Song Lam Nghe An and the problem of 'brain drain' of players.
(Baonghean.vn) - Witnessing the departure of a series of key players recently, football fans in Nghe An province are understandably worried about Song Lam Nghe An.
An impressive debut
After taking over Song Lam Nghe An (June 2021), Tan Long Group immediately launched a personnel revolution. The sole purpose was to develop the Nghe An team to a new level, capable of competing on equal footing with powerful rivals such as Hanoi FC, Viettel FC, etc.
To prepare for Song Lam Nghe An's return to its former glory in the V.League, Tan Long Group has made significant investments in blockbuster deals. The Nghe An team has extended contracts with key players such as Phan Van Duc, Pham Xuan Manh, Nguyen Van Hoang, and foreign player Michael Olaha.
Furthermore, Tan Long Group successfully persuaded overseas stars Nguyen Trong Hoang, Que Ngoc Hai, and Tran Dinh Hoang to return to serve their hometown team. It can be confidently stated that throughout the history of Song Lam Nghe An (founded in 1979), nothing similar has ever happened.
In the past, it was very rare for the Nghe An team to re-sign their former players. Simply put, they lacked the financial resources and, more importantly, they didn't possess a top-quality youth academy in Vietnamese football. Furthermore, the Vinh-based team's ambitions were modest, primarily focused on maintaining their presence in the V.League.
Therefore, the initial steps taken by Tan Long Group have given fans in Nghe An province a dream of a brighter future. Instead of struggling to make ends meet, Song Lam Nghe An can now compete on equal footing with the big clubs both on the field and in the player transfer market. Suddenly, Song Lam Nghe An's fortunes have been transformed.
...And the mass migration
However, no one could have foreseen the unexpected. As the 2022 season concluded, key players Hoang Van Khanh and Phan Van Duc packed their bags and left Vinh Stadium to join other teams. Notably, Phan Van Duc's contract with Song Lam Nghe An wasn't officially set to expire until the end of 2024.
Unfortunately, the Nghe An team was unable to retain the midfielder from Yen Thanh due to the eagerness of Hanoi Police. Clearly, the departure of the 1996-born player partly reflects the helplessness of Song Lam Nghe An, or more specifically, Tan Long Group.
Ahead of the 2024 season, the coaching staff of the Vinh-based team is once again facing the problem of losing key players. A number of important players such as Que Ngoc Hai, Pham Xuan Manh, Tran Dinh Hoang, and Nguyen Van Hoang have received an ultimatum: they are no longer part of Song Lam Nghe An's plans.
As a last resort, the aforementioned players had to seek new clubs. While Nguyen Van Hoang and Pham Xuan Manh moved north to join Hanoi FC, Que Ngoc Hai and Tran Dinh Hoang headed south to join Becamex Binh Duong. This marks the second time Que Ngoc Hai and Tran Dinh Hoang have had to say goodbye to Song Lam Nghe An. A less than perfect return.
Certainly, the mass exodus at Vinh Stadium will continue in the near future. Not only have Ho Sy Sam, Ho Phuc Tinh, Tran Van Tien, and Tran Dinh Tien already packed their bags, but even Thai Ba Sang and Dinh Xuan Tien will receive attractive offers from wealthy teams.
Implementing a plan to rejuvenate the squad, Song Lam Nghe An will face many difficult challenges ahead. With an inexperienced team, let alone competing for the championship, even the goal of avoiding relegation in V.League 2024 will be extremely difficult for coach Phan Nhu Thuat and his team. Because, "you can't make something out of nothing."
