SLNA: The table, the leader and the pillars

The "play it safe" mentality has the advantage of promoting the team's traditional strengths, but when facing an equal or superior opponent, things become more complicated, and it's even easy to lose the match.

If last season SLNAquite favorable in the first rounds and only suffered when all strategies were revealed and the force was thin, this season is more worrying, the team soon went bankrupt in all calculations, due to errors in both the system and the individual pillars. That is the thin defense, the immature midfield made the weak point in the center of the defense was thoroughly exploited. Therefore, from the beginning, every player had to try more than 100% because they had to do their duty, and also had to "carry" the gap left by the player who was red carded, not only in that match but also in the next 1-2 matches.

That situation forced the coaching staff to find every possible way to both patch things up on the spot and make long-term plans for the cards that have not yet been revealed and whose effectiveness is unknown?

SLNA played with great resilience. Photo: VPF

For example, in the center-back position in the upcoming matches, besides the quite solid foreign player Jelic, who will be paired with him will be The Nhat or Dinh Dong, Xuan Manh? (remember in a difficult time when U23 Vietnam played in Changzhou, Mr. Park Hang-seo pulled Xuan Manh from full-back to play center-back and he played not badly?).

Or when Van Khanh and Ba Sang returned,Xuan Manhneed to be "plugged" in to create balance for the wings when participating in defense and being the trigger for attack, sharing the fire with Van Duc, forcing the opponent to stretch... is something that needs to be handled flexibly in each match and at each moment.

After parting ways with Khac Ngoc, SLNA gradually got used to not depending on an individual who knows how to play the ball and this task seems to be assigned more to Xuan Manh, Dinh Tien... from the wing? These two players had good crosses for their teammates to run up and finish beautifully, it's just a pity that the final shots lacked a bit of luck to make a difference.

SLNA's defenders need to be more alert when facing fouls in front of the penalty area. Photo: VPF

Meanwhile, direct attacks and powerful long-range shots that score goals (like Van Lam's shot against Hanoi last season have not/have not reappeared?). Hopefully, Dinh Chau's dynamism will make something happen in the upcoming matches? Not to mention, after Khac Ngoc left, no one has been able to take on the task of free kicks and scoring goals? Xuan Manh is quite confident and still has to wait for a chance to celebrate. Van Lam scored in the U23 Vietnam training match but unfortunately he has not been able to play this season...

The team's greatest hope has long been placed on "leader" Van Duc and this player has never disappointed fans. If only the foreign players were sharper and more flexibly deployed, if only Van Duc had less need to retreat deep to defend and look for the ball, then this national team player would have more opportunities to shine, meaning more opportunities to score points, even 3 points. The question is, in addition to expertise, what other qualities do Van Khanh, Van Duc and the pillars need both on and off the field to unite, create a team's resilience from maximizing the ability of each position and the connection of "passing the ball accurately without looking"?

Phan Van Duc (yellow shirt) is still the "locomotive" in SLNA's attack. Photo: VPF

That depends a lot on the calculations of the coaching staff, when they are flexible, agile, know themselves, know their enemy, do not let the opponent predict or bully them, create power over the opponent and even the black shirt king in the most convincing way.

The mettle of the coach and his players in both of the recent matches with fewer players has been demonstrated, but the problem is building and stabilizing the mentality, technique and tactics in all situations is a long story, especially for the pillars. The team's coaching staff must certainly work harder to create the necessary mark and coolness, although this always consumes a lot of mental strength...