What kind of reinforcements does SLNA need to make to secure a victory?

Although the young coach only spoke in general terms, judging by the way SLNA's performance was completely dominated by teams like The Cong Viettel, Dong A Thanh Hoa, and Thep Xanh Nam Dinh in previous rounds, it's not difficult to identify where and at what point SLNA is weak and lacking, so that solutions can be found to address and resolve these issues in the best possible way!

In fact, in round 9, Song Lam was missing two young players who had usually performed well, Van Thanh and Quang Vinh. Then Xuan Tien was injured and left the field early, meaning the team was "lacking" three starting positions. This forced coach Nhu Thuat to use 18 and 19-year-old players like Thanh Duc and Trong Tuan, making it inevitable that they would be completely dominated by their opponents.

Furthermore, even in previous seasons, when the Song Lam team wasn't as inexperienced as it is now, conceding early goals from set pieces against the battle-hardened military team was a recurring occurrence.

On the other hand, foreign player Kuku, when dropping back to defend, failed to fulfill his duty, not marking Duc Chien, allowing the player to leap high and head in the opening goal very early on, opening the door for an easy goal for the home team against an opponent weak in every aspect.

But anyway, in football, it's not uncommon for strong teams to stumble, and the fact that The Cong Viettel unexpectedly lost 0-3 at Lach Tray Stadium in the final match of the previous season against Song Lam, thus "saving" the Vinh-based team from having to play in the humiliating play-offs, is quite remarkable. The question now is, which positions and lines does Song Lam Nghe An need to strengthen, as desired by the coaching staff and the numerous fans?

The first and final answer still rests with the team's leadership and sponsors, because even though they say they "will bring the team back to its former position," if they only use the same young, homegrown players and the same foreign player recruitment quota, everything will remain unchanged. They'll collapse against strong teams, temporarily avoiding 14th place to climb to 12th in one match, only to then fall back to the bottom of the table!

Let's look at each position to see the current situation clearly. For example, we can be confident in Van Viet, but not in foreign center-back Zaracho. Domestic center-backs Van Thanh, Nguyen Hoang, and Nam Hai are not yet able to handle the task for 90 minutes, so supplementing or replacing domestic and foreign center-backs is extremely urgent and necessary.

Perhaps we need to break the rule of "only using homegrown young players" in order to bring back key players who have left, to reinforce the central defender, full-back, and especially the playmaking midfielder position?

If we can be somewhat satisfied with the striker duo of Olaha and Kuku, then buying a foreign striker as a backup for them is also necessary, because they can't keep playing all season, they can't avoid yellow cards or injuries, and then they have to "give up" on their opponents, meaning they'll lose the match before it even starts or will lose in the final minutes when they're exhausted?

Of course, Mr. Nhu Thuat had an important point: "waiting for some injured players to return" after the break, such as Ba Quyen, Xuan Dai, Xuan Tien, or Van Cuong, Nam Hai... If everything goes smoothly, the midfield could be stronger if Ba Quyen joins forces with Quang Vinh, for example, or the wings could be as flexible as expected if Van Cuong really plays well, and Dinh Hoang also returns reliably?

But all things considered, expectations for Xuan Tien to fulfill his duties are dwindling, and the need for a player to provide effective transitions and good passes to the attacking line remains a distant prospect if the current squad isn't reinforced and strengthened.

And another crucial element that cannot be "bought" is the willpower and physical fitness of the players! Coach Nhu Thuat and the coaching staff have a great responsibility in this important and core issue through their daily work, in training and matches, in addition to the need to strengthen the squad in the second phase. A few changes and additions, however small, will give the team more strength in the current difficult circumstances that everyone is facing.