SLNA and the worry in the right-back position

The player who took on this position in the match against Quang Nam was Pham Xuan Manh. This is completely normal. In the 2017 V.League and National Cup, the player from Yen Thanh (Nghe An) was the one who was often arranged by the SLNA coaching staff to play in the right-back position.

Furthermore, the impressive performance in the U23 Vietnam national team jersey at the U23 Asian Cup helped Pham Xuan Manh gain more trust from the Nghe An team's coaching staff.

However, in the National Super Cup match against Quang Nam, the player born in 1996 was the one who made the mistake that led to the only goal of the home team. In the 42nd minute of the match, from a free kick by Phan Thanh Hung (Quang Nam), the ball was hung into the SLNA penalty area - near the position of Pham Xuan Manh.

The defender wearing number 11's error in clearing the ball created an opportunity for Thiago to rush in and defeat goalkeeper Le Van Hung, opening the score of the match.

Pham Xuan Manh (11) did not play really well in the match against Quang Nam. Photo: Internet

That was not the only mistake Pham Xuan Manh made in this match. When the second half had just started for about 12 minutes, in a defensive situation in front of the home team's penalty area, Pham Xuan Manh let player Ngo Duc Thang easily pass him.

Fortunately, goalkeeper Le Van Hung jumped up and pushed the ball over the crossbar, saving a clear goal. Apart from the two mistakes above, Pham Xuan Manh played quite well in defense.

According to statistics, in V.League 2017, the 22-year-old defender also often made basic mistakes that led to SLNA's goals. Typically, the ball touched his hand in the match against Than Quang Ninh at Cam Pha Stadium, causing SLNA to receive a penalty.

Or like SLNA's 1-2 loss to Hanoi FC in the second leg, Pham Xuan Manh was also the one who greatly contributed to raising the score to 2-0 for Hanoi FC, with an indecisive clearance.

However, making mistakes in football is inevitable, even for world-class defenders. Moreover, Pham Xuan Manh is a player who is not good at playing as a full-back.

But saying that does not mean that Pham Xuan Manh and the SLNA coaching staff are innocent of the recent mistakes of the player wearing the number 11 shirt. Perhaps, it is time for coach Nguyen Duc Thang and his colleagues to return Pham Xuan Manh to his favorite position as a winger.

Let Pham Xuan Manh fill the void left by Tran Phi Son. Photo: Internet

Don’t forget, when he was still in the youth teams or before defender Tran Dinh Hoang suffered an injury that forced him to take a long break, Pham Xuan Manh always played in the attacking positions. Just recently at the 2017 National U21 Finals, coach Dinh Van Dung arranged for Pham Xuan Manh to play in midfield, and the player born in 1996 played very impressively.

Perhaps, SLNA's coaching staff should put Pham Xuan Manh in the position left by Tran Phi Son and trust Tran Dinh Hoang or Nguyen Sy Nam for the right-back position.

The 2018 season has begun, a miscalculation will cost the Nghe An team dearly. The recent loss to Quang Nam is proof of that.