trend towards the socialization of sports takes center stage. The team's inconsistent results over the years have eroded confidence…

Coach Ngo Quang Truong is bringing a breath of fresh air to SLNA. (Photo courtesy of Huu Thanh)

So, what will first-team head coach Ngo Quang Truong and his colleagues have to do to prevent relegation, given that the domestic players only account for 1.5 national team players (Van Duc and to some extent Xuan Manh), while the rest are "veteran defenders" who can only play well for one half or more, like Quang Tinh, Dinh Dong..., key players who "went to the preliminary selections and then left" like Tuan Tai, Van Khanh, Van Hoang..., and very "promising" players from the youth teams but whose V.League prospects are still a sweat-inducing question like Van Lam, Ngoc Anh, Dinh Chau...? Meanwhile, the three current foreign players of SLNA, despite only playing two matches, have not shown anything outstanding, and there have even been heartfelt suggestions like "why not use only domestic players, play with one heart, who knows?"

SLNA vs. B. Binh Duong. Photo: VPF

In the first two matches against Saigon FC and B. Binh Duong, Coach Ngo Quang Truong's team showed reassuring results, but also revealed many shortcomings in all three lines, in cohesion, in tactics, and many other areas. A clear trend in Quang Truong's coaching style, if not a practical one, forces him to continue solving the problem of "relying on experienced players and trusting young ones," a strategy that his predecessors have implemented to varying degrees.

Quang Trường is certainly placing more faith in the younger generation. He has confidence in young goalkeeper Văn Hoàng, who is making his debut in goal for his hometown team, and the first 180 minutes have shown that this faith is well-founded.

In defense, the three domestic players are all seasoned "warriors" (Van Khanh, Dinh Dong, Sy Nam), who withstood the pressure in the first two matches, but their future is uncertain (the instances of clearing the ball into their own net or being breached through the center are worrying examples).

In midfield, Quang Trường utilized the attacking wingers Văn Đức and Tuấn Tài. (Photo courtesy of Xuân Thủy)

Meanwhile, in midfield, Quang Trường utilizes the attacking wingers Văn Đức and Tuấn Tài, while the defensive and tempo-controlling roles are entrusted to Văn Lắm and Đình Châu, two promising young players, not to mention the addition of Quang Tình when it comes to controlling the ball and the game!

Currently, SLNA lacks a satisfactory defensive midfielder, and finding a dangerous attacking midfielder is even harder. Being outplayed and unable to build up play effectively in the last two matches is well-known. If they face a strong opponent, the possibility of their midfield collapsing could lead to a complete collapse of their defense, leaving them with no way to defend themselves…

"Relying on youth" is true, but SLNA also had to rely on experience to secure the much-anticipated goal and three points in their home match against B.Binh Duong (in the 48th minute, Sy Nam took a beautiful free kick, allowing Van Duc to weave through the opponent's defense, leap high, and head the ball into the far corner of the net). Similarly, the near-miss in the away match against Saigon FC was also due to the remarkable understanding between the two "veteran" players, Dinh Dong and Tuan Tai, before Van Duc calmly chipped the ball over the goalkeeper's head (in the 65th minute)...

The most striking instance of SLNA's counter-attacking style in the match against B. Binh Duong was the combination between veteran players when Van Duc received the ball from his own half and launched a long diagonal pass to Tuan Tai, who surged forward from the right wing. Tuan Tai then delivered a precise low cross into the penalty area for the foreign strikers (in the 7th minute). Unfortunately, the ball flew over the crossbar!

Also, being a "young talent," Quang Trường allowed promising midfielder Văn Lắm to play the full 180 minutes in the recent matches, although things didn't go as planned. In just the first two matches, Quang Trường has already introduced three brand-new players to the V. League: Văn Lắm, Đình Châu, and Ngọc Ánh. Certainly, many more young players from SLNA will be given opportunities when the V. League resumes.

The long-term, sustainable solution for SLNA begins with "relying on experienced players and trusting young ones." Graphic: TK

Ultimately, in the team's perennial difficulties, in a context where high goals are not set and there is absolutely no pressure for results, placing more trust in the aforementioned young, ambitious players, coupled with effectively utilizing the battlefield experience of the "veteran" players, is a timely and effective strategy.

The lessons learned from using young players domestically (HA-GL) and internationally (like Chelsea in England) are well-known, and Coach Quang Truong, in his return to the SLNA coaching role, has certainly absorbed them. In fact, that's the long-term, sustainable solution for SLNA, starting with the strategy of "relying on experience and trusting youth," which sounds easy but is incredibly complex in practice.