Song Lam Nghe An needs plans for a new journey

That is the quick signing of contracts to "retain" midfielder Van Duc and other key players whose contracts are about to expire; the appointment of young leaders, trust in the first team's coaching staff; the quick repair of accommodation and treatment of injuries for young players; the affirmation of the idea of ​​bringing back some key players who left the team during the "brain drain"; the active activities of the media apparatus...

Of course, there are still many important and urgent matters for both the immediate and long term that SLNA's leadership must consider.

Can the young coaching staff revive the sinking ship SLNA? Photo: SLNA Club

Firstly, about the coaching staff of the first team and the youth teams. With the first team, the trust in assigning tasks to coach Huy Hoang and his assistants is currently agreed upon, reassuring and showing positive signs. If this coaching staff and the team successfully stay in the league, it will open a new stage with greater goals and ambitions, which means they will continue to be assigned tasks next season, the season after.

In case things do not go well, SLNA leaders must definitely consider other backup plans, not letting the situation of "waiting until the last minute", being passive and missing opportunities.

It must be clear that a football team does not have enough good players, but must have good teachers. “Without a teacher, you cannot succeed” is an old saying, always true. No matter how great a player grows up, is loved by the team owner and fans and assigned to lead, if the team’s performance fluctuates, it will come to a time when they “go their separate ways” like the case of F. Lampark at Chelsea that the whole world knows about. Therefore, along with having Van Duc or coming here with Ngoc Hai, Trong Hoang… for example, but not finding a great coach, a compatible coaching staff, it is considered that only half of the team’s vital, essential problem has been taken care of.

Head coach Nguyen Huy Hoang has not been the head coach of SLNA for long, but he has set a goal for the Nghe An team to successfully stay in the league. Therefore, he wants the players to practice actively and complete all the training plans in each training session set by the coaching staff. Photo: Duc Anh

Respect talent as players trained from the academySLNA, those who stay as well as those who are moving away is the right thing to do. But it will not be enough if we do not fully utilize the team of people who have worked hard to produce excellent players over the years. Is it objective if that coach once did a good job in the youth team, then promoted to the first team, has a lot of experience but for some reason now "drifts" here and there? Is it completely meaningful when that coach comes from a player background, becomes a coach of SLNA's teams and has been "holding" teams in V. League 1, 2... with very "characteristics", can it be considered a "brain drain" and they are eligible to be invited back to serve and contribute to their hometown team with appropriate treatment like star players?

Trong Hoang still has a heavy heart for SLNA. Photo: Duc Anh

Believe that, if seriously looking at, fully and objectively re-evaluating the coaching team, SLNA will have more strength to quickly achieve the set goals. In case of necessity, sitting in the technical area of ​​the team is a team of foreign coaches, which is not surprising if the team really has ambitions to go far. Isn't Vietnamese football proud of the Korean coaching team or HAGL just "growing up" when inviting Kiatisuk to guide?

Second, retaining and calling back SLNA's "original" stars is a necessary thing to do, simply because the current force is too thin and immature compared to the requirements. But there are still some opinions worth pondering here, which need to be carefully calculated before deciding. For example, player A on a certain team is currently playing excellently but is constantly injured, constantly contributing and is no longer young, should he be considered a "priority case" to be called back at all costs - when the ability to contribute to the hometown team is no longer abundant? Or player B has the ability but plays inconsistently, even leaves a bad reputation and in general the ability to continue contributing is still a question mark?

Van Quyen is expected to become SLNA assistant coach. Photo: Ba Tuan

Meanwhile, the potential in SLNA's youth team is not lacking. If they are focused on taking care of and creating conditions for competition, they will not only contribute to the present but also the long-term future. For example, SLNA's current U19 team is the desire of many training centers and teams in the V. League. Should there be a special program to bring this team to a new level, which will be no different from the generation of Cong Phuong, Van Toan of HAGL or the generation of Quang Hai, Dinh Trong... of Hanoi FC. Is that also a matter of "winning the stage" and giving opportunities to young talents, when the first team is a place full of talents to strive for, not a place to "retire"?

Hopefully, SLNA’s dynamic and youthful leadership, from long-term strategy to technical and tactical steps for each specific step, always knows how to “listen and understand”, be decisive and determined to win in all situations, including cases that upset… fans or a certain individual (!). The story of Chelsea’s owner forcing F. Lampark to give way to a new coach and everything brightened up recently is a lesson for many people in football, and SLNA cannot be an exception?