SLNA lost points because of playing too 'nicely'?

(Baonghean.vn) - Coach Nguyen Duc Thang and the SLNA coaching staff were right to build a small coordinated play style, creating attacking triangles, but that was not enough. Let's take a look back at the weaknesses of the Nghe An team in the past 3 matches with Nghe An Newspaper.

The defense depends too much on Que Ngoc Hai

Que Ngoc Hai's performance is decisive for SLNA's ability to win. Photo: Hoai Hoan

The central defender is the one who commands the defense, covers the defenders and always has to be present at the hot spots in front of the goal. If Ngoc Hai plays focused for the entire 90 minutes, SLNA's defense can still ensure the necessary stability.

And conversely, if this player is absent, no one has the physical strength and experience to neutralize the foreign players. Or just a moment of carelessness on his part can make the home team pay a heavy price.

SLNA's coaching staff was forced to let Minh Duc replace Ngoc Hai, but the veteran defender showed clear signs of aging. It was a gamble that was clearly seen in the matches against Quang Nam and Ho Chi Minh City Club.

Hunting without guns

SLNA's attack is still highly rated with names like Khac Ngoc and Olaha. Especially the explosive player who played extremely well this season is Phi Son. However, SLNA does not have a striker who knows how to seize opportunities and make them concrete.

Phi Son not only played a good role but also took on the roles of other teammates. Photo: Hoai Hoan

Striker Ho Phuc Tinh is still quite young and does not have the necessary sharpness in the V.League. The SLNA player who has scored the most goals at this time is Van Duc (3 goals), Phuc Tinh, Tuan Tai and Olaha only have a few goals.

The hasty signing of Danko Kovacevic after only 2 days of trial shows SLNA's confusion in the striker problem.

Defensive midfielder

If there is a midfielder who plays deep and recovers the ball like Van Binh (FLC Thanh Hoa), it will help SLNA limit the weak points in the defense. This player must have a wide range of activities, spreading throughout the home field to fill in the necessary gaps.

At SLNA right now, Van Vinh has plenty of experience but no longer has enough physical strength. Thanh Phong, Ngoc Toan, and Sy Sam are young but still cannot reach the level of seniors like Van Binh and Hoang Thinh.

Coach Nguyen Duc Thang's students are showing beautiful passing and coordination but do not know how to protect their achievements. Photo: Hoai Hoan

Who are you looking at?

SLNA captain Nguyen Manh only stood in the goal. Obviously, he could not shock his teammates when needed like former steel center back Huy Hoang. And this player's gentle and quiet nature could not help SLNA players gain psychological momentum and spiritual support.

Football is a competitive sport, and the role of the leader stepping onto the field is extremely important. The only player who is considered to have this quality is Manh Hung, who is currently injured and has lost his form.

Exchange penalty cards for points

After the 1999-2000 championship, SLNA was criticized for its “tough and fast” style of play. Coach Nguyen Thanh Vinh trained his players to play beautifully and surprisingly SLNA kept drawing. After that, the Nghe An team was forced to return to their aggressive style of play to win.

In the match against Quang Ninh, SLNA only received 1 yellow card from Khac Ngoc. This number was 2 in the match against Quang Nam and 1 in the match against Ho Chi Minh City because of Van Duc taking off his shirt to celebrate.

SLNA has a young squad, and they cannot use the yellow cards to bring advantages to the team. Thanh Hoa not only attacks well, but their number of yellow cards (33) is proportional to their wins, and being at the top of the rankings is the clearest proof of their ability to protect their achievements.

Hoai Hoan