SLNA: How to prevent relegation?

This is beyond the imagination of Nghe An fans, because just 4 rounds ago, the "favorite" team SLNA was temporarily at the top of the table and was setting an undefeated record with a clean sheet in the first 5 rounds!

So what is happening to the team that won the V.League and never had to worry about relegation?

Coach Quang Truong tries to find ways to promote the abilities of Van Duc or Tuan Tai by rotating the wings or conserving energy. Photo: Duc Anh

First of all, the SLNA coaching staff, through the training period at the beginning of the season, the 2 rounds of competition before the Covid-19 pandemic and the following rounds until now, have shown a stereotyped and mechanical approach in training and competition tactics, so the team has almost been predictable, exposed, had its loopholes exploited and most of its explosive points and strengths blocked...

Coach Pham Minh Duc's most recent statement after the SLNA match against HLHT at Vinh Stadium is probably the most accurate statement about that!

In all matches, regardless of opponent, Coach Quang Truong always arranges the 4-4-2 tactical formation, occasionally in a defensive situation, pulling a striker back to support in a 4-5-1 formation. As for personnel replacement, it is mainly mechanical, without variation or creativity. Force majeure situations such as injuries, penalty cards... having to replace players only weakens the formation, especially the full-backs or central midfielders.

Coach Quang Truong also tried to find ways to promote the abilities of Van Duc or Tuan Tai by rotating the wings or saving energy when everything is basically good or resting in the first half and using energy in the second half... and it has had some effect, but after 9 rounds, both of these pillars have only scored 2 goals each, which is too little compared to their true potential.

The match between SLNA and Hanoi at Hang Day Stadium is the most worth-watching match of SLNA since the beginning of the season. Photo: Duc Anh

Facing opponents of different strengths, SLNA still entered the game the same way (except for the match against Hanoi FC), which is worth thinking about. After the thrilling battle at Hang Day Stadium (round 5) with a knowing-it-all-and-knowing-the-enemy style of play, SLNA returned home eagerly to meet a strong opponent, TP. HCM (round 6), and almost collapsed after countless mistakes from the coaching bench to each individual player.

The match in round 7 against DNH Nam Dinh or round 8 against Quang Nam showed that the inability to overcome the pressure from the stands, the referee's handling, plus bad luck caused the team to lose miserably and gradually fall deeper in the rankings.

But the most noteworthy match in round 9 was against a very familiar opponent, HLHT. Quang Truong's team suffered one surprise after another and had to chase hard to get a point. Just a long pass from HLHT High School midfielder was enough to make the SLNA central defenders and goalkeeper Van Hoang struggle and suffer. Just a bold through ball from Trung Hoc broke through SLNA's right wing and the loss was like a slap in the face for the home team and the crowd of spectators!

In round 9, facing a very familiar opponent, HLHT, Quang Truong's team suffered one surprise after another and had to chase hard to get a point. Photo: Duc Anh

In that general context, it is easy to see that SLNA's pillars generally cannot promote their experience and provide spiritual support for young players. As for the newly promoted young players, they are good in some cases and not in others, and basically, there is no one who is a "rare commodity" like Trung Hoc (HLHT) or Hai Long (TQN).

With only 4 rounds left to finish the first phase of the season (2 home matches against Viettel and HAGL, 2 away matches against TQN and HP), if SLNA “stands still”, relegation is inevitable. The most important thing is that the SLNA coaching staff must seriously look back at themselves, know themselves, know their opponents to have hope of improving the current precarious situation. Quang Truong needs to have positive measures to arouse the spirit of the players, the more difficult it is, the more they will not be discouraged, the more they will show the qualities of Nghe An people like previous generations have done and done well.

It is necessary to continue to promote the outstanding factors in the current team such as Van Duc, Tuan Tai, foreign players such as Gustavo or Peter... Although they only scored fewer goals (6) than they conceded (9), the goals of Van Duc, Van Lam, Tuan Tai... are worth promoting the team's strengths in executing set pieces, especially exemplary counter-attacks (like the recent match against Hanoi FC and the match against HLHT).

Finally, fans of the province should stand side by side with their hometown team, because only when there are difficulties and overcoming them is Nghe An people, Nghe An football. In the new context of socializing physical education and sports, first of all football, SLNA must certainly accept a suitable development model like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and many other places are doing, meaning that only the rich can do top-level football, otherwise be satisfied with grassroots football. But it is not easy to have that right away and the immediate, immediate task now is to fight relegation. Please do not be subjective that SLNA has not bothered to do that for decades. The new era of top-level football has eliminated monuments such as The Cong, Cong An Ha Noi, Cang SG... so where can we "leave out" poor teams like SLNA or any other club?