SLNA and the foreign player problem: Know how to retreat to advance!

(Baonghean.vn) - With insufficient financial resources, SLNA will certainly face difficulties in recruiting foreign players. Therefore, the Nghe An team needs to look at reality and "cut their coat according to their cloth".

Diego Fagan, Samson, Abass and many other foreign players who left their mark in V.League all came to try out or play at SLNA. However, due to financial reasons and not enough time to verify them, the Nghe An team accepted to let them go.

In V.League 2017, SLNA continued to face difficulties in this issue when Henry did not meet the professional requirements. Until the second leg of V.League this year began, SLNA was still rushing to select foreign players to increase muscle and attack power.

Foreign player Olaha is gradually asserting his role at SLNA despite being just a young player. Photo: Quang Trang

For foreign players to play well in the V.League, they not only need to be fast, strong, healthy and have good finishing skills, but also need to be able to integrate. Therefore, they need at least one season to get used to the team's playing style and the Vietnamese football environment. Along with other factors such as cuisine, weather, and different cultures.

At the end of the first leg, SLNA had 2 months to choose an excellent foreign striker to solve the problem of the attack. There were players who were rejected for trial at SLNA and immediately signed contracts with other clubs. Why among dozens of foreign players coming to seek opportunities, SLNA still hasn't chosen anyone?

Foreign players have the ability to press, accelerate and compete well, besides having an ideal physique, they have problems in finishing. On the contrary, if a foreign player has the ability to finish, they do not meet the remaining requirements. So SLNA is still struggling with its old problem.

If a young, well-rounded player who has just arrived in Vietnam possesses a terrifying ability to score goals, the Nghe An team does not have enough financial resources to sign a contract with them. Or they do not come to Vietnam but choose Thailand.

After 3 convincing matches in the National Cup and the unfortunate draw against Than Quang Ninh at home, most Nghe An fans support the idea of ​​playing with only 1 foreign player, Olaha. As for SLNA's coaching staff, coach Nguyen Duc Thang believes that Ho Phuc Tinh is still weaker than the foreign players and SLNA needs to strengthen.

Of course, if they accept to play against the West and still maintain their form until the end of the season, Nghe An fans will not complain. Because of playing half a season in V.League, SLNA's domestic strikers will more or less accumulate.

Striker Ho Phuc Tinh can completely shoulder the responsibility of scoring goals if given absolute trust. Photo: Quang Trang

The problem now is how SLNA's domestic players still have a chance to compete, and SLNA still has good foreign players, ensuring results, without spending more money and time on foreign players. The only way left is for SLNA to accept keeping the same force, the remaining V.League journey is the time to test the most satisfactory foreign players.

As long as they don’t get relegated and don’t play too poorly, the Nghe An team will have a series of young, combative strikers in V.League 2018. Besides, half a season is the ideal time for SLNA to plan for the long term for the next seasons.

June 29 will be the deadline to finalize the list of players for the return leg of V.League 2017. Sooner or later, Nghe An fans still hope that SLNA will find the most reasonable and effective solution. More importantly, not to repeat the mistakes of the past!

QT