Song Lam Nghe An lost to Hai Phong: Warning about easily predictable playing style

In the last match, coach Phan Nhu Thuat continued to keep the same starting lineup that won against Nam Dinh Blue Steel. This decision shows confidence in individuals who have played well, but in the context of modern football with a dense schedule, the lack of rotation can easily exhaust players and make the playing style predictable. This was clearly shown on Lach Tray field.

Meanwhile, Hai Phong under coach Chu Dinh Nghiem is famous for its ability to "read" its opponents.Lam River Nghe AnNot changing the formation or personnel made it easy for him to come up with countermeasures, especially using Fred Friday - a "strategic card" to break down Nghe An's defense system.

The Nigerian striker continuously stirred up the Song Lam Nghe An defense with his speed, strength and ability to press. He became the most dangerous spearhead when Hai Phong proactively pushed up the formation, fully exploiting the weakness in the opponent's defense lacking foreign players.

Fred Friday’s two goals not only came from his finishing skills, but also from taking full advantage of the confusion and fatigue of the Song Lam Nghe An defense. Goalkeeper Cao Van Binh tried his best but could not stop the constant pressure.

While the opponent boldly changed, coach Phan Nhu Thuat chose a safe playing style. Continuing to let Reon Dale Moore - the foreign player who just scored against Nam Dinh - sit on the bench is a puzzling decision. In front of the defenseHai Phong ClubWith no foreign players, this should have been the perfect opportunity for Moore to showcase his strengths and show his worth.

Not only Moore, reserve players like Tran Manh Quynh, Le Dinh Long Vu or Le Nguyen Hoang can be used to rotate and reduce the load on the main players who have lost their physical strength after the previous match.

The defeat at Lach Tray was not just a loss, but a warning to the coaching staff. In the first three rounds of the season, Song Lam Nghe An were loyal to a single formation. Conservatism makes the playing style monotonous and easy to predict, especially when playing away - where surprises are always required to create advantages.

It should be emphasized that Hai Phong is a very difficult opponent to play against at Lach Tray. The 3-1 victory over PVF-CAND in the previous round proved that. Therefore, Song Lam Nghe An not making any adjustments is like "tying their own hands" before the ball rolls.

Football is a sport of adaptation. If you stick to one formation or formation, sooner or later your opponents will catch on. Song Lam Nghe An needs to be more flexible and creative, especially when in the hands ofCoach Phan Nhu ThuatThere are still many young players with potential and quality foreign players.

The defeat against Hai Phong may have been just a stumble, but if they don’t change, the road ahead for the Nghe An team will be full of thorns. It’s time for the coaching staff to boldly adjust and change more, so that Song Lam Nghe An can not only play well, but also play smartly and effectively.